Are you a beginner looking to get started in fishing or a seasoned fisherman seeking to have better successful fish hunting?
You should consider the best bow mount trolling motor for the money. This is because bow-mounts have proven over time that they’re capable of executing this task through their amazing features.
They all have the necessary features required of a trolling motor and are highly recommended by professional anglers whose many years of fishing experience have made them come across thousands of trolling motors.
Table of Contents
Best Bow Mount Trolling Motor for the Money
First, take a look at the best bow mount trolling motor reviews for the great product suggestions we’ve chosen for you. We hope it helps you find the right solution for your fishing adventures.
Choosing the right trolling motor could be quite a challenging task and a hectic one. As it requires a bit of experience and expertise to operate.
The reason is that there are lots of bow mounts trolling motors in the market with each having different features.
Hence, what to consider largely depends on what functions you want your motor to serve, every other thing factors come right behind it.
Below is a list of some of the factors to consider before emptying your pocket on that bow mount trolling motor.
Thrust
Power is a major metric required as it determines the motor capacity. You should consider this factor when choosing a bow mount trolling motor. Its function is to measure how much the motor can propel the boat through the water and it’s measured in pounds, often referred to as pounds of thrust.
The bigger the boat, the more pounds of thrust would be needed to propel it. According to an expert, for every 200 pounds of weight on a boat, about five additional pounds of thrust will be needed to propel and make it balanced.
To know the exact estimate of how much thrust your boat will need, sum the boat’s weight, and maximum weight capacity. Divide the outcome by 200 and multiply by five.
Technology
The world has advanced and we are now in the era of technology where almost everything has become automated. Thus, the request for efficient and powerful motors has been the high and recently, there have been positive results.
Bow mount trolling motors need to have at least one or two technological advancements to reduce fishing stress.
For instance, the Minn Kota trolling motor has an automatic lift assist system which helps stow the motor smoothly. Motors lacking this feature would require much effort and stress to operate.
Also, some bow mounts trolling motors have large brushes and communicators, which is useful in reducing heat capacity and extending their battery life.
Some also use i-pilot to control an automated Hummingbird for fish finding. While sonar imaging, the use of variable speed control, and GPS are a few of the other technology features in some motors.
Shaft Length
Longboats require long shafts and the same goes for short boats. Hence, for convenience, you should select the boat with the right shaft length.
Almost all trolling motors have varying shaft lengths as they are designed to work with different types of boats.
Choosing the right shaft length for your motor could be a bit hectic but here is what you should do.
Measure the distance between the transom or bow and the waterline for your boat. Below is a table to help you with that.
Bow to waterline distance Shaft length
0-10 inches 36 inches
10-22 inches 42/45 inches
22-28 inches 48/52 inches
28-34 inches 54/62 inches
34-44 inches 72 inches
Water compatibility
You should know that some trolling motors aren’t suitable for some water bodies. While some function effectively only on saltwater, others work only on freshwaters and some boats work effectively on both.
Noise level
Perhaps you have ever gone fishing and not been able to have caught any fish, this could be because the trolling motor you used made so much noise that frightened the fish away. That is why the noise level of a motor is an important factor to consider.
To avoid or prevent future occurrence of the scenario above from happening, consider choosing a motor that makes little or noise while on water. Since there’s no noise to chase them, fishes will swim close to your motor making capturing them very easy.
Controls
There are two types of controls in a bow mount trolling motor. You can control it by hand or foot.
The type of engine you get depends on your personal preferences first, but a few other things too.
Hand-controlled trolling motors have a lever (handle) that you use to steer your boat. One of the advantages it offers is that the response time you get from it is immediate.
This means that you can navigate with precision through the potential obstacles that can be found in the water.
In addition, it takes up less space on board. One downside is that you are required to have one hand on the controller to steer your boat, diverting your attention from the activity you are doing.
A foot-controlled trolling motor is, in our opinion, more practical. You receive a foot pedal that you attach to your boat and step on to control the functions of your engine.
This is very useful because it leaves your hands free to operate the fishing rod and other equipment.
The downside is that the engine response is not immediate when the pedal is depressed, which can be a bit annoying.
Also, you have to put the pedal on your boat, which can be a problem if you are using a kayak or some other smaller container.
Lastly, there are models that offer wireless remote control. Of course, this comes at a higher price.
You get a remote control to steer your boat and control the speed at which it goes. Whichever type you choose, give yourself time to get used to the controls.
Durability
Bow mount trolling motors could be expensive, so durability is worth considering before choosing one.
You need to consider the lifespan of the motor, materials used to produce it, manufacturer, etc.
Plastics are less durable than metal, e.g motor parts like the shaft tough materials can stand the test of time under harsh usage. To be on the safer side, you should check the warranty on a bow mount motor before purchase.
Speed and direction control, cable steering method, and voltage are some other features you should consider before settling down for a specific trolling motor.
