Outboard vs. electric?

gearhead · 11-10-2014, 06:04 PM

What do y'all think would be more utilized? A tiller type 12volt electric trolling motor, or a small 3-6 hp outboard? I'm looking for what you fisher folk think would be used more. I don't have much experience renting boats while on the road and am clueless as to what type restrictions on power boats you see most. I'm a bit concerned about being stranded by a low battery on a troll motor. But the electric would make fishing easier than the outboard. Get both is the easy answer!
Yes, I was walking around Bass Pro Shop today.

eddarde · 11-10-2014, 06:32 PM

If you are going to rent a boat I think I would rent the motor also.
Electric or 6 hp would be best on a smaller 10 ft or maybe 12 foot boat, but they would be slow, the smaller the boat the less stable it is. I own a 16 ft flat bottom (very stable) w/ a 40 hp. I have a 35 lb trust electric on it. But I would not go far with it, 2-3 miles maybe, w/ a 115 amp deep cycle. The wind is a killer also. Its great for manuvering around when fishing.

gearhead · 11-10-2014, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddarde

If you are going to rent a boat I think I would rent the motor also.
Electric or 6 hp would be best on a smaller 10 ft or maybe 12 foot boat, but they would be slow, the smaller the boat the less stable it is. I own a 16 ft flat bottom (very stable) w/ a 40 hp. I have a 35 lb trust electric on it. But I would not go far with it, 2-3 miles maybe, w/ a 115 amp deep cycle. The wind is a killer also. Its great for manuvering around when fishing.

I'm boat poor.: 21ft center console 150hp w/80lb 24volt elect roll, 18ft GoDevil w/23hp longtail & 43lb 12 volt troll, 16ft alum 20hp w/ 43lb troll, and a Chapman pirogue w/paddle power. I just don't want to buy an outboard and discover I can't use it in most cases, or I could rent the outboard too.
I guess another way to ask the question is: what do you see most..boat only rentals, boat & motor rentals, restriction of electric motor only??
I'm ready to stay a few days in places rather than blasting through to a destination.

**chuckster57** · 11-10-2014, 07:36 PM

Every time I have rented a boat, it came with an engine.

**JRTJH** · 11-10-2014, 09:11 PM

It's been my experience that if "they" rent boats, they also rent outboards. That is unless the body of water doesn't allow motors or is restricted to electric motors, and then, sometimes they don't have electric motors, but only rent the boat with oars.

If I were to buy only one, it would be a tiller electric and I'd get a group 27 deep cycle battery with a 10 amp battery charger. That way, if "they" rent boats, I've got a motor, if they rent boats and outboards, I've got my trolling motor to make it easier, and if the lake doesn't allow outboards, I've got my electric with a fresh battery.

Honestly, the reason I had a receiver welded on the back of my fifth wheel is so I can take my own boat, one that I know how it runs and what it does. Besides, the boat is the best place to store fishing tackle, it tends to get broken in the pass through on the trailer, don't ask me how I know..... <sigh>

Festus2 · 11-10-2014, 09:36 PM

I would guess that almost all places that rent boats come equipped with an O/B engine. I can't recall seeing any place that rented boats that had only electric motors.

Not sure about your area, but here in BC there are lakes that have horsepower restrictions - usually 10HP or less and some that are electric or manual only. The latter are usually the smaller lakes.

From your post, it looks like you already have 2 12v electric trolling motors so it seems like there would be no need to buy one. Is it possible for you to take an electric motor and battery with you just in case you run into a situation where a particular lake has restrictions that require an electric motor. If you know which area or lake you are going to be fishing, you can usually find out beforehand what, if any, restrictions are in place about motors.

If all else fails, ask your wife to row while you fish.

hankaye · 11-11-2014, 07:43 AM

gearhead, Howdy;

From my own experience I'd go with the troll motor. ALWAYS
ask if any type of propulsion, other than man made (ores or paddles),
is allowed. Some places do not even allow an electric motor. The bit of
dragging along your own battery is good and a method to ensure it's
charge is kept up to snuff carries weight as well. I would choose a Salt
Water model as the corrosion protection is much better, and who knows, ...
ya never know when you may hit some brackish water or want to explore
some salt water someday... then you already have a motor that can handle it.

hankaye

gearhead · 11-11-2014, 05:38 PM

I'm thinking the trolling motor and a battery. My other troll mtrs are not tiller type, they are bow mounted.
John I think I would be over length limits if I towed a boat. I'm at 51ft now. I think Texas has a limit around 62.
I

**JRTJH** · 11-11-2014, 06:41 PM

My F250 supercab long bed is a 158" wheelbase, your crewcab SB is 156", so they are pretty much a wash. Our 31' fifth wheel and the 17' Tracker 175 puts me at 72, almost 73'. That's with the outboard in the tow position with the tilt bracket installed. Michigan is 75' max, so I'm reluctant to tow the boat to Texas during the winters. I don't know if I could make it through IL and MO without risking a "bout with LEO"... I think in the summer, I'd be pretty much OK, but all it would take is to get caught in some slush and slide toward the side of the road with 2 trailers and if anything happened.... So, I leave my boat home if we're towing outside Michigan or a nearby out of state campground.

You would be pushing significantly longer tow lengths than me with your trailer and a similar boat, so, no, I don't imagine you'd feel comfortable trying to "risk it"....

Javi · 11-12-2014, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearhead

I'm thinking the trolling motor and a battery. My other troll mtrs are not tiller type, they are bow mounted.
John I think I would be over length limits if I towed a boat. I'm at 51ft now. I think Texas has a limit around 62.
I

65 feet.. Length limit in Texas.

Many, many years ago I had one of the 3 man Bass Buster boats with a trolling motor and I could fish all day on the lake with a single series 27 battery.. I've been thinking of getting another one of those to take with me, I love to pan fish and those thing are built for exactly that. They wouldn't be any good on the coast but up in the creeks and sloughs of our State Parks it'd be great.

gearhead · 11-12-2014, 06:01 PM

The options seem endless. I want to get a front mounted receiver hitch anyway, and I could use the "hitch extender" I already have in the vertical position to carry a canoe. Just need a roof mounted rack for the other end of the canoe, kayak, etc.
Of course getting the boat up there and back down would be the next challenge.
Complications.....
I think a cheap troll motor and battery will be step #1.

Ken / Claudia · 11-13-2014, 01:09 PM

I have owned and used both. They each work good depending on how and where you use them.
I found the electric is lighter, silent, cost less than an gas engine. Make sure you have a means of getting the battery fully charged between days of fishing or have 2 batteries. The battery is the problem and with it it is about the wt of a small gas motor. On mine I extended to cables to get the battery up front in a small duck boat and it was much better balanced.
The little gas motors cost more but, I think they also last longer. They are real simple to work on or fix. Get one with a fuel tank attached and no need for gas tanks and hoses. Have a gal or so extra fuel in a gas can and you might be good for several days of fishing. I would look to buy used on a gas motor. When buying used, long as they start OK, throttle up/down, shift if they have gears(many little ones are direct drive), and check the compression.

gearhead · 11-13-2014, 07:08 PM

Ken/Claudia....I saw the small outboards at BassPro and the 3-4 hp with no gearshift were less than $1000 as I recall. I'm thinking troll motor, battery, and my charger.
I got to remembering putting a 17 ft Mohawk canoe on top of the class c was no fun. That was 30 years ago so I bet that job isn't any easier !

**sourdough** · 11-17-2014, 10:53 AM

Sorry this is a little late.

I think it all depends on where you want to go. I go to northern NM and CO a lot and many, if not most, of the lakes do not allow gas motors. The same goes for countless other bodies of water. From my experience visiting many, many lakes all over the the central/south central U.S. - if the lake will allow gas engines someone is probably going to be renting a boat/motor combo. If it is electric only....I"ve never seen anyone renting that (although I've never spent a great deal of time looking for them either). If you go with electric you probably need to look at carrying your own boat; maybe a jon boat, 12' or so with a roof mount. Look around and you can find some that don't cost much, are light and would be OK to try to put on a roof mount. All of this depends on 1) where you want to go, 2) what kind of water you're going to be on, 3) what is the load going to be in the boat and 4) how much are you going to want to carry with you. I had 3 boats but I'm down to one bass boat. I don't carry a boat with me traveling and rent instead. On lakes that only allow electric motors I just fish from the bank because I've not found a place that will rent boat/electric motor. Whatever you take....have fun.

**JRTJH** · 11-17-2014, 11:55 AM

If you're going to consider buying a boat to carry with a fifth wheel and don't want to lift it overhead to store on a rack above the cab of the truck, here's one option: http://www.porta-bote.com/rv-mounting

Our neighbor in Denver (years ago) had one of the initial versions of this that he carried on a rack mounted to the side of his 20' travel trailer. He had an old Shakespere trolling motor and battery. He fished Pearl Lake north of Steamboat Springs as often as he could get up there. Pearl is a restricted lake (no gas outboards) and he always caught fish with that boat/motor combo.

gearhead · 11-17-2014, 05:01 PM

I've seen those Portabote ads. A retired co-worker that went full time RV had one. Later he had a 12-14ft semi-v aluminum on a roof rack on the truck. I'll touch base with him for input.
Thanks for jogging my brain!

Bowti · 01-10-2015, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearhead

The options seem endless. I want to get a front mounted receiver hitch anyway, and I could use the "hitch extender" I already have in the vertical position to carry a canoe. Just need a roof mounted rack for the other end of the canoe, kayak, etc.
Of course getting the boat up there and back down would be the next challenge.
Complications.....
I think a cheap troll motor and battery will be step #1.

I have the front receiver hitch set up and carry a 15 foot canoe. Loading and unloading is not a problem as it's a light weight canoe, and you only have to lift one end at a time when loading. I prefer a 2.5 HP gas 4 stroke which is lighter than a electric motor and battery. Those deep cell batteries are heavy. I hate the worry of running out of juice at the wrong time with an electric, and charging the battery is a big pain. Also there is no limit to distance you can travel with the outboard motor, it takes all the worry out of the day..

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