Fishing

I was wondering how much clearance I should have between my prop. and the toon? ....... It seems I either have too much thrust or I have it set wrong......Can anyone with a Renegade let me know what theirs is set at?


>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

sure... when we are close to rocks we pull it up so the prop clears the rocks. when we get away from them we drop the motor all the way down. if your getting to much thrust i would suggest you just feather your speed settings. the motor mounts keeps the prop plenty clear of the bottom of the toon..... is that what you were looking for?





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http://redneckflyfishing.blogspot.com/

I had a Minn 30 and to me, it is too short of shaft. I like that blade "at least" a good 3 to 4 inches away from the bottom of my toon. If you bump into a log or something under water, it will push that prop in towards the bottom of the toon.

I went with the larger thrust because of the 36" shaft over the 30".
If I come into shallower water, I reach back and kick the motor up.

I might try the 30" on my Assault because it is a smaller diameter.

I think I made a mistake...... What is the thrust on your motor?......I have a Traxxis 55 lb. with a five speed......The thrust maybe OK if I could feather it like Kochanut said.........It runs in low (1st speed) ok but it is faster than I want it for fishing and the second speed is like a bass boat trying to get out of the hole.

It would probably be a good motor for a boat but I think I need something that will barely turn the prop.


>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

I also upgraded from the 30 to the 40 mainly for the increased shaft length...36" vs 30". It really makes a difference in the adjustment options. I ran the 40 on a Renegade and it works fine. The 40 has 5 speeds too, but is very graduated in speed. It goes from whisper slow in #1 up through fast trolling in #4. But when I switch it to five I get whiplash.

i see what you meant.... i use a 45lb on the reney and also on the avenger. on its highest setting the reney hauls ass, it makes a wake as well and i was yelled at once at willard while in the north marina. it really moves the avenger as well, but not as fast





Have you read my Blog? I hear it's getting better!

http://redneckflyfishing.blogspot.com/

The 30 moved my Cardiac Canyon on one too fast. I talked of fabricating a trolling plate.
55 is a bit big, but if it is what you have, make it work. Maybe look into if there are different props made for it. The prop is what is making it move.

It requires little power to move pontoons, ever noticed that most party barges although big have small motors.

Hey thanks to all of you for your responses........ It is a 36 in. shaft and maybe I need to run it deeper ...... I just emailed Minnkota to see if they had a prop. solution or some other idea that might eliminate some thrust.
In my younger days thrust was good, but I kind of hate to install a drag chute on a pontoon.

Any how I appreciate your ideas.


>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

Do you use a 40 with your tube?

Yep. I didn't really need the xtra power...or faster battery drain...but I did need the extra height of the 36" shaft. It is perfect for my tube and setup.

Pat, have you ever thought about offsetting the motor head from the motor? I'm thinking of drilling a new set of holes just under the motor head and spinning the head by 45 degrees so the handle is to the side of my pontoon seat rather than pointed directly at my back. It looks easy enough to do but I haven't seen anyone try it.

I have never had the need or desire to do so but cannot see any reason why it would not work. The big consideration is that the holes be drilled in the right spots and that you are careful not to crack or damage the plastic cover. Might need some rubber washers to cushion the stress from tightening down the connections in an area that is not reinforced to take a bolt. But the motor should operate and turn normally once the new head position is established.

Before you do that, however, you may want to look at the PDF file attached. I just rewrote my book section on motorizing float tubes. If you can make an extension handle that will flex up over your shoulder or around to the side a bit then there will be less need to modify the motor.

Since I came up with using blue "Smurf pipe" as a flexible control extension I have helped several tooners add those to their rides. Everybody seems to like them. Simple to cut to length and they are both light and strong...and flex in all directions.

No one ever asks me and I have been using electric motors on tubes and toons for 30+ years Just sayin'

I took the head off two motors. First one was the older Minn Kota. I just extended the wires and put an oar clamp around the head. I then put the motor head in the oar hole on my Bucks Bag



The second one, I took the head off and apart. Took the reostat out an put it in a small metal box. Used a big radio knob.

The blue noodle that Pat made for me works good.
it is not as cumbersome as the extension handle, and it is flexible for out of the way use.

If the people who make trolling motors would make a tube and tune mount with an I-Pilot, they might have a hit with the floaters.



>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

Hopefully I won't have to go to a 40. I use golf cart batteries 'cause I can carry then, bigger batteries are out of the question. Too heavy for me to lug around. Oh yeah, don't need more battery drain either

Don't hear much on the Golf Cart batteries. Looking forward to a report. Everyone I know switched to the #27 big boys.

One of my early experiments was with a 33 a/h deep cycle wheelchair battery. Weighed only 24 pounds and put out an amazing amount of juice.

But why aren't you still using it?

As I developed a greater appreciation for having power on my tube I used the motor more. Needed a bigger battery.

But, I will be stopping at the series 27. No plans for a bank of 3 batteries and a 36 volt system like the bass boys use.

I have an ancient Minn Kota 25 that has a shaft length of 25 inches from the base of the head to the top of the motor. With it on either my Fish Cat 4 or my Renegade it works fine and pulls like a champ. Once in a great while I will be in rough enough water that it will cavitate occasionally.

I think my mount puts it low enough to make up for some of its lack of inches. It also helps that the prop is only about 5 in too!!
Here is the Renegade



On the Fish Cat 4 is isn't strapped down in this picture.