Do you love fishing like me? Then you would definitely love to enjoy your weekend fishing in the midst of a lake with some of your friends or family. Well, that sounds like a great idea! You have packed your necessary fishing gear and your boat is ready.
Wait, where’s the trolling motor? What! You don’t need one? Well, my dear friend a trolling motor in your boat is as important as jam on your bread. In this article, I will be discussing the necessities of using a trolling motor, specifically electric saltwater trolling motors.
Note: most links in this article are Amazon.com Affiliate links, see Affiliate Disclosure, thank you.
What is an Electric Saltwater Trolling Motor?
An electric trolling motor (saltwater or freshwater) is a specialized boat motor that you can attach to the bow or stem of your boat. It is used to move your boat slowly, consistently, and quietly through the water without scaring the fish.
As the name suggests saltwater trolling motors are a modified version of the traditional freshwater motors but they can take on salty brackish water. So, why is it so special? Basically, saltwater makes the metals more prone to rusting than freshwater. So stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant materials are used to protect it from rusting.
The funny thing is that you can use a saltwater trolling motor both in fresh and saltwater but you can’t use a freshwater trolling motor in saltwater.
Advantages of using a Saltwater Trolling Motor:
- Saltwater rated motors tend to outlast their freshwater counterparts because of high-quality parts, in most cases double.
- Electric saltwater trolling motors are available with different thrust levels and different lengths to fit any size boat.
- Electric saltwater trolling motors are very quiet, easy to use and environment-friendly.
- Most of the electric saltwater trolling motors have an autopilot mode with GPS navigation. The Minnkota GPS iPilot is such an autopilot that will take your fishing experience to a whole new level.
- The spot lock (or anchor) feature of an electric saltwater trolling motor also allows you to lock your boat at a specific spot in just a few seconds.
Disadvantages of using a Saltwater Trolling Motor:
- Cost of an electric saltwater trolling motor averages 25% more than a similar freshwater motor.
- Most electric saltwater trolling motor only comes in white. So, they tend to show wear faster than other colors and always look dirty.
- If you are thinking that an electric saltwater trolling motor can make you the fastest boater in the world then I’m sorry to say but you’re wrong. The highest speed of a motor cannot exceed 5mph.
Click here to read our article on The Advantages of Bow Mount Trolling motors
After reading so much about saltwater trolling motors we hope you see the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and would like to buy one for yourself. So, I have listed some of the top electric saltwater trolling motors grouped by different sizes of boats:
Top Motor Choices for small size boats
1. MotorGuide Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor – Saltwater, Bow Mount(54 inch,55lbs)
Key features:
- Wireless controls enable you to control it from anywhere on the boat.
- The most attractive feature is the Pinpoint GPS which provides 3 times precision control and a tighter hold on your anchor point.
- The trolling motor is encapsulated in high tech coating which makes it fully waterproof and dustproof.
- This saltwater motor delivers 55 pounds of peak thrust and has a 54-inch-long composite shaft.
- This versatile motor is recommended for boat lengths of 14-18 feet.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
2. Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Trolling Motor i-Pilot(54 inch)
Key features:
- The iPilot feature makes boat positioning and you can take command from its easy to read large LCD screen
- With swept-back flared blades to power through anything without battery-draining chopping and hacking, the Weedless Wedge 2 is one of the most trusted props in fishing.
- The saltwater trolling motor is coated with high tech stainless steel which protects it from water
- The saltwater motor delivers 55 pounds of thrust and has a 54-inch-long composite shaft.
- This trolling motor is recommended for boats weighing 2000-2800 pounds.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
Top motor choices for medium size boats
1. Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Trolling Motor i-Pilot(60 inch)
Key features:
- The iPilot feature makes boat positioning and you can take command from its easy to read large LCD screen
- With swept-back flared blades to power through anything without battery-draining chopping and hacking, the Weedless Wedge 2 is one of the most trusted props in fishing.
- The saltwater trolling motor is coated with high tech stainless steel which protects it from water
- The saltwater motor delivers 80 pounds of thrust and has a 60-inch-long composite shaft.
- This trolling motor is recommended for boats weighing 3000-4000 pounds.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
2. MotorGuide Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor – Saltwater, Bow Mount(60 inch,80lbs)
Key features:
- Wireless controls enable you to control it from anywhere on the boat.
- The most attractive feature is the Pinpoint GPS which provides 3 times precision control and a tighter hold on your anchor point.
- The trolling motor is encapsulated in high tech coating which makes it fully waterproof and dustproof.
- This saltwater motor delivers 80 pounds of peak thrust and has a 60-inch-long composite shaft.
- This versatile motor is recommended for boat lengths of 17-21 feet.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
Top motor choices for large size boats
1. Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Trlng Mtr with i-Pilot
Key features:
- The lift assist design helps you to raise the motor by barely lifting a finger.
- Riptide’s premium-grade alloys, fortified by a multi-step cleaning process make your device fully resistant to the harsh saltwater.
- The most-trusted GPS system in fishing. i-Pilot uses GPS to control your trolling motor with incredible features that keep you on the fish.
- This saltwater motor delivers 112 pounds of peak thrust and has a 72-inch-long composite shaft.
- This trolling motor is recommended for boats weighing more than 5500 pounds.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
2. Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra Saltwater Bow-Mount Trolling Motor with i-Pilot GPS (36-Volt, 112-Pound)
Key features:
- The only trolling motor that can automatically stow and deploy itself with the push of a button, the Minn Kota Riptide Ultra provides saltwater anglers convenient control via the included I-Pilot remote or foot pedal (sold separately).
- Minn Kota Riptide motors are designed with advanced corrosion protection and fully-encapsulated electronics to ensure the ultimate saltwater defense.
- The most attractive feature of this motor is its wireless feature which helps you to it back on your favorite spot on the boat, keeping everything under control.
- This saltwater motor delivers 112 pounds of peak thrust and has a 72-inch-long composite shaft.
- This trolling motor is recommended for boats weighing more than 5500 pounds.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
3. MotorGuide Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor – Saltwater, Bow Mount(72 inch,105lb)
Key features:
- Wireless controls enable you to control it from anywhere on the boat.
- The most attractive feature is the Pinpoint GPS which provides 3 times precision control and a tighter hold on your anchor point.
- The trolling motor is encapsulated in high tech coating which makes it fully waterproof and dustproof.
- This saltwater motor delivers 105 pounds of peak thrust and has a 72-inch-long composite shaft.
- This versatile motor is recommended for boat lengths of 20 or more than 20 feet.
Click here to see on Amazon.com
Click here to read our article on Selecting The Correct Size Trolling Motor For Your Boat
Conclusion
Saltwater trolling motors are far better than their freshwater counterparts for fishing. Durability and the overall increase in lifespan are the main advantages of the saltwater versions.
My co-workers and I have worked very hard to find out the best saltwater trolling motors for you. I am sure that it would help you a lot when you consider buying a trolling motor for yourself.
I’m not saying that an electric saltwater trolling motor is a must for fishing. Why do you go fishing? Obviously to have some fun and relaxation. If you are always busy handling different tasks of the boat then I’m not sure you can enjoy your fishing trip to the fullest.
So, why not let a modern trolling motor do some of your works? What are you waiting for? Grab one for yourself.
