What kind and size motor do I need? 12' flatbottom

[WaltonsMountain]

I have a 12ft alum flatbottom jon boat and am in need of a new motor. This is my first boat and it came w/ a Sears ted williams series 20 spd electric trolling motor (no idea what kind of thrust it gave)...well i had my first outing on a small 100acre lake and that trolling motor simply wasn't enough. There was some medium to high winds which were causing us to drift uncontrollably.

I guess my question is... first, do I need a high powered trolling motor to get through those conditions or should i go to an outboard motor? I just dont want to drift uncontrollably anymore. Id prefer a trolling motor if I could get by with it but i'm just not sure if I could get by w/ one. I'll mostly be on lakes around 1000acres or less and rivers of various sizes (including Missouri). I want to be able to get out of any situations if I need to. What do you suggest?

 

[russ010]

I had a 1236... and I had 3 motors on it, as well as 4 batteries.

On the front, I had a foot controlled Minn Kota 40 Edge (40lbs thrust). On the rear, I had 1 - 55lb and another 50lb thrust motors.. I could haul butt across the water when all of them were on, and the battery life with more than 1 motor is substantial.

If you are wanting to keep costs down, I would suggest atleast a 40# (preferrably a 55#) foot control or tiller steer motor on the front. Trolling motors pull much better than they push.

You can put just 1 extra motor on the back and get a little more drive, but I would swear up and down that my 50# pushed better than the 55# I had on the rear when I ran them separately of each other.

If you are fishing lakes that big, I would really go with atleast 2 trolling motors, and 1 extra battery for atleast one of them, if not both. You can move a lot more and not have to worry about how far away you are getting and risk running out of juice. You wouldn't believe how many people I've had to tow back to the ramp in our electric only waters. The main lake I'm talking about is about 400acres and they can make it to the other end, but they can't make it back on 1 motor and 1 battery most times.

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

i had the exact problem w/ drifting. one time the t/m battery died in heavy winds in the middle of a lake. sore arms that nite

i have a old 3.5 johnson that seems perfect for my rig. i didnt need the speed just enough power to get me against the currents at a decent rate

i had a 7.5 that did pretty well too but it took up alot of room w/ the bigger motor gas tanks ect and wasnt the most reliable motor

 

[CarlF]

I'll mostly be on lakes around 1000acres or less and rivers of various sizes (including Missouri). I want to be able to get out of any situations if I need to. What do you suggest?

I think you need a bigger boat. If the Missouri is anything like our big rivers, its not place for a 12' flat bottom jon boat. It might be fine when the weather is calm, but get caught out there when the wind pics up & a storm rolls in and you will be in trouble.
That said, if you are on rivers, you need an outboard. By time you add a TM and two batteries, an outboard would have been lighter.
See what it is rated for and go with that. Probably rated for 10 hp, so a 2 stroke 9.9 will probably be the ticket.

 

[WaltonsMountain]

Only problem is its a used 1974 Appleby 12' Flatbottom and the size restrictions have been worn off....anybody know what size of outboard would fit on this boat?

 

[CarlF]

Somewhere between 5-10 I would imagine.
Based on what most modern 12' jons are rated for, if it is a 1232, then ~5 hp. If it is a 1236, then ~10 hp.

 

[crazymanme2]

Put a 15hp Johnson or Evinrude on it & never look back.Thats what I have on my 1240 vee & it does what ever I want.Very dependable motor & cheap on gas,about 7 to 8 miles per gallon.