I have purchased a new kayak and looking for a trolling motor. I am planning to buy it from http://www.islandhopperoutboards.com/kayak-motor.html. Can anyone suggest me the right thrust required and the type of trolling motor to buy. The length of my boat is 14 feet.

Hi Kayaklover,

Welcome to the board. Great group of guys here..always willing to help. I'm in the process of putting one on my yak also. I have a Minn Kota with a 40 pound thrust. I have a 12 foot Nucanoe..heavier than most yaks. I'm sure you would be fine with something similar. Keep in mind, once you put any kind of motor on it, you have to register it.

What kind of yak did you buy?

JMO, i don't like any tm mounted on the side of the kayak. if you insist on mounting it on the side, lock it down so u can't use it to turn. if you do need to turn, use the rudder.

i don't think the size of the tm matters much. these tm are designed to pull/push a boat, not a kayak. so a 30lbs thrust is plenty i think. you also have to consider the bigger the tm, the bigger your battery needs to be and that means more weight and more money. if you want speed, what matters is the pitch of the prop. good luck on that, ive been looking for a prop designed for a tm with a higher pitch with no luck.

Welcome to the site. What type of kayak are you wanting to put it on?

Lots of good info here for electrics. The guys up north have ditched their paddles and pedals for electrics for salt water use.

http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/community/showthread.php?t=83660

JonS,(jon shein) knows a lot about electrics and a personal friend. Give him a call at one of the locations below and he can help you out. Tell him lconn4 sent you and you might get charged more.

http://www.thekayakfishingstore.com/c/Electric-Motors-and-Kits.html

Hi KayakLover,

I have mounted both ways. On the side does require you to more careful, especially if you are turning your Yak. Easier to turn over if not VERY CAREFUL ! Mounted the trolling motor on the back of an Ascend128t and works great. Me and a friend rigged it with turning it with the foot rests. Mounted the control head next to seat. this did require some splicing and reconnecting the wires. Easy to take on and off as needed. Kayak is also better balanced with trolling motor on the back.

Thanks for welcoming me to the group and for all your useful suggestions

Kayaklover, the direction you take will depend on your fabricating and electrical skill level, and how much skilled help you can get. River Rat and I both bought used TM's from craigslist.com and fabricated everything we needed to complete our installations. Mine is mounted on the stern of my kayak, and I steer it with rudder controls. I mounted the speed control on my left gunwale in a small plastic box, and it works very well. I fished out of it the last 2 weekends with a 35 amp-hour battery with no problem. Mine is a 54# thrust MotorGuide, and I'm definitely in the market for a higher pitched prop.