I have a Minn Kota Edge with a large skeg which prevents me from mounting the transducer on the bottom as I hoped. I have two questions that I am hoping to get help with:

1. Do I need to keep the skeg? The boat is a 17' 94 bass boat and I have read the skeg is mostly for protecting the prop, is that true?
   
   
   
   

2. If I should keep the skeg, I was going to get a mount for the shaft of the trolling motor and then build brackets to sit it next to the head of trolling motor. If it's flush with the bottom, would the skeg block the beam?

Thanks!

I definitely would not take the skeg off. The motor is designed to be used with it. Mine looks exactly like that.

The skeg does protect the prop, but it also helps you steer. It acts like a rudder.

I have used both versions - with and without a skeg. The steering with one is much easier and more responsive.

My suggestion is to either get a smaller transducer or a different model bow mount.

Minn Kota has the Transducer Mounting Kit MKR-15 that is compatible with Edge trolling motors.

https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/accessories/trolling-motor/transducer-mounting-kit-mkr-15?_gl=1*p8nykw*_gcl_au*MTYzMjc3MTU5Ni4xNzc0NzA5Mjc2*FPAU*MTYzMjc3MTU5Ni4xNzc0NzA5Mjc2*_ga*MTM4NDAzMTI3NS4xNzc0NzA5Mjc2*_ga_GTWTGQ93QM*czE3NzQ3MDkyNzYkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzQ3MDk3MTYkajE0JGwwJGgxMjc3MDc3NTEw*_fplc*TG1MSExHajlTN0dYU2lsQklDZGJlM0l6NElTaFZmd1JFOHhTblAlMkJFS2tPcW1LcFZlVzMxQjJIR25JdkU1RWRJYmV5dG5OWkFPY2w3bFNEalE4N1BzJTJCZWlhR0UyWXJwbldBME9PQmdEY3QwZFRGd2ljQjFGMTJTVmtudE1EQSUzRCUzRA..

I am having a tough time picturing how that works with an Edge.

The distance between the skeg and the prop simply isn't big enough to put his transducer there, regardless of the mount.

Maybe I am missing something.

Thank you, I will keep the skeg.

The Minn Kota mount won't work unless I build a bracket to lower the transducer down. I am thinking of trying the side mount and building a bracket to lower it next to the bottom of the motor. One thing I don't know (which I will have to try out on the water) is how far down it needs to be to not impact the cone.

I would definitely keep the skeg and treat the real question as how low you need the transducer to sit before the motor starts shadowing it. If you go side mount, I would get it low enough that the face is clearly below the nose/skeg line when the motor is deployed, then idle-test it on the water and turn the head both directions to see when the picture starts cleaning up or dropping out. This gets overlooked but a setup that looks fine on the trailer can still lose one side badly once the motor is turned and under load. Are you mostly trying to protect 2D/down imaging up front, or do you need side imaging to stay clean too?