3154tm

hi all,
i have a WS tarpon 140 i'd like to add a trolling motor to. maybe something like the torqueedo but hopefully for a lot less money. it'd be nice to simply buy a cheap small motor and cut the tiller/controller off the top and fabricate a quick and dirty stern mount. i have a rudder so i don't need to steer the motor. just need a remote switch/controller i could operate from the cockpit. be nice if it was a PWM type. anyone here seen anything like this? any ideas for a controller, especially something after market?
thanks,
frank

Big Red

Here’s a link to a guy who makes trolling motor kits for all types of Yaks including the T140.
He also sells the controllers.
In the end you can buy the entire kit for about the same as you would pay to DIY, with a lot less aggravation.

http://www.bassyaks.com/

3154tm

big red,
thanks for the reply. i stumbled onto this site last night:
http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/community/

http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/com...play.php?f=133

tons of good info.
frank

Rockntroll

Don't quote me on this but I think if you put a trolling motor on your kayak you will need to register it and get a boat sticker. Something to consider

captken

I just installed a Watersnake Asp on my Mini-X. It weighs 7# and has 18# thrust.

Ok, the Mini is tiny but--on the lowest speed, the yak goes too fast for trolling the lures I use. On the highest speed, it goes faster than I can paddle. (it only has 2 speeds). I have a 28# 35ah battery which should be good for about 5 hours on low speed. I need to know for sure, how long the battery lasts at both settings.

As far as a mount goes, I used the hinge portion of an old bass boat seat. It was super simple to install. Rather than go through a bunch of crap, I removed the head from the motor and put it under my seat so I have speed and reverse control. I have a momentary switch(foot switch) I can use when standing. Steering is done with a loop of line rigged to a home made stick. Again, super simple. I have an extension so I can steer while standing.

BTW, the motor cost $79. The battery was $50. All the other parts were scrap.

Oh yeah, you will need to get a title on the yak and get it registered. Letters and numbers are a painintheass.

3154tm

rockntroll,that's my understanding as well.captken,i may end up doing just that to get back on the water. long term, i'd like to do something built in for the controller and use some type of electronics to help extend battery life. there are some cool after market PWM controllers i might be able to adapt. frank

Big Red

Yeah, not long ago kayak fishing stuff was also one of the best on-line sites to get kayak gear.
The forum is still one of the very best sources for DIY info.

Here are a few other links you may find interesting.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/

http://www.southernpaddler.com/

http://kayakfishinggear.com/

http://www.kayakfishinghole.com/ (This one is mostly "Yaker B/S artists, but fun none the less.)

3154tm

big red, thanks for all the great links.
this one, http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/, sure has a lot of threads.
i'm still hoping to build my own or use a generic after market controller. i talked to these people today:electricmotorsports.com. lots of great stuff. now i'm thinking of building an electric atv.
frank

captken

I've been working on this installation for a little while.

Here is my motor mount. It is nothing but the hinged aluminum portion of an el-cheapo folding bassboat seat. I screwed it to the yak with 6 #10 screws. The motor only weighs 7# so it ought to be fine. I run the motor in the locked down position but the seat hinge mount will allow it to kick up.


Motor screwed to bracket. The angle bar is the home made steering arm
.
Steering line hooked up.

I'll have to take a couple more photos to show the stick steering and the extension for stand up steering.

captken

Maybe these added photos will answer some of the questions I have been asked via IM and E-mail.

I removed the head from the motor, lengthened the wires and have the head under my seat so I can have speed control plus forward and reverse.


Here is the stick steering I made from scraps. It is made from a broken window opener from one of my past boats. The pivot point is mounted on the side of my seat by my left hip. I have a length of PVC that I slip down over the stick to use for steering while standing. I store this piece inside my StandNFish.


I have this switch box in addition to the motor head switches. One switch is a simple on/off toggle ad the other is a momentary push button that I use when I am standing.


Somebody asked how I mounted the bass seat to the top of my yak. You ought to be able to see how it is done from the photo below. Again, I used some scrap plastic I already had. I think this also illustrates how high I sit in the Mini-X.