

Trolling motors give far more maneuverability, while outboard motors deliver far greater speed.Spare batteries for trolling motors are far cleaner than additional gas for an outboard motor, but weigh more and occupy more space.Outboard motors need far more maintenance than trolling motors.Trolling motors are typically electric battery-powered, while outboard motors are usually gas-powered.They’re typically attached to a pivoting mount that allows you to steer the boat, and which can be tilted to a higher position to avoid scraping the bottom in places where the water is very shallow.

However, the more I delved into the topic, the more I came to understand the fundamental differences between the two-and it made perfect sense why kayakers would prefer a trolling motor to an outboard motor.īoth outboard and trolling motors are a self-contained motor unit (consisting of engine, gearbox, and propeller) that are affixed to your boat (either the stern or bow) to propel your vessel through the water. I’ll admit it: I found myself asking this exact question! At first glance, outboard motors and trolling motors look pretty similar. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Kayak Motor Trolling Motor vs. Best Bow-Mounted Trolling Motor: MotorGuide XI3.Best For Fishing: Haswing Cayman Transom Trolling Motor(12V, 55lbs Remote-Controlled version).

Kayak trolling motor zip#
With a kayak motor, you can zip up and down your favorite lake, river, or ocean coastline at top speed (not as fast as a proper motorboat, but faster than under paddle-power) and get to and from your fishing spots in a breeze. Trolling motors are beautifully compact electric motors that you can mount on your kayak to add some extra oomph to your paddling-or really just cut out the paddling altogether.
