REW
02-12-2002, 05:39 PM
Many trolling motor heads - tend to really bang around, when they are retracted, and a high speed run is made across waves.
There are quite a few different ideas out there on how to control this bounce.
A few come to mind:
Ram mount - bolted to either the gunnel or floor, then clamped to a ball on the shaft.
Velcro - a velcro strap - tied to the floor or gunnel, and then looped over the shaft with a half twist to tie to itself.
An upside down mounted u- bolt drilled through the gunnel - with a bungee cord clipped to the u-bolt - and over the head of the shaft.
However, perhaps the simpilest and certainly the cheapest method is the following that was given to my by my neighbor, who had it given to him by a hard fishing friend.
-
This method applies to motors that have a double lever mounting method - as is the case for all of the cable driven motors, motor guide bow mount, pinpoint and some of the Minnkota motors. This also implies that the frame of the retracting mechanism is somewhat near the top of the end of the shaft - when the motor is retracted.
This means that if you are using a very long shaft motor - with a standard "short shaft mount" - this method won't work well for you.
However, the method is very simple and simply consists of the drilling of a single 5/16" hole in the trolling motor top lever are - such that the if a bolt is isnerted into the hole - the bolt will be vertical.
Then a 5/16" carriage bolt is inserted into the hole. However, before inserting the carriage bolt - a crutch tip - is fitted over the head of the carriage bolt.
Two nuts are put on the bolt to act as vertical adjusters.
___________
The positioning of the bolt is critical - basically the thing that you are doing is drilling a hole in the top part of the trolling motor mount. This is the part of the mount that lays over the gunnel, when the motor is fully retracted. Depending on how the motor is installed, this point may be as close as 1 or as far as several inches from the gunnel in a vertical direction. Since the corner of the gunnel is the strongest point of the gunnel - you want to line up the hole so that the bolt head and crutch tip - can fully contact the gunnel for support. The idea is to then insert a carriage bolt - so that the head is down, with the threaded point - pointed up - with a nut and washer installed on the bolt. Now, with the motor in the retracted position, adjust the nut, so that you just put pressure on the crutch tip - and lift the motor about 1/16".
Now, place another washer and nut on the top side of the trolling motor frame to secure the bolt. If very much of the bolt protrudes above the frame, either use a shorter bolt, or cut off the bolt.
If you find that you can't reach the gunnel, with the length bolt selected - and your hole is placed over the gunnel - select a longer bolt.
The idea is that you will retract the motor, As the motor retracts and falls to the mount - the crutch tip will contact the gunnel, slightly depress, and the lock on the trolling motor mount will snap shut.
You will find that there is virtually 0 bounce on the trolling motor head - since the head is securely caputred betweel the gullel of the boat, and the lock on the trolling motor.
If you have adjusted the bolt very tight - you might find that you have to depress slightly on the head of the trolling motor,to unlock the motor - to deploy the motor.
Total time and money is about 15 minutes and about $1.
This is for a total locking motor, that is absolutely fool proof, and requires no operator actions to retract or deploy the motor. Simply pull the rope, flip up - and troll. Pull the rope - retract - and go fast. No worry about motor bounce.
p.s.
Choose a color crutch tip that matches the gunnel or carpet of your boat. You will get a slight bit of rock and roll abrasion - and you want the worn rubber to match the color of boat or carpet.
Carry a spare crutch tip in your boat, and if the rubber gets too worn - simply pull the worn one, and pop on a new one for 39 cents.
Take care
REW
p.s.
I have written E-Mail to both Minnkota and Motor guide - to incorporate such a device into the design of their motor mounts. It is a trivial solution, that completely solves the bouncing head problem.
There are quite a few different ideas out there on how to control this bounce.
A few come to mind:
Ram mount - bolted to either the gunnel or floor, then clamped to a ball on the shaft.
Velcro - a velcro strap - tied to the floor or gunnel, and then looped over the shaft with a half twist to tie to itself.
An upside down mounted u- bolt drilled through the gunnel - with a bungee cord clipped to the u-bolt - and over the head of the shaft.
However, perhaps the simpilest and certainly the cheapest method is the following that was given to my by my neighbor, who had it given to him by a hard fishing friend.
-
This method applies to motors that have a double lever mounting method - as is the case for all of the cable driven motors, motor guide bow mount, pinpoint and some of the Minnkota motors. This also implies that the frame of the retracting mechanism is somewhat near the top of the end of the shaft - when the motor is retracted.
This means that if you are using a very long shaft motor - with a standard "short shaft mount" - this method won't work well for you.
However, the method is very simple and simply consists of the drilling of a single 5/16" hole in the trolling motor top lever are - such that the if a bolt is isnerted into the hole - the bolt will be vertical.
Then a 5/16" carriage bolt is inserted into the hole. However, before inserting the carriage bolt - a crutch tip - is fitted over the head of the carriage bolt.
Two nuts are put on the bolt to act as vertical adjusters.
___________
The positioning of the bolt is critical - basically the thing that you are doing is drilling a hole in the top part of the trolling motor mount. This is the part of the mount that lays over the gunnel, when the motor is fully retracted. Depending on how the motor is installed, this point may be as close as 1 or as far as several inches from the gunnel in a vertical direction. Since the corner of the gunnel is the strongest point of the gunnel - you want to line up the hole so that the bolt head and crutch tip - can fully contact the gunnel for support. The idea is to then insert a carriage bolt - so that the head is down, with the threaded point - pointed up - with a nut and washer installed on the bolt. Now, with the motor in the retracted position, adjust the nut, so that you just put pressure on the crutch tip - and lift the motor about 1/16".
Now, place another washer and nut on the top side of the trolling motor frame to secure the bolt. If very much of the bolt protrudes above the frame, either use a shorter bolt, or cut off the bolt.
If you find that you can't reach the gunnel, with the length bolt selected - and your hole is placed over the gunnel - select a longer bolt.
The idea is that you will retract the motor, As the motor retracts and falls to the mount - the crutch tip will contact the gunnel, slightly depress, and the lock on the trolling motor mount will snap shut.
You will find that there is virtually 0 bounce on the trolling motor head - since the head is securely caputred betweel the gullel of the boat, and the lock on the trolling motor.
If you have adjusted the bolt very tight - you might find that you have to depress slightly on the head of the trolling motor,to unlock the motor - to deploy the motor.
Total time and money is about 15 minutes and about $1.
This is for a total locking motor, that is absolutely fool proof, and requires no operator actions to retract or deploy the motor. Simply pull the rope, flip up - and troll. Pull the rope - retract - and go fast. No worry about motor bounce.
p.s.
Choose a color crutch tip that matches the gunnel or carpet of your boat. You will get a slight bit of rock and roll abrasion - and you want the worn rubber to match the color of boat or carpet.
Carry a spare crutch tip in your boat, and if the rubber gets too worn - simply pull the worn one, and pop on a new one for 39 cents.
Take care
REW
p.s.
I have written E-Mail to both Minnkota and Motor guide - to incorporate such a device into the design of their motor mounts. It is a trivial solution, that completely solves the bouncing head problem.