Station keeping / trolling?

RussGW270

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Hey guys, not planning to get one, but to get an idea what to learn to adapt....

Has anyone seen a 258 or higher boat, or similar, with a bow mounted trolling motor? I see they make 72 and 84" ones... and not saying I like the idea... but, as I learn and try to get more experience driving a new boat, I am trying to work on ways to adapt what we have fished for in the past, and will fish for again, to a boat that does not have the same features.

I know it will / may not do all the same stuff, but trying to wrap my head around what it can do.

So, for instance... let's face it.. with my bay boat.. a rig was "set the ipilot to station keeping and it keeps me in a small circle and away from the rig.. no tying up to it... so no accidentally banging it heh.

What do you do with the Grady... keep on the helm while others fish?

When fishing for stripers on lake Buchanan, I tended to have the ipilot keep a line and we fished it. With the grady, I suspect it will be trolling an engine and alternating them...but also, we jigged. Dropping an anchor can easily lose said anchor in the trees below.. heh. May need to drift fish is all.

Just curious how you all handle that stuff.

I am told the boat will do about 2-3ft draft... so can still easily fish for trout by the jetties etc I am sure....just gotta watch the tide is all.

Russ
 

Family Tradition Fishing

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So I have no personal experience with this but there are several guys here in N.E. Florida running Rhodan trolling motors on 30+' center console rigs with good reported success. I believe here its primarily for the spot lock function offshore. Not sure if its okay to mention another forum on here or not but theres a couple good threads on one that focuses only on Florida fishing. I'll post the name if someone more knowledgeable chimes in that it's ok.
 

Deep Blue

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Never used a trolling motor, my concern would be if the weight of the boat is too much for the shaft, e.g. do you run the risk of bending the shaft? Another option would be to use a sea anchor - the drogue chute thing.