Trolling Motor for Lake Fishing

[bignose]

The problem with the registration and definition of what is and isn't a kayak, was done by people who are pretty much ignorant of what a modern SOT kayak is and what they can do.
Technically, the Natives are hybrids, not quite a canoe, not quite a kayak. I would imagine that you could register this as a Native canoe and they would be none the wiser.

Their concept is most likely, that of a sit inside with limited, to no extra flotation, so they are looking at it from a liability issue should the kayak capsize.
And they really seemed to try to discourage usage and access as much as possible the last time I checked.

And it is interesting as to who has jurisdiction: the property is owned and controlled by Baltimore City, located in Baltimore County, and occasionally patrolled by the DNR.
Who would write a citation?

BTW, Lake Roland, which is now under the control of Baltimore County, does not allow electric motors, either. Not even in a canoe.

[mchottie]

Not to get off topic, but I think the overarching theme of this entire thread is a VERY valuable discussion to the kayaking genre in general. Knowing who/what/how we are restricted in our use, is a tool to lobby to change regulations if that point would come in the future.

Back to the topic at hand, Smithmal use your best judgement because the onis will be on you should a citation / authority having jurisdiction occur and/or intervene. I agree with Stu, submit the application with Manufacturer:Native Style:Canoe and I doubt they will be any the wiser. Please heed John Veil's advice, your older model Ultimate may NOT be best suited for an electrical power. Registering as a canoe (and if bychance it really is not suited for powered propulsion) you can still use it on the body of water as a paddle "canoe" so you are not losing out on any 'advantage' per se.

Again, use your best judgement. Good luck.

[smithmal]

Right then. So, if I were to put an electric motor setup on this type of "canoe" what would everyone suggest?

smithmal

[Mark]

Right then. So, if I were to put an electric motor setup on this type of "canoe" what would everyone suggest?

smithmal

Frankly, I wouldn't. The Ultimate is a wonderful boat that needs no help to propel it. Take your time, explore the reservoir leisurely. You'll likely be cruising past many fish on your way to some distant target.

I don't know that I've crossed the 10 mile mark in Ultimates I've paddled in a single outing but I've been close -- sometimes in wind and heavy seas.

I'm sorry. I know that's not the answer you want. As much as I like the Ultimate, I can think of better and safer platforms for a trolling motor. I believe a 15 foot canoe would be a better vessel for that.

[smithmal]

Mark,

I understand. My issue is I have limited time to be on the water as weekends are the only days I can go and are usually chock full with family stuff. I try and get on the water by 5:30/6am and back home by 11am so I like to spend as much quality time as possible fishing rather than paddling to whatever spot I choose.

What type of canoe would you suggest I get that can easily be car topped and would work well with a good sized electric motor?

smithmal

[Mark]

I understand.

For ease of car-topping, you want a light canoe for sure.

Used Mad River Kevlar and Old Town Royalex canoes in 15 to 16 feet often appear on Craigslist. Both brands are usually under 60 pounds. I've seen them range from $500 to $1000 depending on their condition and the willingness of the owner to sell. They offer significantly more carrying capacity than an Ultimate 12.

But again, the least expensive advice I can offer is to learn to fish the areas thoroughly that you can reach on your short trips. I think we often get into a "grass is always greener" mode while fishing. We may paddle or motor past lots of fish on our way to catch the same kinds of fish we left behind.

[bignose]

My "kayak" has always been a canoe.
I have a 30 year old Old Town Camper (the ABS- Royalex model-the newer ones are much heavier polyethylene ). It is 16 feet long and weighs about 60 pounds. I power this with a 55 lb. thrust Minn Kota. The darn battery weighs almost as much as the canoe does.
It is very stable. I have taken this out on the Severn, and the Middle Branch of the Patapsco by Fort McHenry. which has more waves and wakes then Liberty will, and stayed dry
The biggest issue compared to a kayak is it sits high on the water and is subject to wind.

[jbrown]

Just a couple of points from my experience fishing liberty for the last eight years. If you talk to any of the old timers they will tell you that you do not have to travel far on liberty for good fish. We all have our favorite spots like going up to Nicodemus etc. but you can catch large smallmouth largemouth and stripers without going much past the water station red balloons. That is a pretty good paddle. Wind storms come up exceptionally fast on that lake. It does get scary quickly. I fish the bay quite a bit and I was more intimidated by liberty than 15 mile an hour winds with standing waves under the bay bridge. I would not want to be too far out in a motorized kayak or canoe. Just remember, you kind of feel like you are in the wilderness back in those coves on liberty. The reality is you could always get out and walk into somebody’s backyard within a quarter-mile and get assistance. Don’t risk your life in the middle of that lake. If I feel energetic I will paddle my mirage drive up to smallmouth alley and a little bit beyond all by using manpower. PS – I have seen weekend shows of state and federal agents with homeland security site illegal paddlers on weekends especially memorial day. It can be considered a national security threat as a water supply to Baltimore city. They do not mess around! They show up in big black SUVs with a lot of guns. They go out on their boat and come right up to you and ask for documentation. They were cool but intimidating. Glad I have my paperwork and lifevest. I watch them follow a boater all the way back to the ramp and then gave him a citation. He had a reservoir rig must’ve been illegal. It was about 3 miles from the ramp when they approached him originally.


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[phoenixkeith]

Get the motor .....If you are like me, your a fisherman first and a kayaker way down the list. Paddling more than you fish sucks. Get a bass yak motor kit. A 30lb thrust kit will push that boat along smooth and fast. A battery will weigh around 60 lbs and the motor will weigh around 25 lbs. $550 for the motor and $80ish for a group 27 deep cycle battery. Or you can make your own and save a few bucks. Now motorizing a kayak on the Rez is risky business because the man is gonna see a kayak when he pulls up on you.

[smithmal]

Mark,

I get what your saying its just that the nearer you are to the ramps more than likely the more overfished it is.

smithmal

[smithmal]

JBrown,

Thanks for the advice. Where are the weather station red ballons? Any decent fishing holes nearby the ramps?

Thanks,

smithmal

[mchottie]

Eureka:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Drill-Pad...ype=10&veh=aff

[HJS]

Big Nose – You and I are in the same boat… literally. I too bought a 16’, 60#, Old Town Camper canoe… but I think you already knew that. I’ve been using nothing but a canoe all my life since I was 18 years old (I’m now 71.)

I propel my canoe with a 12v, 40# thrust Motor Guide Vari-Max trolling motor with a 30” shaft. I don’t think that model is made any more. Power is stored in two BPS trolling batteries, ~52# each. Both are stored in the front of the canoe. I don’t always take both batteries. It all depends on what my agenda is for the day. One battery will take me from Harbor Hospital on the Middle Branch Patapsco to the Fort McHenry riprap and almost back to Harbor Hospital before I have to switch out the batteries. Is a trolling motor setup worth it… you betcha. As I always say, there’s at least a couple 1000 paddle strokes stored in each battery.

Also, I do sincerely feel the trolling motor hanging in the water column helps to stabilize the canoe to a significant degree, much like a center board does on a sailboat.

The motor mount is a standard issue bracket sold by the Old Town people. It’s well made and installs in seconds. The FF sensor is strapped under the bottom of the trolling motor… no fuss no muss. A standard plastic cooler goes just behind where I sit. BTW, went going solo in a canoe it’s recommended to sit in the “factory” front seat but face the back. That centers body weight more to the center of the canoe. I’ll attach a picture of my canoe set up for launching/fishing.

A canoe offers a lot more usable space. Like Big Nose said, the big drawback of a canoe is the freaking wind. 5 to 10 mph is about it for me. So yeah, winds is a big issue. But then there are lots of relatively calm days. I always check the weather forecasts for wind an hour or two before leaving the house.

A couple years ago I could no long throw my canoe up on top of my Forester reliably and safely… getting old sux. Now I use a trailer to haul my canoe. I’ll attach a pic of that too. Trailers have issues but at least I can still go fishing with my canoe.

Big Nose,- Over the years I’ve noticed we seem to fish a lot of the same places, sometimes at the same time. I bet we have met on the water from time to time… we just didn’t know who each other were.

canoe-trolling motor.jpg

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[Mark]

HJS,

That's a very nice setup.

You've turned that Camper into a fishing machine.

Many years ago I had an Old Town Discovery 174. On solo trips I did as you said -- sat in the front seat and turned the boat around using the stern as the bow. Yet, even in moderate winds I often had to resort to paddling backwards like a row boat to get where I was going.

But a lot of fish came over the gunnels of that Old Town canoe. I really enjoyed it. I think that's one reason I like the design and functionality of my canoe-like Ultimates now. The problem with the Old Town aside from the wind was that it weighed over 80 pounds. Even in my younger days, that was difficult for me to transport. Your trailer is the way to do it.

[bignose]

Mark, the Discovery series canoes are made out of polyethylene, where-as the Camper models Howard and I have are made out of the no longer available, and much lighter, Royalex-ABS. I tried one of the Discovery square sterned canoes, which went about 120 pounds many years ago. I was a lot younger and could actually car top it, but that got old real fast!

I recently purchased a much smaller and lighter Old Town Royalex Pack Canoe, that weighs about 33 pounds. It feels tiny and I do not like the initial stability-it's rounded hull is a bit twitchy feeling after the flat bottomed Camper, and doesn't paddle as well due to it's length. I think that it will be limited to small ponds and Creeks, I'm not gonna take it out on the mainstream of the Severn. I did hook a monstrous carp in it earlier this summer at local community pond-Nantucket Sleigh ride, Columbia style.

Howard, your craft looks a heck of a lot better than mine, between the scuffs and rock marks and ultraviolet sunlight induced fading, mine is pretty rough looking, and that is after trying to repaint the hull with Krylon Fusion two years ago. I applied the kevlar rubs strips to cut down on the abrasion.
The scrapes are badges of honor, the canoe has been over a lot of rocks on the Upper Potomac!

I only use one 27 series deep cycle battery, put it up front to balance the weight distribution, and seldom discharge it fully in a normal fishing day. And that's with a 55 lb thrust Minn-Kota.

I recently starting attaching my FF transducer to a magnetic clamp, (FishFinderMounts.com), and it works great. My motor mount is similar to yours, just on the other side, since I like to steer with my right hand.

I built my own modified seating thwart and relocated it closer to the mid-line to bring the bow down lower, and cut down on wind induced turning. But the Camper model does not have a raised keel to help it track and crosswinds can result in the canoe skating sideways, even with the motor! It turns much better to the right than the left due to the offset motor.

After shoulder surgery this past November, my goal is to be able to car top the Camper by mid summer. (the Dr. doesn't think so). I don't think carrying it by the yoke is going to be a problem once I get it up, but picking it up and rolling it over to the carry position is going to be a challenge!
The Pack Canoe shouldn't be a problem, but I haven't tried the motor on it yet. I am concerned that between it and the battery, the canoe will be over loaded/ overpowered/ unbalanced.
I took the Pack out to a local pond about a month after my shoulder gave out, (when I dropped the Camper at the Tucker Street ramp), and after an hour of paddling, I was done. Couldn't lift my arm the next day-that's when I knew I needed to get the shoulder done up.