Minn Kota Electric Bow Mount Trolling Motors

Minn Kota Electric Bow Mount Trolling Motors are available in various voltages, thrust ratings and shaft lengths. There are also different model configurations within these sizes. The most popular models available in Australia are as follows:

Riptide Saltwater Bow Mount Models with I-Pilot

Minn Kota ST (Saltwater Terrova) model is supplied standard with i-Pilot. i-Pilot frees you up to focus on fishing. It uses GPS technology to remember paths and fishing spots on the water, activate cruise control, and give you command of speed, steering and Advanced AutoPilot. i-Pilot will give you unprecedented navigation and boat positioning. IPilot available in 55lb, 80lb and 112lb thrust levels.

• RT55ST - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 54” 12 Volt 55lb I-Pilot (601470)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Ability to add a foot pedal
• RT80ST - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 54” 24 Volt 80lb I-Pilot (601474)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Ability to add a foot pedal
• RT80ST - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 60” 24 Volt 80lb I-Pilot (601476)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Ability to add a foot pedal
• RT112ST - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 60” 36 Volt 112lb I-Pilot (601478)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Ability to add a foot pedal

Minn Kota SP (Saltwater Powerdrive) model is optimized for saltwater performance with Riptide® SP’s re-engineered electric steer control, new deploy-assist lever, and a host of features that set the standards for power and control. Now standard with i-Pilot. Deploy-Assist Lever. Riptide® SP’s deploy-assist lever puts you in motion and in pursuit of fish quickly and easily. When you depress the lever, the motor deploys and you’re ready to go. When it’s time to move, it stows easily and securely – ready for action whenever you are. I-Pilot available in 55lb and 70lb thrust levels.

• RT55SP - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 48” 12 Volt 55lb I-Pilot (601454)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Can't add a foot pedal
• RT70SP - Minn Kota Riptide Terrova 54” 24 Volt 70lb I-Pilot (601462)
  • IPilot remote control
  • Can't add a foot pedal

Minn Kota Freshwater Ulterra With I-Pilot model comes with your choice of i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link, a redesigned foot pedal and Universal Sonar 2. Advanced wireless remote uses GPS to remember fishing spots and paths, and can control speed, steering, cruise control and Advanced AutoPilot. And exclusively on i-Pilot for Ulterra, three new buttons let you stow and deploy your motor, or trim it up and down.

Selecting the proper shaft length is critical. You want to make sure the motor's shaft is long enough to keep the propeller submerged in varying water conditions, but not so long that it catches on the bottom or is a hassle to stow. 

Transom Mount Shaft Length

Shaft length on transom mount motors is less critical than on bow mount motors, but is still important to double-check.

Proper shaft length selection is more critical with bow mount motors (as compared to transom mount). Bow-to-water distances tend to vary more from boat to boat, and the bow moves much more on the water than the transom. As such, it's important to make sure you select the proper shaft length. Start by measuring the distance from the horizontal mounting point on the bow to the waterline, then add 20” to this measurement (24” for Ulterra motors). Generally, you will want a shaft length that is equal to or greater than this sum, but not less. The following factors may be further considerations:

If you frequently fish in rough waters: Then add 5” to the recommended lengths below. This will help the propeller stay submerged despite the additional deck bob of choppy or windy waters.

If steering a hand controlled motor standing up: Then add 12” to the recommended transom lengths below. This will make it easier and more comfortable to steer by bringing the motor tiller higher up.

Transom Mount Shaft Length

Shaft length on transom mount motors is less critical than on bow mount motors, but is still important to double-check.

A Few Rules to Remember

Submersion Rule: You'll want the center of the propeller submerged at LEAST 9” under the water to ensure adequate power and to prevent noisy cavitation which will scare fish. The charts above will help you determine what shaft length achieves this (given different distances to the water, the shaft portion above the mount, etc) but it's still a good idea to keep this 9” figure in mind.

Always Go Long: If you're struggling to decide between two lengths, pick the longer one. If the shaft ends up being a bit too long, you can always adjust the shaft depth upward with the depth collar adjustment found on nearly all trolling motors. But if you pick a shaft that's too short, you're simply out of luck.

How the Shaft is Measured

If you're trying to determine how long your existing shaft is - or take measurements on your own boat - it's helpful to know exactly how the shaft is measured. Shaft measurements are taken from the base of the motor head to top of the propeller housing, as seen below:

ADDING / REMOVING REMOTES

THE RECEIVER MUST “LEARN” THE ID NUMBER OF ANY ADDITIONAL REMOTE(S) THAT YOU INTEND TO USE. WHEN THE RECEIVER LEARNS THE ID NUMBER OF A REMOTE, THAT ID NUMBER IS RETAINED IN THE RECEIVER EVEN WHEN THE MOTOR IS DISCONNECTED FROM ITS POWER SOURCE.

To “learn” the ID number of additional remotes, follow these steps:

1. The system ready light must be on. To do so; push in the release handle and rotate it down.
2. Press and hold the LEARN button located on the side of the receiver (receiver will emit a continuous tone.) A small blunt object must be used to depress the LEARN button ( pen or screwdriver.)
3. Press any button on the remote (receiver will beep 4 times confirming that it has “learned” the ID number of the remote and that the programming is valid and complete.)

• “Re-learning” the ID number of the same remote will not overwrite previously “learned” remotes.
• If the receiver has “learned” the ID number of ten remotes, “learning” an eleventh remote will erase or over write the first “learned” remote.
• The CoPilot allows the angler to erase all stored remote ID numbers from the receiver.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Remove power from the receiver by stowing the motor.
2. Press and hold the LEARN button and power up the receiver by pushing in the release handle and rotate it down. Hold the LEARN button down for 10 seconds. During this time the receiver audio will emit a warble sound, slowly transition to a constant beep and then shut off.
3. Release the Learn button and the receiver will reboot. The receiver will emit a 2 second long beep indicating memory is empty. This audio pattern will occur each time the receiver powers up until a remote ID number is learned.

Minn Kota Bow Mount Motor Options and Accessories:

• Minn Kota Quick Release Bow Mount Bracket
  Add a quick release bracket to your installation for quick and easy removal of your minkota motor for security or for travel.
• Minn Kota Foot Pedal (corded)
  Operate your minnkota motor while you have your hands full with the fish. This becomes a 'must-have' when fishing alone and you don't have an off-sider to operate the remote control.
• 2.5m Electric Trolling Motor Wiring Loom
  Prefabricated with conduit and battery lugs - includes waterproof Circuit Breaker and High Amp Waterproof thru-deck plug/socket. All installations should include a waterproof circuit breaker for isolation when charging or storage, and a waterproof plug/socket for the convenient removal of your Min Kota. These wiring looms are fast to install and save money. Just add to your battery terminals and mount the thru-deck plug/socket and your ready to plug in.
• 5.0m Electric Trolling Motor Wiring Loom
  Prefabricated with conduit and battery lugs - includes waterproof Circuit Breaker and High Amp Waterproof thru-deck plug/socket. All installations should include a waterproof circuit breaker for isolation when charging or storage, and a waterproof plug/socket for the convenient removal of your Min Kota. These wiring looms are fast to install and save money. Just add to your battery terminals and mount the thru-deck plug/socket and your ready to plug in.
• Marinco Heavy Duty 40A Minn Kota Thru-Deck Plug/Socket
  High Amp Waterproof thru-deck plug/socket. All installations should include a waterproof circuit breaker for isolation when charging or storage, and a waterproof plug/socket for the convenient removal of your Min Kota.
• BEP 50A Heavy Duty Waterproof Circuit Breaker – Surface Mount
  Waterproof Circuit Breaker - all installations should include a waterproof circuit breaker for isolation when charging or storage. Protects the wiring and electric motor.
• BEP 50A Heavy Duty Waterproof Circuit Breaker – Panel Mount
  Waterproof Circuit Breaker - all installations should include a waterproof circuit breaker for isolation when charging or storage. Protects the wiring and electric motor.
• Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) 12 Volt 125 Amp
  • For charging second 12 Volt battery automatically from 12 Volt starting battery.
  • Safely charge two or more independent battery banks from one charge source (alternator, battery charger, solar…)
  • Charges engine starting batteries before combining auxiliary bank for charging
  • Protects start batteries from becoming flattened by domestic loads
  • Isolates electronics from harmful electrical surges from starter motors
  • Simple to install 3 wire connection, leaves alternator wiring intact
  • No volt drop vs. diode isolators
  • Ignition protected
  • Surface or panel mountable
• Pro Charge 12VDC–12VDC Waterproof Battery Charger
  Connect this between your start battery and your minn kota battery bank to charge your 12 Volt house or Minn Kota battery system automatically from 12 Volt starting battery. Simply connect the input cables to a 12V starting battery, and connect output cables to the Minn Kota battery or bank of batteries. The Pro Charge-B will take care of the rest with multi-stage battery charging that will go to true bulk, absorption and float voltages. Fully waterproof.
• Pro Charge 12VDC–24VDC Waterproof Battery Charger
  Connect this between your start battery and your min kota battery bank to charge your 24 Volt house or Minn Kota battery system automatically from 12 Volt starting battery. Simply connect the input cables to a 12V starting battery, and connect output cables to the 24V Minn Kota battery or 24V bank of batteries. The Pro Charge-B will take care of the rest with multi-stage battery charging that will go to true bulk, absorption and float voltages. – for charging 24 Volt battery system automatically from 12 Volt starting battery. Fully waterproof.
• Pro Charge 12VDC–36VDC Waterproof Battery Charger
  Connect this between your start battery and your minn kota battery bank to charge your 36 Volt house or Minn Kota battery system automatically from 12 Volt starting battery. Simply connect the input cables to a 12V starting battery, and connect output cables to the 36V Minn Kota battery or 36Volt bank of batteries. The Pro Charge-B will take care of the rest with multi-stage battery charging that will go to true bulk, absorption and float voltages. – for charging 36 Volt battery system automatically from 12 Volt starting battery. Fully waterproof.
• Deka Intimidator 8A31DTM Battery
  For this job you need a well built, heavy duty cycling battery that can handle heavy discharge and re-charge... repeatedly. Chinese batteries just won't do the job. Use Deka 8A31DTM 12 Volt / 105Ah / AGM / 800CCA – Quality USA made batteries - heavy duty. Use two in parallel for extra 12 volt power or use them in series for your 24V and 36V Minn Kota needs.
• Large Battery Box to suit Deka Intimidator 8A31DTM 105Ah AGM battery
  • Inside Dimensions (mm): 213 H x 325 L x 180 W
  • ** Formally named Deka Seamate
• Extra Large Battery Box
  • Inside Dimensions (mm): 194 H x 395 L x 185 W
• Spare or Replacement Minn Kota I-Pilot Remote Control
  What do you do if your fishing buddy hooks up and they have the remote? Use your own. You can program up to 10 remotes to operate the same Minn Kota. Don't go fishing without one remote each, it no time to juggle remotes, rods, drinks etc. when your hooked up!