cascade

If you are around rough bottom with sharp rocks or reef...or fishing industrial/urban water with possible rusted junk on the bottom: https://www.amazon.com/ForEverlast-Reef-Boot-Size-Beige/dp/B005329TXE/ These are pretty weighty and hot out of the water and work best when wading but depends on the location if you need good protection they might work for you. I use them on a kayak at times when I expect to step in some iffy bottom or around jetties where I might need to walk around some rough concrete/rock. Keeping them wet makes it more bearable.

Currently using Xi3 with Pinpoint GPS. Tired of the remote and limited nav functionality. Looking to upgrade to working motor + plotter/finder combo that would allow greater nav options but still in some smaller package. Mainly looking to be able to pre plan nav tracks and waypoints on screen possibly off the water. So for the current Xi3 I guess I would need Gateway and NMEA kits and supported plotter (possibly Lawrance HDS or Elite + charts). Anyone with similar setup that could give brand specific pros/cons. Dont mind changing to Minn Kota if it means simpler package and better compatibility. Also would like to stay on 12v but going 24v is not out of question. There is also an app based ProNav Angler that could be added to a Minn Kota. Anyone using it?

If you have Prime just make sure that it says Free Returns. If it does not work for you then just return it. Even better. Get 3 of different condition or brand and pick one that you like or works for you. I never had any problems returning anything with Amazon and landed a ton of good deals looking for Warehouse offers. Just make sure that the seller is Amazon. Sometimes its just packaging that is not factory or the product has some minor shipping scuffs or damage. Probably most of the warehouse people that look at this stuff dont even know what they looking at so often you get brand new products that dont check off all the boxes for factory new(like damaged packaging) and they mark it down. With more heavy duty items who cares if a cowl is dented when you going to get the thing to work in the field right away.

Would you mind sharing what performance are you getting out of this battery. Whats the optimal time on the water? How is it with the motor at full power and heavy load? How long does it take to charge? Did you notice any concerning heating during heavy load or charging? Thanks.

@GTN-NY Yeah I was planning on customizing the length. But looks like I could save $200 for going with the shorter version and put it towards a better battery. Also what battery you running it with? I am tempted to get one group 31 for it but also mulling the idea of giving an arm and leg away and jumping on much lighter lithium options.

Looks like the specific product number I am looking for is MotorGuide 940700280. Also about $200 cheaper base price than the "regular" 55lb Xi3 GPS enabled in 48" length. Anyone running this specific model? Can not find it readably available from anywhere but it is listed on the MotorGuide site.

Looking for a new bow mount trolling motor for my kayak. Leaning towards 55lb MotorGuide Xi3 with the Pinpoint GPS. Looks like they made an offering on these models specifically geared towards the kayak people. I like the fact that they come in 36" shaft and from what I am reading are easier to deploy and stow away. Now, a little bit ago I almost pulled a trigger on a 55lb 46" Xi3 saltwater with Pinpoint GPS. Mainly I was looking for a saltwater option since Im in the brackish area with equal opportunities to fish purely freshwater and brackish. But now, I dont think I would ever use it purely on saltwater flats or anything like that. With that said, I am wondering if an upgrade to the saltwater model is wort the price. Like I said its mainly freshwater and brackish water fishing in a tidal area for me with a good rinse after the motor is out of the water. Also how would MotorGuide compare to Minn Kota offering for the similar options. I am looking at Powerdrive/Riptide line with iPilot but looks like they don't come with 36" length shaft and people comment that they are somehow not as smooth to deploy/stow. Any advice?

Thank you for the input. Also looking at possible btackish/saltwater options and that puts me in the territory of the Minn kota Riptide 45lb with power maximizer. Anyone familiar with this model?

Trying to decide on a new electric motor setup for my 13' and 600lbs capacity kayak with a transom. The plan is to be able to take the kids up the smaller rivers in decent comfort and then have a relaxed fishing paddle down back. Probably looking at 400lbs-450lbs of total weight. The rivers I am looking at are in range of 400 to 750 cubic feet per second discharge rate with a relatively unobstructed and several feet deep main current sections. They are also pretty covered from any major wind. Any advice on some specific setups. I think 30lb motor is not gonna make it so looking at 45+ models. I would probably like to get at least 1.5h to 2h of up stream motoring. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Did you get the foam insert or see a valid point in firming up the deck any other way? Mainly considering it for a lot of stand up sight fishing/bowing and paddling so would hate to have a soft platform on a hot sunny day.

Hello, Looking for experienced owners of the 2020 Frontier 12. Weighting some cons and pros but it looks like my new boat soon. Concerned about reported issues with the earlier boats and would like to know if anyone experienced these with 2020 model. 1. Some owners reported after a few seasons that the metal hardware was not lasting in brackish/salty water. Does the 2020 model maintained the same hardware from previous models? Anyone having issues with rusting rivets or mounting bolts of the rails or handles already. As i understand these are not stainless steel so should not expect great performance but still anything that presents inferior quality would be big con. 2. Some reports of sagging or not so sturdy deck area after seasons in the sun and heat. The Nucanoe website still offers a free foamy insert as a remedy. Apparently this fix impedes scupper holes functionality. 3. Some extreme reviews of earlier units imply that the used polyethylene did not last well in salty water reporting hairline cracking and deformation only after one season. Any other insights into 2020 differences or improvements to the previous year units would be helpful. Thank you.