30 or 50lb electric trolling motor?

[Beave]

I have some store credit coming and figure to use it on a trolling motor.

They have Minkota 30 and 50lb motors.

$90 for the 30lb, $190 for the 50lb. For use pushing a 14ft aluminum boat around, which would you chose for the money? There's a lot of stuff at Meijer I can buy so it's not like I have to waste the store credit.

[ESOX]

50# without a doubt. 30# would only be adequate if the wind never blew.

[TONGA]

Yep I will second that

[WALLEYE MIKE]

I had a 14ft once and had a 27lb on it. Pushed good enough for me at the time.

[The Whale]

Depends on where you want to utilize the electric motor, inland lake waters or a river. Any river with a decent current deserves all the power you can give it. Also, how much load you have in the boat at the time will make a large impact on the performance the motors achieves. Add a good load with a river current, give it the fifty for sure. good luck on your new toy !

Whale :) :cool:

[TrailFndr]

While most would go for the "MORE POWER" theory, I have a 36 lb on my Bass boat and it is sufficient to get the job done, your boat is so much lighter that you won't need the 50. I use a 24 on my Moms 12 foot aluminum and that baby seems to fly across the water and wind is no problem for it either.

Only time I would recommend the 50 is if you are fishing HEAVY current most of the time.

By going with the smaller, you can get some other new toys to play with along with the motor

[Jason Adam]

I used to use a 27# Minn Kota on a 14' Vee w/25hp outboard and a console(pretty heavy 14'r). Moved it around the inland lake I fished great, but now that I think about it, there was never wind when I went out.

[STEINFISHSKI]

30# should be plenty. I would highly recommend a bow mount.

[Beave]

Hmmmm.... I think they only have transom mounts. Bow mount for a 14' aluminum fishing boat? I've never seen that.

[STEINFISHSKI]

I got a bow mount this year after struggling to stay on the breaklines with a transom mount. I was all over the place and done if the wind kicked up at all. If you do opt for the bow mount there are a couple used ones on the board, and get the longest shaft to hold the prop in the water up front in waves.

I mounted it on a reinforced steel plate on the bow of my 14' Smokercraft. Love it.

[kroppe]

I had a 50lb on a 14 aluminum and you could almost ski behind it! ;)

Seriously bigger is better with trolling motors. Especially if there are wind and waves, which would only be a problem in open water like Lk Michigan, Detroit River, LSC, etc.

Bow mount is a better way to control the boat, but on a 14 aluminum you will indeed have to come up with an attaching plate/device. A tiller is what I had and I like it, but I can see how a bow mount would have made boat control a bit easier.

[grizzly]

As others have said, bow mount is so much nicer for control. And definetely go with the 50lb. It took me awhile to convert my river boat to a bow mount, Infact its still sitting in the garage just waiting for a piece of aluminum to mount it up with. I ended up with a minnkota power drive 55lb thrust. I have always had transom mounts for plug fishing in the river to slip with. Will be nice to have hands free and no more reaching for the motor. Also thinking about the co-pilot kit. Anyone have any experience with them.

Grizzly.