trolling motor question

Have you considered just upgrading to a better, faster kayak? Just a suggestion. Instead of putting a lot of unnecessary add ons that'll cost money, save up and get a kayak that'll fit your needs. 

Eventually yes I'll upgrade to better kayak. I bought this one because this is what I can afford for family fun. I had my wife and kid on for leisure paddling and took my son out fishing at local lake and it performed perfectly. Adding a trolling motor is not too expensive but spending couple of thousand on new kayak is not an option for me at the moment. I didn't really think about ocean fishing initially until I joined this forum. I'm just trying to figure out how to get out to ocean with what I have.

I had a paddle yak and got a hobie, it's a whole different world on it.  I suggest before getting a motor that you just put that money towards buying a hobie, you can go all day at 3-5mph+.  If you're still unsatisfied or lazy (like me) you can buy a minn kota c30 and that fits right into the mirage drive hole, throw a big heavy car battery into the hatch to go all day.  If you are still unsatisfied but don't want to buy a boat, you can buy a 2.5hp gas outboard.  The easiest way to mount this is to throw a 2x4 behind the seat, ratchet strap that sucker down to the yak, mount your motor and you're set to go the distance.  I've traveled many miles this way but remember to always carry your mirage drive with you in case.  You may need to throw a couple pounds on the opposite end to balance out the motor though.  If you're still unsatisfied, buy a boat.

Don't become news in the Press Democrat.  Read up on all the safety gear you need to take on big blue with a clear conscience to those you leave on shore.  Do a search here on ocean kayaking essentials

I spend a decent amount of time fishing & hunting on the Napa river and after being caught in some tough incoming/outgoing tides I went through the process of rigging my kayak with a trolling motor. My best and honest advice is do not do it. I spent a lot of time and money on a motor, batteries, mounting Equiptment, wiring, fuses  etc. it was not worth it. It adds a lot of weight which can create stability issues and often provides way too much power for the kayak. Finally think of safety all is well when you are upright but you are now in a powered vessel and things can go wrong a lot faster. Finally as mentioned before you will need to register your vessel and will Recieve a tax bill as well from your county assessor for your new "boat". I do not mean to be a downer but the whole process took a lot of fun and pleasure out of the kayaking experience.

A sealed lead acid battery is going to add to the weight of your kayak. A small 22NF size lead acid battery that provides 50 Ah of capacity at 12 volts will weigh 40 lbs. and even a 32 Ah U1 size battery weighs 24 lbs.

That is why the Torqeedo is so expensive. A 50 Ah lithium battery weighs only 15 lbs. but will cost $700. And if you want two batteries....

An alternative to investing in a trolling motor and rigging and a battery and charger is to go to a pedal boat.

I actually have the same kayak (lifetime sport fisher, 10ft) and got a MK 45lb riptide SW motor.  I am brand new to the sport... (keep that in mind).  I got a 12V deep cycle battery from Bass Pro, it's rating: 200 CCA @ 0 F, 48 reserve capacity, 32 capcity at 20AMP.

I've only tested it once, with mixed results.  When the battery worked, it gave me decent power.  I had two people in the kayak, and we could slightly faster than if we were both paddling full strength.  It was nice to have, when it worked.

My problem was that I ran out of power very quickly.  I suspect that I have too small battery, and/or my connections are great.  I also use a 50amp circuit breaker.

I'll continue to experiment and post updates.
 

I should also mention that I know my kayak is not necessarily designed for speed, so I don't expect the motor to zoom us around.  If the power can match 2 people paddling, I'm good with that.

Think of your battery as a fuel tank (within reason).  The larger capacity of your battery, the longer it will run.  If you run the motor at slower speeds, it will run longer.  Trolling motors, generally, are power hogs when run at full throttle.  Most will reach most of their peak performance at about 75% and give you about the best distance vs. power consumption.

2 people (~300lbs), a 50lb battery, and a 20lb trolling motor in a 10 foot kayak.  How much do you trust their rated 500lb weight capacity?  That just sounds like its asking for trouble.

2 people (~300lbs), a 50lb battery, and a 20lb trolling motor in a 10 foot kayak.  How much do you trust their rated 500lb weight capacity?  That just sounds like its asking for trouble.

Never said it was safe 

My humble advice...

Rather than spending money on a trolling motor, spend TIME on the water. Before you know it, you'll be a strong enough paddler that you won't need (or want) a trolling motor.

By then you'll also have a better idea of what type of kayak fits you best. And maybe you'll have saved a little cash to buy it.

Cheers,

~Alex

He already has the trolling motor, battery, etc... 

Ha! I didn't catch the jump from July 2014 to present... Someone dug up a dinosaur of a thread...

I about fell off my chair when I saw the name 'elkhornsun' but realized it was from over a year ago