sundeck 187 trolling motor

dhouse12

hello, we just picked up a sundeck 187 with the fishing chair, but, no trolling package. I am getting mixed feedback on how or where to mount a trolling motor. does anyone have any suggestions on the best to spot to mount this (bow or on engine) and what the best motor is to consoder?

cjjjdeck

I have some pictures of bow mounts I can share.  Having one, central mounted fishing seat may limit your  options.  As you can see, most owners either mount the motor in a straight (the picture below shows an off-set that might work with your seat location) or angled configuration.  I have an angled mount on my SD237 and have been very happy with the arrangement.



I'll share some of my experience with trolling motors.  I have owned both Motorguide and Minnkota electric trolling motors and I can say that both have operated very reliably.  Currently, I have the Minnkota Terrova and love it.  I think the determining factors in choosing brands might be based more on what fishfinder you use or are planning to use and what technology features get you excited.  Motorguide and Lowrance have teamed up to allow their technologies to integrate with one another.  Minnkota is part of the Johnson Outdoors family, which includes Humminbird and Cannon.  This means that if you choose the MInnkota/Humminbird combo, you may also have the ability to control Cannon downriggers through your fishfinder, depending which model you choose.  This is certainly an added benefit for the more serious anglers.  

MInnkota seems to have always been a few steps ahead on the technology side, especially with their i-Pilot system.  I realy appreciate the "Spot Lock" feature; an electronic anchoring system you can activate when you hit a fishing hot spot.  Recording while traversing a shoreline allows you to  return on auto-pilot, another very useful feature.  There are many other very cool features due to the GPS technology built in.  It allows you to spend most of your time "fishing" instead of "maneuvering".  Currently, it seems Motorguide has caught up somewhat on the technology side and offers features similar to the Minnkota.

dhouse12

thank you for the detail. doe the pictures with the two fishing chairs, do you know what boat that is? I am not sure if the 187 has that large of a front? I am brand new to boating, but that setup looks great, if I can do it. the boat we got also isn't wired, do you think that limits the options and we should mount it by the engine?

cjjjdeck

The boat on the left is a SD187, the boat on the right is my SD237.

Wiring for the trolling motor will go direct to the battery.  You should also add an in-line fuse or circuit breaker that is appropriate for the amp rating of the motor.  Since you control the wiring, there shouldn't be any limits on what you want to do.

Both Motorguide and Minnkota have good websites with ways of choosing the right motor for your boat.

Personally, I feel I have more control with a bow mount, especially when there is a windy day.  I use the remote strapped around my neck to control the motor.  This allows me to be anywhere on the boat and still be able to control it.

RobertHan

Most trolling motors, especially the Minn Kota trolling motor have spot locks with Bluetooth capabilities already. By simply pushing a control button or hitting a remote sensor, operational efficiencies are getting enhanced and better than before. In such a case, I can effectively lock my boat in my desired exact position using remote access.