See full version: Trolling Motor Quick Guide
The chart below illustrates an estimate of the Minimum Thrust requirement to Boat Length and Weight as recommended by the contributors of Fishing-Tips-Bait-Tackle.com. Most contributors emphasized however, they preferred to have 5 to 10 pounds more thrust than the minimum to account for wind conditions, strong current flow, or the possibility of having to use the trolling motor to return to the boat ramp in case of engine failure.
Here is a look at a typical 24 volt system with a 12 volt engine connection. here
Price will most likely be the final determining factor before purchasing a trolling motor but to ensure you get the most for your money other factors should be considered before price.
The next factor to be considered is often over looked until the last and that is shaft length. Unless regularly fishing in areas where choppy waters is a concern, such as off shore, a good rule of thumb is to allow at least 20 to 24 inches of shaft below your boats water line. Keep in mind that most trolling motor mounting plates allow for shaft depth adjustments so, if using a hand control, remember to consider what length will provide a comfortable reach.
Owning a 24-foot pontoon boat comes with many responsibilities.
Buying a trolling motor for a 24-pontoon boat can be very difficult. What size motor for 24-foot pontoon boat? This is just one question that needs to be asked. It is also pertinent to think about your budget and other preferences.
There are several key factors to consider when trying to buy a battery for this purpose. here
Re: Multi trolling motors on same boat - Disappointing performance
new technology is all about the way high speed gates control the voltage at lower speeds so in theory when run at max speed they should be close. a great test would be to swap props between the motors and see if the speed changes more
I have a 15' Gheenoe that I use in mostly electric only bodies of water with 1-2 mile one way trip to the "crappie hole" not uncommon in my favorite electric only impoundment. I installed a 55 lb. bow mount Minn Kota Auto Pilot (from a previous boat I retired) and recently installed Co-Pilot (love it. ). With a new, large deep cycle battery I can clock a top speed of 3 mph with the 55 lb. bow mount (tracking with my phone GPS application). I recently purchased an older 24v Minn Kota stern mount (claims to be 4 hp!!) and put it on the stern of the Gheenoe and also hit a speed of 4 mph with 2 new batteries. I then dropped the bow mount and ran both at full power (separate battery for the bow mount) and the speed dipped between 3 & 4 mph, indicating no increase and possibly a decrease in speed. I then borrowed a friend's 55 lb thrust 12v Motor Guide stern mount and tried the same trial. The Motor Guide hit 4 mph solo and when the bow mount was lowered and engaged the speed dropped down to 3 mph with both motors on full power. All trials were made on flat water with little to no wind!
I have also learned that although Minn Kota has a 4 hp decal on the (1985 vintage?) motor, this was a marketing ploy and an exaggeration of the power of the motor. In my initial trial I didn't notice a significant (if any) increase in top end speed with the 24v, 2 blade prop motor over the 55 lb., 3 blade motor. However, I now expect that the 24v motor will maintain its speed with a more loaded vessel better than a 12v motor as it should have significantly higher torque to maintain prop rpm.
Thanks for all the replies. From your input and from some other searches I can summarize:
The "hull speed" is another factor that I was uneducated. Apparently all vessels have a maximum speed that they can obtain up to the point where they go on a plane and once this max hull speed is achieved further increase in power will not increase speed until you hit planing speed (impossible with conventional trolling motors!) I have calculated that my maximum hull speed is somewhere around 6 mph (depending upon the load in the boat).
To know the best trolling motor to buy for your Jon boat, check out the rest of the review.
Usually, they are controlled using water paddles.
So despite the water conditions, you can be confident that you are not going to get stuck somewhere out there on a lake or river because of propeller problems.