Driving with trolling motor down

With many saying 4 to 5 max. How much time are you saving? I thought most trolling motors will push a boat 3 MPH (without heavy current).

I keep my shaft stowed when driving around.

Rodwork wrote:

With many saying 4 to 5 max. How much time are you saving? I thought most trolling motors will push a boat 3 MPH (without heavy current).

Not trying to save time. Just trying to not get up and down 100 times

blackbay wrote:

I keep my shaft stowed when driving around.

Careful, if not locked in place can come deployed if ya run into a couple big cans….I mean a couple big buoys….oh NM

Rodwork wrote:

With many saying 4 to 5 max. How much time are you saving? I thought most trolling motors will push a boat 3 MPH (without heavy current).

I’d rather scan around with a steering wheel when I’m in the cockpit looking at my screens vs driving around in rabbit mode. So not necessarily a timing issue I guess. Just convenience and comfort thing.

blackbay wrote:

I keep my shaft stowed when driving around.

Your missing out man….

I’ve gunned while forgetting to pull it up. It’s like a plow and stressful.

Rodwork wrote:

With many saying 4 to 5 max. How much time are you saving? I thought most trolling motors will push a boat 3 MPH (without heavy current).

I run a smaller boat with a 12v motor so for me it’s more about not wanting to push the TM at top speed and waste my battery. That and the only reason I really want to get off my lazy but when I’m fishing is to net a fish.

I have HDSI on the Terrova and can routinely scan and see walleyes at 10 mph, but it takes alot of screen time to get to that point. (plus, it helps to know that they are there to begin with) It not uncommone for me when fishing alone to set the boat straight, climb up to the bow and watch the SI. Steer with the Terrova, see a pod of eyes, hit spot lock, casually walk back to the console, pull the boat out of gear, shut motor off while spot lock takes me back to position. Its not optimum,because it takes the boat a fee time to correct itself, positioning wise, but its effective..

I happen to be watching the boat traffic through my town one opener when a guy had his trolling motor deploy while the boat was on the trailer – he was towing it probably 30 mph or so and went over a set of railroad tracks – made one hell of terrible noise and probably didn’t do the skeg on the TM anygood, but the shaft didn’t break. I was impressed. On the other hand I had a former boss that had his tm inadvertantly deploy while travelling 50mph 15 miles out on Lake of the Woods and the shaft instantly broke slamming the motor against the hull, fortunately it didn’t penetrate the hull and he was able to make it safely back to shore.