Foot Control TM with small footprint

**yobuck** · 03-27-2023, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by ALBuzz

I understand where y’all are coming from. I like the layout of my boat currently and being lower to the water line allows me to cast under limbs and logs easily. I could fabricate a bracket to raise the motor to the top of my boat no problem. I’m wondering how long the base of the motor is to not have it hanging too far off of the front of the boat. According to the quick disconnect plates, I should have enough room to mount it up front with a bracket, but I don’t know how far the rail and base will be together.

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Well again, i did what i did by mounting my motor on a box because i wanted storage for the battery and other gear.
The front deck itself on my boat is about 4” lower than the top of the boat.
So the box is about 6” above and about 4” back from the actual front edge of the hull.
If mounted directly on the box, the trolling motor shaft wouldnt clear the boat.
So i installed a piece of 1” thick x 6” wide Starboard directly onto the top first.
This extends slightly past the bow, and the disconnect plate for the motor is fastened to that.
Ive been using it for 4 years, and would do the same thing again today.
Lets be honest here, there is no way to make a Jon boat pretty.
But we can make them more functional.
My boat is an open design having no center seat, just the 24” bow deck and the rear bench seat.
Space behind the rear seat for the gas tank, outboard motor battery, and a small cooler for lunch, drinks and a few fish i might decide to bring home.
I want nothing on the deck to hinder my moving about, so storage is important.
I also covered the stringers with 1/2” marine plywood for a solid smooth deck, again easier for me to move around.
After i put the plywood on the deck, the rear seat was too low, so again i made 6” high boxes with hinged lids.
There is space between them for the tiller to operate.
The lids are plywood and designed to be waterproof, swivel seats are mounted on the lids.
All my tackle boxes and required safety equipment is stored in those.
Only thing laying on my deck is a small net and a 6 gallon bucket with a swivel top for an extra seat, and other uses as well.
Attached to the sides is a very good 10’ collapsible push pole with a duck bill base and a 10’ Stick It anchor pole.
I also keep a small mushroom anchor in the storage box in the bow, along with an extra life vest, a throwable seat cushion, a waterproof bag with extra clothes and foul weather gear.

**tlefire** · 03-27-2023, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by ALBuzz

I understand where y’all are coming from. I like the layout of my boat currently and being lower to the water line allows me to cast under limbs and logs easily. I could fabricate a bracket to raise the motor to the top of my boat no problem. I’m wondering how long the base of the motor is to not have it hanging too far off of the front of the boat. According to the quick disconnect plates, I should have enough room to mount it up front with a bracket, but I don’t know how far the rail and base will be together.

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OK, lets start over......

What trolling motor are you going to get? Different trollers require different mounting plates. Example, my Terrova base is 21 inches, but the actual mounting plate I use (Shuttleslide) is 15 inches. In use the troller hangs over the front about 5 inches. The slide is for getting it back inside the boat when not in use so it doesn't hit the bow roller when loading or unloading.

I would still raise the base you have now up even with the top rail of the boat. Won't change the stability of the boat, but will make mounting a troller much easier.

**ALBuzz** · 03-29-2023, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by tlefire

OK, lets start over......

What trolling motor are you going to get? Different trollers require different mounting plates. Example, my Terrova base is 21 inches, but the actual mounting plate I use (Shuttleslide) is 15 inches. In use the troller hangs over the front about 5 inches. The slide is for getting it back inside the boat when not in use so it doesn't hit the bow roller when loading or unloading.

I would still raise the base you have now up even with the top rail of the boat. Won't change the stability of the boat, but will make mounting a troller much easier.

It all depends on what the dimensions of the bases of the trolling motors are. This is my dilemma, there’s not much information on what these measure out to. I had the terrova in mind at first since the pictures looked like it had the smallest base. But if I have to have 15 inches to mount it to the plate, I may be able to angle it towards the center to get the extra 2 inches I need.

The trailer I have for this 1432 boat is home made with no rollers, just two bunks. I can get plenty of clearance up front while trailering the boat.

The center of gravity comment was towards making a deck for the front, I don’t want to sit up higher and make moving about the boat more unstable than it already is.

**NCkenner** · 04-04-2023, 04:14 PM

Look at post 5001 in the "Wake up" thread. That's a perfect example of how you can mount any TM you desire on your boat and lot lose much space.

**ALBuzz** · 04-07-2023, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by NCkenner

Look at post 5001 in the "Wake up" thread. That's a perfect example of how you can mount any TM you desire on your boat and lot lose much space.

That was the idea I had in mind. I'll see if I can get some hands on measurements of trolling motors and go from there.

**Chiplifter** · 04-13-2023, 08:28 AM

I would see if you could find a Motorguide Bulldog 40 or 54 in stock somewhere. I'm not sure if they are still in production but I have one on my 14 footer and it works great.

**catchNgrease** · 04-14-2023, 09:12 PM

I ain't got no advice on the mount...some pretty good ones already. But I love the look of the kick butt electronics sitting on the bow of that boat.

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**ALBuzz** · 04-16-2023, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by catchNgrease

I ain't got no advice on the mount...some pretty good ones already. But I love the look of the kick butt electronics sitting on the bow of that boat.

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Thanks bud! The cheapest thing on my boat has to be the boat itself, haha! It would be nice to have a full size boat, but Stump Jumper puts me on the fish all the same.

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