Trolling for walleye using electric trolling motor real world experience?

Hello

New to the forum.
I will be getting a Robalo R247 in the next few months (being built at the factory)
I am hoping to get some real feedback from anyone who has used a 36v trolling motor on a boat around 6000lbs. Rhodan claims the 36v 120 lb thrust can easily pull this boat at 1 to 2 mph but I would like to have real world feedback. I really like the spot lock feature of these motors so that is the added benefit vs a gas kicker.

Have read TONS of great information on here and anxious to get started on Lake Erie this spring.

Thanks

I do not have this big a boat. Even with lithium battery’s. I think you would be draining the battery’s way to fast. Considering with that size boat you could be out in some rough weather. The electric would be nice for drift fishing. Are you getting duel big motors. If just a single big motor. I would get a kicker if you are not going duels. If you can afford this boat. Should be able to afford a 15 or 20 hp kicker. Plus the safety aspect of having an extra motor.

I am getting the single 300hp. You mentioned one of my primary concerns. How long would the batteries last? I really like the spot lock feature for perch fishing but really think trolling for hours would deplete the batteries. Actually a gas kicker would be around the same cost and possibly less. By the time you add the electric motor for 3k, 3 size 31 batteries, circuit breaker, wiring and a mount plate....
I know some people use bags to slow the troll with the primary engine but not sure I want to rack up hours trolling on the primary.

Would suck down less gas with a kicker motor also. Get something like itroll to control the kicker speed at the dash. Way easier to dial in the speed then using the kicker throttle. Plus when you go to sell this boat. Buyers will look at 500 to 1000 less hours on the main engine. You can always add the electric motor In the future. If you can not afford to do both at once. You can hook up your kicker to your main with a bar for steering. To save money you do not have to have a remote controlled kicker. But with your boat design might be a pain to start and shift a tiller controlled kicker. Unless you have to. Messing with trolling bags is a pain in the butt.

I have a boat similar in weight and size to the one your are referring to. I have a single 300 and a 9.9 kicker with a garmin autopilot that steers and controls speed, and while spring and winter fishing i still need a trolling bag on windy days to go .9 or 1.2 mph, the boat just catches too much wind with all the free board space. I am adding an electric motor on the bow for the spot lock feature for perch and for drift fishing and jigging. It will also keep me from crabbing to hold a line in a slight crosswind situation or strange currents. With just the kicker you are unable to do this. the bow mount by itself will not last on the batteries with a boat this size, you will want to push the boat with the kicker for speed and power and steer with the bow mount on low power. It is also very difficult to troll against the wind in a boat that size with just a kicker, the bow keeps wanting to get pushed one way or the other and you have to keep chasing it. I would get a kicker and the bow mount if I where you with this boat.

Thanks for your input Capt., did not think about the impact of wind but that makes total sense. Gas kicker and electric up front would be the ultimate setup for sure. I think I will do the kicker first and later add an electric bow mount. I want to do I-troll or troll master as well.

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Originally Posted by MIKE_OMZIG

Hello

New to the forum.
I will be getting a Robalo R247 in the next few months (being built at the factory)
I am hoping to get some real feedback from anyone who has used a 36v trolling motor on a boat around 6000lbs. Rhodan claims the 36v 120 lb thrust can easily pull this boat at 1 to 2 mph but I would like to have real world feedback. I really like the spot lock feature of these motors so that is the added benefit vs a gas kicker.

Have read TONS of great information on here and anxious to get started on Lake Erie this spring.

Thanks

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Hey Mike, I own a 72" 120 lb Rhodan. I unfortunately do not have a 6000 lb. boat to give you exact comparisons but i can tell you it's a beast of a motor. I owned a Lund Baron and had the Rhodan on the bow. I also used the kicker with the Rhodan to steer. I will tell you one day out on Lake Michigan I was in 20 mph winds, 3 footers and thought i was trolling with my kicker and the Rhodan. At the end of the day I went to shut off the kicker and realized it was in neutral the whole time, the Rhodan was doing all the work pulling boards for salmon at over 2mph in those waves and wind. Needless to say I was pretty impressed.
If you run the boat as Capt. Porkchop suggests, which is the same way I and I would say most walleye guys do, with the kicker to provide primary propulsion and bow to steer, that the Rhodan will work wonders for you. The Rhodan has great accuracy with spotlock and jog too.
If you have any more questions about the Rhodan motor ask away, I'll be happy to answer if I can. I might even have mine on the market if my brother backs out of buying it.

Go to The Hull Truth website (THT) and search Rhodan there are guys using them on 37'CC with Lithium batteries, lots of information there. I read one guy has one on the stern of a 30' catamaran

If you’re going to add a kicker, I’d put an autopilot on your main motor and tie in the kicker. I did this on a 21ft Grady White (4000 lbs) and it really works well. I had previously been using TR1 and this new setup works better than anything I’d used in the past including TR1 and 36v Ulterra. I only use the trolling motor for spot lock and inland fishing now. You’d think the AP on main would not work right when you only have the kicker running, but that’s not the case. I think it works so well because both rudders are in the water. The AP I use us Raymarune Ev-150. It’s very luxurious to cruise with autopilot also. You can be 15 miles out, lock in the heading of the ramp and focus on watching for floating debris rather than have to drive the boat. 45 minutes later, you’ll be within a few hundred yards of your destination.

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Originally Posted by Ltrain

Hey Mike, I own a 72" 120 lb Rhodan. I unfortunately do not have a 6000 lb. boat to give you exact comparisons but i can tell you it's a beast of a motor. I owned a Lund Baron and had the Rhodan on the bow. I also used the kicker with the Rhodan to steer. I will tell you one day out on Lake Michigan I was in 20 mph winds, 3 footers and thought i was trolling with my kicker and the Rhodan. At the end of the day I went to shut off the kicker and realized it was in neutral the whole time, the Rhodan was doing all the work pulling boards for salmon at over 2mph in those waves and wind. Needless to say I was pretty impressed.
If you run the boat as Capt. Porkchop suggests, which is the same way I and I would say most walleye guys do, with the kicker to provide primary propulsion and bow to steer, that the Rhodan will work wonders for you. The Rhodan has great accuracy with spotlock and jog too.
If you have any more questions about the Rhodan motor ask away, I'll be happy to answer if I can. I might even have mine on the market if my brother backs out of buying it.

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Good information. Why are you getting rid of the Rhodan? I have read good reviews of the Rhodan on THT forum.

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Originally Posted by dgf2250

If you’re going to add a kicker, I’d put an autopilot on your main motor and tie in the kicker. I did this on a 21ft Grady White (4000 lbs) and it really works well. I had previously been using TR1 and this new setup works better than anything I’d used in the past including TR1 and 36v Ulterra. I only use the trolling motor for spot lock and inland fishing now. You’d think the AP on main would not work right when you only have the kicker running, but that’s not the case. I think it works so well because both rudders are in the water. The AP I use us Raymarune Ev-150. It’s very luxurious to cruise with autopilot also. You can be 15 miles out, lock in the heading of the ramp and focus on watching for floating debris rather than have to drive the boat. 45 minutes later, you’ll be within a few hundred yards of your destination.

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I haven't put a lot of thought on auto pilot. I am getting the Simrad 12" NSS Evo3s so I will have to investigate what would need to be added to install auto pilot. Certainly something to consider.