putting a trolling motor on my tarpon 120

[perch slayer]

hello all, I am currently trying to mount a trolling motor onto the stern of my tarpon 120. I am planning on building a mount for it but the motor needs to be at the very back- not side mounted. i do not want a long tiller running from the stern, so id like to remove the tiller controls and mount the tiller-(speed control within easy reach) on the side of my kayak so when I'm sitting, i can reach over and adjust my speed. i have the mount and steering in mind, i just need help with the wires and all that. if you are knowledgeable on this, or know someone who is, i would greatly appreciate if you could share that knowledge in the replies of this post.

Thanks so much, Mike

[Steve6902]

Hello Mike, I have done this. In fact I know a lot about this subject. On the MinnKota Endura C2 there is an 8 position switch 5 forward and 3 reverse. This switch has 6 wires going to it, 2 from the battery and 4 for the motor. The switch does have the colors stamped on it and is very easy to take off. I ran my wires inside the kayak. I also mounted by batteries inside towards the center of my yak. To get the wires inside and to connect to the motor I used a 6 pin trailer connection by Hopkins. You will only need 4 pins of the 6 but it is the only one that will work. This way I can take the motor off. I then relocated my switch to the front cockpit. You will also need a kill switch, a 40 amp relay and a 40 amp fuse all DC. These have to be installed inline with the battery wires. On the fuse I used a car fuse that auto reset. You will need foot pedals so you can steer. On the guide cables I use coated leader wire in the 100 Lbs range. Also 2 small dog leashes to adjust the tension on the steering controls. A way to lift the motor from the cockpit. This will also help with finding the right depth for best performance of the motor.

Last item you will need and the biggest, is the nerve to drill some big holes in your yak. I can tell you it is a fun project and helps out a lot on the water. There are some disadvantages to it also. If you need more answers or you want me to text you some pics then shoot a PM with your number and we can talk. Just for the record I'm thinking of going with a gas motor. Check out the Going to the Dark Side. http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...-the-Dark-side

[Steve6902]

Here are some pics of my setup.



Mount with shock absorber


Control panel with Kill switch

[Steve6902]

Some more,

Foot control with dog leash


Hopkins 6 pin trailer connector

[Steve6902]

Last is the kill switch, relay and auto reset car fuse. I placed it all in a waterproof Tupperware container and even threw in a couple of those moisture absorbing packets.

[archeryrob]

I did one years back that might have some ideas for you also.
https://archeryrob.wordpress.com/201...r-stern-mount/

[Oldbayrunner]

Another item you may consider installing is a PWM as it will considerably extend your battery run time. After much research I purchased this system instead of making a set up myself.https://www.wirelesstrollingpro.com/index.html

[Steve6902]

Which model did you purchase?? Have you used the PWM controller yet and if so how did it work out?? I have to be honest that I do not understand how this device can extend your battery life from 8hrs to 34hrs for a 30Lbs motor and a 75AH battery. It seems that you place the motor in position number 5 which uses 30 amps per hour and then use this PWM controller. On a 75AH battery on position #5 will only last 2.5 hours with out any PWM. This I know for I've tested my system and I got about 2 hours, that's when I reached 11.9 volts on the battery. Now that was nonstop running in a trash can full of water.

[Oldbayrunner]

Which model did you purchase?? Have you used the PWM controller yet and if so how did it work out?? I have to be honest that I do not understand how this device can extend your battery life from 8hrs to 34hrs for a 30Lbs motor and a 75AH battery. It seems that you place the motor in position number 5 which uses 30 amps per hour and then use this PWM controller. On a 75AH battery on position #5 will only last 2.5 hours with out any PWM. This I know for I've tested my system and I got about 2 hours, that's when I reached 11.9 volts on the battery. Now that was nonstop running in a trash can full of water.

Since I have a 46lb thrust motor I bought the 12C45-PS (non Digital). My old 86ah AGM was heavy and the usage wasn't very good, plus one can't continuously use them below 50% without killing the battery in a much shorter period of time, hence my switching to a lithium battery. So far with my current set up and 5-6 hrs use I haven't ran my battery out in two days of use with my 75ah lithium battery with standard use of between 1-3 and an occasional 5 for short periods of time. I've done a lot of research prior to deciding to add a pwm. I just ordered mine so I haven't been able to install and use it yet so I will have to get back to you on your second question. I am getting ok usage now but I have this concern with getting out in the middle of the bay and running out of power at some point especially in inclement weather. Perhaps these will help you understand the difference, read the second and third articles in this blog. I haven't found anyone explain it better than this. http://wirelesstrollingpro.blogspot.com/

Now with all that being said, it stands to reason if one were to use a pwm on a lower ah battery it would extend the life to a decent run time allowing for less battery weight in ones yak. My 75ah lithium only weighs 25lbs so it suits my purpose and I should get incredible run time, we'll see.

[Oldbayrunner]

Update: Since my last post I have been able to use my wireless pro pwm. Well worth the investment, it is well made and an extremely easy to install. I must say it does everything I had hoped to gain, which is a much lower usage and longer run time. Since then I have switched from using a side mounted trolling motor to one of the Island Hopper transom mounted motors. I think I am done with additions..LOL

[mchottie]

also, if it hasnt been mentioned yet, take a look at www.bassyaks.com