Do trolling motors make enough noise when sight fishing in shallow water that it requires poling or could you just use a trolling motor on lower power?

as long as the prop isn't hitting the bottom or cavitating because of grass build up, i use the troll mtr, but go to a pole when too shallow for prop. the hum of the motor on slow(very slow) doesn't seem to effect the fish, but bumps and scrapes do. bass fishermen never use poles.

Most of the time, the winds blowing so hard the troll motor is useless. Then the wind will die and you can't live without it. Proper answer is "both"

Agree, Both have their place

I use both on my actioncraft. Both have their uses. I will tell you right now, I definitely could not live with out my trolling motor.

Well, when would you use a pole and when would you use a trolling motor?

Troll motor is cool when:
Chasing a herd of reds
Following birds
Calm wind working a reef
Push pole gets drug out:
Getting off a sand bar
Stopping drift

Sure they do, they just have to cost thousands and be powered! lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em9rqVchIYY

Actually, I kept a telescoping push pole in the boat for shallow water when I had a bass boat and fished fresh water a lot. Used it quite a few times, too. Just be advised, a bass boat doesn't pole like a poling skiff.

Here's the real scoop...
Watching TV shows of guides poling skiffs across pristine flats in Florida looks like the most fun fishing ever. Only problem? We're not there.
Our wind is relentless, trying to pole against it is a fruitless effort, after a short time you'll realize that what *everyone* else is doing actually works, start >here and drift to >there... and then you'll realize that light high sides "flats" boat catches wind like a empty potato chip sack, and then you'll realize that the real hard core hands wade more than drift, and dragging your carcass over the side of the boat gets pretty old.

They have their boats, we've got ours. There's reasons for both.

I concur with Pat, especially about polling in the wind, I have both and use both every time I go out. As far as trouble with the motor fly fishing, just throw a wet towel over the bracket or buy/make a stripping basket. Without that it will be a pain, it's a well known scientific fact that fly line is magnetically attracted to anything it can snag on.
Make sure to get enough motor, 45 lb ain't gonna cut it with most high freeboard saltwater style boats, and most have a shaft too short to deal with any kind of swell. Choose wisely.

What kind of boat do you have and is it hard to pole. I would like to have a boat I can pole but also carry more than 2-3 people, like a Shoalwater or Majek.

ANY Texas flats rig is a pig with a pole. All the pole is used for is adjusting a drift. If you think you'll be gliding into the wind on your big tunnel rig you're a bigger man than I've ever seen.

Yeah, I guess Texas style boats don't pole very well but some Texas made poling skiffs are beginning to appear. Specifically, NewWater Boats, the Ibis looks sick!

We just spent the day in Key West with a real flats guide on a real poling skiff. We don't have those at home. If poling is really part of your desire, it won't come off the back of a bigass wide tunnel hull.