Trolling Motor Buyer's Guide

Trolling Motor Selection Tool

Answer six quick questions about your boat and we’ll show you the motors that actually fit — with prices and links.

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The Full Buyer’s Guide

Thrust, shaft length, voltage and mounting — how to pick a trolling motor that fits your boat and the water you fish.

By the crew at Elliott's Tackle & Rigging · Updated August 2026

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First, what a trolling motor actually does

Skip ahead if you already run one. If you don't, ninety seconds here makes the rest of the guide easier.

A trolling motor is a quiet electric motor that moves and holds your boat without starting the outboard. It does three jobs: it moves you slowly and precisely for trolling, it positions you over structure without spooking fish, and — on GPS models — it holds you on a spot in wind and current while your hands stay on the rod.

It runs off deep-cycle batteries, not your engine. That's why voltage matters: more thrust needs more batteries, and those batteries take up space and weight on your boat.

Question 1: Salt water or fresh?

This one comes first because it is the difference between a motor that lasts a decade and one that fails in a season — and because it narrows the range before any other question does.

Minn Kota's saltwater line is called Riptide. Sacrificial anodes, sealed electronics, stainless hardware and coatings designed for salt exposure. Everything else in the range — Endura, Edge, Traxxis, Terrova, Ulterra, Ultrex, Fortrex — is built for fresh water.

A freshwater motor will physically work in salt. It just won't last, and corrosion is not covered as a defect.

Browse all trolling motors →

Question 2: How much thrust?

Thrust is measured in pounds and sized against your boat's fully loaded weight — hull, engine, fuel, gear, crew, fish. Not the dry weight on the brochure.

Minn Kota's rule: 2 lb of thrust for every 100 lb of loaded weight. A 2,000 lb rig needs 40 lb of thrust as a minimum. Their own guidance is that it's better to have more power than not enough — and anywhere you fish against current or a stiff afternoon wind — tidal water, a big lake, a running river — that matters more than it does on a calm pond.

Question 3: What shaft length?

This is where most trolling motor purchases go wrong, and it takes two minutes with a tape measure to get right.

Minn Kota's requirement is that the centre of the motor housing sits at least 12 inches below the surface. Too short and the prop ventilates — it whines, loses bite, steers badly and scares fish. Too long and it hangs down where it can catch bottom.

How to measure: with the boat in the water and loaded as you'd normally fish it, measure from the mounting surface — the bow deck, or the top of the transom — straight down to the waterline. Add 20 inches to that number. That's your minimum shaft length.

Question 4: 12V, 24V or 36V — and how many batteries?

Voltage follows from thrust; you don't choose it separately. And it decides how many batteries you have to find room for — one deep-cycle battery for every 12 volts.

Higher voltage isn't only about power. A 24V system draws less current for the same work, so it runs longer on the same battery weight and puts less strain on wiring.

Question 5: Bow mount or transom mount?

Transom mount clamps to the back of the boat, like a small outboard. Cheaper, simpler, no deck to drill, easy to take off. You steer with a tiller handle, which means one hand is occupied. Best for smaller boats, tiller-steer skiffs and anyone who wants to move the motor between boats.

Bow mount fits the front deck and pulls the boat rather than pushing it — noticeably better control, especially in wind, because the bow tracks where you point it. It also frees both hands, since you steer by foot pedal or remote. Needs deck space and usually drilling.

For salmon trolling in current, bow mount is the better tool. For a small boat or an occasional-use motor, transom is the sensible buy and there's no shame in it.

Question 6: How do you want to steer it?

• Tiller / hand control — direct and cheap. One hand always on the motor. Transom models.
• Cable-steer foot pedal (Fortrex, Ultrex) — a physical cable from pedal to motor. Instant response, nothing to lag, and it shrugs off shallow-water knocks. The choice when you want feel.
• Electric-steer foot pedal (PowerDrive, Edge) — press to turn. Lighter pedal, less feedback, cheaper than cable.
• Wireless remote (Terrova, Riptide Terrova) — steer from anywhere on the boat. Frees the deck entirely.
• GPS anchor and autopilot (i-Pilot, QUEST) — the motor holds a spot against wind and current on its own, records tracks and retraces them. On a drifting saltwater boat this is the feature that changes how you fish.
• Self-deploying (Ulterra) — deploys and stows at the push of a button. Genuinely useful if you're fishing alone or your bow is a long reach.

The big four, side by side

Every brand publishes its own spec sheet and none of them compare against each other. We sell all four, so here they are in one table — the top of each range, where the GPS anchoring, brushless motors and built-in sonar actually compete. Prices are current at the time of writing.

What else you'll need

• Deep-cycle batteries — one per 12V. A group 27 will get you through a short session; a group 31 has the reserve capacity for a full day. Call us and we'll tell you what we'd run on your boat.
• A circuit breaker — not optional. MKR-27 60A or the MKR-19 waterproof 60A.
• Plug and receptacle — makes the motor removable. MKR-28 plug & receptacle.
• A quick-release bracket — RTA-19 Riptide composite for salt, or the RTA-62.
• A stabilizer kit — stops the motor bouncing on the trailer. MKA-60 stabilizer kit.
• A spare prop — you will hit something. MKP-38 Weedless Wedge 2 for 112 lb, MKP-33 for mid-range.
• A battery meter — know before you're out of power. Minn Kota digital battery meter.
• Extension handle (transom models) — reach the tiller from a comfortable seat. MKA-44 telescopic 24–40".
• Sonar adapter cable if your motor has a built-in transducer and your fish finder is Garmin, Lowrance or Humminbird — the connector is brand-specific. See all adapter cables.

Browse all trolling motor accessories →

Our picks, by boat and budget

Prices current at the time of writing. Riptide models are the saltwater builds — if you fish salt, start there.

Saltwater — smallest boats and transom mount

Riptide 45/SC/T — 12V, 45 lb, 36" · Riptide 45/T — 12V, 45 lb, 36" · Riptide 55/T — 12V, 55 lb, 42"
Tiller steer, 12V, one battery. The straightforward way to put a saltwater-rated motor on a skiff or small aluminium boat without wiring a bank.

Saltwater — more thrust, still transom

Riptide RT80/T — 24V, 80 lb, 42"
A 24V transom motor for a heavier hull. Two batteries, but you keep the simplicity of a clamp-on install.

Saltwater bow mount — the sweet spot

Riptide PowerDrive 55 — 12V, 54" · Riptide PowerDrive 70 — 24V, 54" · Riptide Maxxum RT70 — 24V, 52"
Bow mount with a remote, so both hands stay free. For most mid-size saltwater boats this tier is the right answer — enough thrust for current, GPS features that hold you on a spot, and a saltwater build that survives the season.

Saltwater bow mount — serious boats

Riptide Terrova 55 · Riptide Terrova 80 · Riptide Terrova 112
· Lowrance Recon™ SW — 54″/60″/72″ · Simrad RECON™ SW — 54″/60″/72″
Wireless remote and full GPS. Spot-Lock holds you over structure in wind and tide without touching a thing. This is the tier that changes how you fish rather than just moving you around. The Lowrance and Simrad Recons come at it differently — a joystick remote instead of a foot pedal, 1-degree steering, and sonar built into the nosecone that talks to a Lowrance or Simrad display natively. Longer shafts too, up to 72″, which matters on a high-bow boat.

Saltwater cable-steer

Riptide Fortrex 80 — 24V, 52" · Riptide Fortrex 80 — 24V, 62" · Riptide Fortrex 112/HC/BG — 36V, 62" · Riptide T/112 — 36V, 52"
Cable steering for anglers who want direct feel from the pedal, and the toughness that comes with a mechanical linkage. Long booms for high-bow boats.

Saltwater — top of the range

Riptide Instinct QUEST 90/115
Self-deploying and QUEST-series power. Genuinely more capability and genuinely more to maintain — worth it if you fish hard and often. At this end of the range it is worth reading it against the Lowrance Recon™ SW 72″ before you commit — see the comparison table above.

Saltwater kayak

Kayak Riptide Terrova 55/MR — 12V, 36"
A 36" shaft and 55 lb of thrust in a package sized for a kayak or very small skiff.

Freshwater — smallest boats and transom mount

Endura C2 30 — 12V, 30" · Endura C2 40 — 12V, 36"
Simple clamp-on motors for a jon boat, a small tiller boat or a dinghy. One 12V battery, no wiring to think about.

Freshwater — more thrust, still transom

Traxxis 55 — 12V, 42" · Traxxis 80 — 24V, 42"
More power for a heavier hull or a lake where the wind gets up. The 80 runs 24V, so budget for two batteries.

Freshwater bow mount — hands free

Terrova 80 · Ultrex 80 · Lowrance Recon™ FW — 48″ to 72″ · Lowrance Ghost X — 47″ · Garmin Force™ — 57″
Bow mount with GPS and a remote — the same capability as the saltwater tiers above, built for lakes and rivers. The Ultrex adds a foot pedal for casting. The Recon FW and Ghost X put Lowrance sonar in the nosecone, and the Garmin Force pairs with a Garmin chartplotter and runs 100 lb of thrust at 36V. Which one fits usually comes down to the electronics already on your dash — match the motor to the screen and the sonar arrives already talking to it.

See every trolling motor we carry →

Five mistakes to avoid

Frequently Asked Questions

What size trolling motor do I need for my boat?

Size thrust against your boat's fully loaded weight, including fuel, gear and passengers. Minn Kota's guidance is a minimum of 2 pounds of thrust for every 100 pounds of loaded weight, so a 2,000 pound rig needs at least 40 pounds of thrust. If you fish in tidal current or regular afternoon wind, choose more than the minimum, because an undersized motor runs flat out constantly and still loses ground.

How do I measure trolling motor shaft length?

With the boat in the water and loaded as you normally fish it, measure from the mounting surface down to the waterline, then add 20 inches. That gives you the minimum shaft length. The goal is to keep the centre of the motor housing at least 12 inches underwater so the propeller cannot ventilate. If you fish in a chop where the bow rises and falls, choose one size longer.

Can I use a freshwater trolling motor in salt water?

It will run, but it will not last. Salt water attacks the seals, hardware and electronics of a motor that was not built for it, and corrosion is not treated as a manufacturing defect. Minn Kota's saltwater range is called Riptide and includes sacrificial anodes, sealed electronics and corrosion-resistant hardware. If the model name does not include Riptide, it is a freshwater motor.

How many batteries does a trolling motor need?

One deep-cycle battery for every 12 volts in the system. Motors up to 55 pounds of thrust run on 12 volts and one battery. Motors from 68 to 80 pounds run on 24 volts and two batteries. Motors from 101 to 115 pounds run on 36 volts and three batteries. Factor the weight, space and cost of those batteries and a suitable charger into your decision, because on the larger systems it is a significant addition.

Should I choose a bow mount or a transom mount trolling motor?

Transom mounts clamp to the back of the boat, cost less, need no drilling and are easy to move between boats, but you steer by tiller so one hand is always occupied. Bow mounts pull the boat from the front, which tracks better in wind and current, and they free both hands because you steer by foot pedal or remote. For trolling in current a bow mount is the better tool; for a small boat or occasional use a transom mount is the sensible choice.

What is Spot-Lock and do I need it?

Spot-Lock is Minn Kota's GPS anchoring feature. The motor uses GPS to hold your boat on a chosen position, correcting automatically for wind and current, so you can fish without repositioning by hand. On a drifting saltwater boat working structure or a tide line it changes how you fish, and it is the main reason to step up to the Terrova and QUEST models. If you mostly troll in a straight line, it matters less.

Trolling Motor Buyer's Guide · v1.4.0 · August 2026 · elliottstackleandrigging.com