Trolling Motor Sizing

Chase Schelble

Technical Sales Representative

One of the most popular aftermarket features you can add to your new Sportsman boat is a trolling motor. A trolling motor can drastically enhance the fishing capability of your boat as well as the overall utility. All trolling motors have different options such as spot lock, autopilot and auto deployment/stow just to name a few. Depending on how you plan on using the boat will determine which features you choose to spend the extra money on but one of the main concerns among any trolling motor application on a Sportsman boat is the shaft length.

Trolling motors come in varying shaft lengths and finding the correct one for your boat is critical for full functionality. Our Masters series of bay boats are among the most common boats trolling motors are utilized on being that they best suited for multiple fishing applications. For these models a 60” shaft will work fine for someone who is mainly using the motor inshore. For someone who likes to fish near shore wrecks and other bottom structure offshore a 72” may be more conducive to these conditions.

Our Open/Heritage series of boats are designed for more offshore and open water fishing but have also been popular for customers with large families who still like to fish on freshwater lakes and rivers due to the ample seating. These models have taller gunnels to accommodate big water so will require a longer shaft trolling motor. We recommend at least a 72” shaft for the 21-25' models and 80”+ for heavy offshore use. Once you get into our Sportfish models 26’ and up we recommend you work closely with your dealer as additions such as kick stands for additional support of the shaft may need to be installed to accommodate longer shaft lengths.

We hope this has helped guide you in your search for the next addition to your Sportsman boat. As always tight lines and happy boating!