Canoe with Trolling Motor

Hello everyone! I am curious to see how popular a canoe with trolling motor combo is used. Im going to college at Winona this year, and i would like to get out and fish around there pretty often! What are some of the ways you get the trolling motor on the canoe? and is it portable?

Thank you!

You can get motor braackets for the canoe. You can even throw a small out board on them if you like. I have one and a 2hp Johnson that will really move a canoe…

Some canoes have a square back just for the purpose of adding a small motor to it. Electric would be the way to go. And as stated, if not a square back a bracket can be added to the side near the back end. All can fit into a small trailer, or back of the truck.
Also with the MN DNR, if you have any type of motor, gas or electric, you will need a boat registration number and registration decal.
Good Luck
Jack

If you mean Winona State join the fishing club. We started it a few years ago, and it should provide you some good opportunities to get out fishing.

In my strong opinion the clamp on side motor mount is the way to go. This allows you to sit in a natural position in the rear seat with the motor behind you to your left, just like in a boat. The tiller handle lines up with the left side of your body. I have borrowed square stern canoes on two occasions and found the motor position directly behind you to be quite uncomfortable and hard to reach. I also advise finding a motor with a neutral shift position. Starting the motor on a canoe that is in gear can be quite exiting if not done correctly. The motor mount is light enough to leave on the canoe while portaging.

Get the square back. They tend to be heavier, but I’ve seen them cheaper than a regular aluminum most of the time. My buddy uses one with a trolling motor at least 3-4 nights a week and absolutely loves it.

Like most other things, all depends on what you are looking for in your canoe. IF you are mostly going to use it for a motor craft, by all means go with the square back. IF you are actually planning on paddlng it more than moter, I would go with a regualr design and use the bracket. Now IF you wanted to use the canoe for an extended trip then do NOT buy the square back. The paddling design is way off with the squared off end. Canoes are very portable again depending on what you want to use/spend. I can carry my canoe much easier than the battery it would take for the electric, but the electric motors sure work well if you want to use one. I made the connection cables longer on mine so I can put the battery wayyyyy up front for better balance. If my canoe trip buddies knew I put a battery in mine and an electric on the bracket they might dis-own me

I have a Madd River Winooski (broader beam) canoe with 2 hp 2-stroke motor and Madd River brackets. Works good except for one windy day coming into shallower water, the wind was blowing me sideways and the motor skeg caught and flipped the canoe in a flash without warning.

Get a Grumman Sportboat. The only reasonable compromise because it fishes more like a boat, but is still portable like a canoe. Nothing else comes close, IMO.

With that said, I hate fishing out of canoes so badly, that it was actually the main factor in deciding to build a driftboat.

Grouse