Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Trolling Motor

Purchased this pontoon recently to put on a 10Ac. BOW. Looking for some input on the size of trolling motor to put on it.

I'm sure bigger is better but not looking to break the bank(only gave $500. for boat). It will be bow mounted. not sure of the weight. pontoons are 16' long, Deck is 6' x 12'. Want to stay with 12v. dont want to haul 2 batterie out there everytime. Any other suggestions or ideas welcomed. Thanks

Either motor guide or Minn Kota are fine. Guessing around 50 lbs thrust will be the maximum power for a 12 volt.

My Minn Kota seems quieter, and I like the composite shaft, but it's purely a personal opinion.

I got a 4HP mercury 4stroke for my little boat, I was tired of being blown around like a kite. It has FNR on it, and it holds about a half gallon of gas. If you only want an electric motor, you better not have any wind as my boat is smaller than yours and I had a 1HP electric motor.

just my 2 cents.

Highflyer - HOw do you like the four stroke 4 hp merc motor? I assume it is new and about what did you pay for it?

As long as there's no wind, about any size troller will move your pontoon around fine for it's size. But when the wind blows, it's the wind that decides where your pontoon is going.So if you want to stay with a 12v system, I would find the largest available to save having to get a bigger one later. You can usually find someone upgrading and putting their old one on craigslist. Just make sure the shaft is long enough to reach the water for your pontoon! Good luck and happy boating! Nice looking boat for $500!

Bill, I love the little motor. I have had it out in 23 knot winds and I was in command of the boat, not the wind! Being a 4stroke makes it pond friendly! I paid retail from Basspro ( around 1300). They really did not want to sell a 4HP I had to really work them over! But in the end, I am very glad I stood my ground and got the new 4HP not one of their old 5HP motors. It took them about two and a half weeks to get the motor in from St. Louis. It is this years model. I love the improvements they added this year.

Heckuva deal for $500.
Brian, what was it that made you want the 4 hp instead of the "older" 5 hp?

Dave, I wanted the lightest engine that had a true reverse capability. The 2.5 and 3.5 motors required you to turn the engine around to get reverse thrust. I have children that I love and did not want to see them hanging over an outboard motor trying to go backwards. So the 4HP seemed like the right motor. I also love the fact that it has an internal gas tank, 4 stroke operations, and the ability to add an external tank if I want longer operations. Frankly, I don't see me adding the external tank as I have not been able to drain the tank in a weekend out at the farm. I might have my son give it a try this weekend though, I'll send him out with a paddle and see how long he can go before paddling the little boat back to shore!

By the way, the newer ones are a lot quieter than the older style which is nice.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll probably just stick with the trolling motor. The pontoon will never go anywhere but my pond and were mainly just fair weather fishermen.

The guy I bought the pontoon from ended up giving me an 18' jon boat with a foot control trolling motor and a 16' round party raft. Right place right time.