Kayak Motor Mount

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KAYAK MOTOR MOUNT: INTRO

A kayak trolling motor is one of the best pieces of kayak fishing gear to add to your collection – regardless of experience or ability level! But how exactly do you attach it to the hull of the kayak? That’s where the kayak motor mount comes in handy! Before you read the rest of this post, we suggest that you spend some time brushing up on kayak trolling motors in general by visiting our Kayak Trolling Motor Ultimate Guide!

We have even ranked The 5 Best Kayak Trolling Motors! After that, its time to get into the specifics of the kayak motor mount. Let’s get started!

Kayak Motor Mount: Guide

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We decided to write this article after several readers contacted us looking for solutions on how to attach their kayak trolling motors to their fishing kayaks. It became clear that not all in the kayak fishing community were familiar with the kayak motor mount products that have been specifically designed to address this situation. We begin by touching on some of the basics of the kayak motor mount – What is it? What is it good for? What is it usually made out of? And so on.

After that, we’ve added a section that will teach you exactly how to install and use a kayak motor mount on your own fishing kayak. We present this “how to” guide in the form of a checklist so that it can easily be followed and you can get up and running in no time! Next, we have added a section that details several of the features that you need to be sure to find in whatever particular model of mount you decide to move forward with (and trust us, this is a kayak fishing accessory that you should definitely strongly consider)!

We then move to a section that includes one of our very favorite kinds of kayak motor mount products on the market today! We have used this particular model when mounting trolling motors to fishing kayaks of our own – so we know first hand that it is great for kayak fishing! We’ve also included a product link so that you may visit the company’s website to learn more about this awesome accessory to determine whether it might be right for you. Finally, we’ve detailed some of our own experiences when using a kayak motor mount. Hopefully this first hand account will serve as a good resource for you when determining whether you want to add this piece of gear to your kayak fishing collection. Ok, let’s dive on in!

The Basics

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Shortcut to Kayak Motor Mount Review

So what is a kayak motor mount? Well, its the solution to a rather unique problem. Kayaks have long been powered by paddles or other manual methods. Recently, however, kayak fisherman have begun experimenting with the addition of trolling motors on their fishing kayaks, a type of product that has typically been reserved for much larger water craft.

The trolling motor will come with a mounting bracket, but that won’t do you much good if you don’t have a flat location on your kayak upon which to mount it. That’s where the kayak motor mount enters the scene to save the day! The mount will attach to an otherwise angled or non-flat portion of the fishing kayak and, due to its design, will have its flat area perfectly positioned to act as a mounting location for the trolling motor. Pretty neat! Now, you’ll want to be careful as some kayaks are devoid of even an angled portion onto which the mount can be installed, thus presenting the need for a mounting rail (which is 100% compatible with the kayak motor mount’s design).

The highest end models of mount are typically constructed of rust proof material, usually containing a super durable nylon (reinforced with fiberglass for longevity) or other similar material ensuring that the product can stand up to the rigors of kayak fishing. After all, the motor mount is the connection point of the trolling motor to the kayak itself. This junction is going to experience a significant amount of strain when the kayak moves along the water. A high quality mount will handle this strain with ease. With a lower quality mount, however, you run the serious risk of a separation occurring, which may result in damage to or loss of both your trolling motor and the kayak itself! Scary!

How to Install and Use Properly

Buying a kayak motor mount won’t do you much good if you don’t know how to install or properly use it. KFC has written the short “how to” guide below to serve as your resource. Remember, the list below is going to work for general installations. Every kayak is just a little different from the next, so you may find that one step is a bit different from the step you need to follow with your own kayak. OK, let’s get to business:

You want to begin by deciding where on your kayak you want to locate your kayak motor mount.
We typically recommend that you locate the equipment near or just behind the kayak’s seat.
I am right handed, for instance, so I place the motor mount on the right side of the kayak.
This is important because the handle (or arm or throttle) of the trolling motor will be situated on the right side of the kayak in a convenient location.
While you can uninstall and move the mount, it is a pain in the butt to do – better off picking correctly the first time!
Crank the motor mount down to the hull of the kayak (or the mounting rail) to ensure that you have a tight connection.
We always like to test our installations by pouring water over the motor mount and then vigorously pulling forward, backward and side to side to ensure that the juncture doesn’t slip.
Do not go onto the water without ensuring that your motor mount is securely connected to the hull of the kayak.
Now, locate the screw down bracket on your kayak trolling motor.
Place the screw down bracket’s screws directly above the mounting plate and twist the screws until you’ve connected the trolling motor’s screw down bracket to the plate of the motor mount.
Again, re-test the connection of the motor and the mount’s plate by wetting with water and pulling vigorously from side to side.
That’s it, you’re ready to head out onto the water!

Kayak Motor Mount: Important Features

Like we said above, you can buy one, but if you don’t know how to properly use a kayak motor mount, it isn’t going to do you much good. In fact, improper use can be very dangerous. How? If the user doesn’t make a good connection, the trolling motor may separate from its mount. If this occurs while the unit is under power (and the propeller is spinning) then you could be looking at a very serious situation. One way to prevent the scenario we describe above is by using a mount that comes with quality screw downs, like we describe below:

Quality Screw Downs. There are many kayak motor mounts on the market. Some are built with a design that, in our opinion, exposes the kayak fisherman to significant risk. These are the units that simply slide over a flat area and rely upon gravity and angles for their strength (risky in wet conditions). Others are those that “snap” onto the kayak. These “snap” on mounts tend to weaken over time. Find a kayak motor mount that has large, metal and threaded screw downs (just like you see in the example below):

Quality Materials. Ok, we thought this feature would have been an obvious one, but there are so many low quality manufacturers on the market that we want to make specific mention of the importance of the type of materials that your kayak motor mount is made of. After all, you are going to install an expensive motor on this mount, one that likely weighs 25 to 35 pounds. Then, you are going to rely on the mount to maintain its strength and integrity while you bounce it across the water. Now is not the time to try to save a few bucks by buying a cheap mastic model! Find a model with external components made of rustproof and fiberglass-reinforced nylon with all metal parts being either hardened stainless steel or zinc plated for longevity.

Smart Design. Design, design, design. It seems like an easy concept, but we were shocked to see that several models of motor mount simply were designed to work for fishing kayaks. Make sure your model has two things. First, it must have large, threaded metallic screw downs (like we describe above). Second, it must have a truly flat and appropriately textured plate to serve as leverage against which the screw downs push (just like you see in the image below).

Remember, with some many types to choose from, you’ll want to be wise when making your decision. Several available models have one or two of the important features described above, but only a select few will be the “total package”. Buying a “total package” is important, because really it is the strength of each of these three features working together that is the most important of all!

Buy the Best Kayak Motor Mount

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Remember the important features described above? Our favorite kayak motor mount has them all. Yes, its the total package. It measures roughly 9.5″ long, 6.5″ wide, and 9″ in height, resulting in an inside bracket width of 3 inches, a size that will work with the majority of trolling motors on the market. The unit weighs approximately 5 pounds.

Installation of this model is a breeze. Simply select your desired location (whether the hull of the kayak or the mounting rail) and begin tightening the screw downs until your mount is snuggly affixed to its connection point. Then, follow the same general exercise by connecting to the mounting bracket of the kayak trolling motor. This will take you less than 5 minutes (and is a process far less complicated than the process associated with some of the competitors of this model).

Kayak Motor Mount: My Experience

At first, I was hesitant to fish with a kayak trolling motor at all. I always thought that paddling from location to location was kind of “part of it”. After all, there is something purist and romantic about setting out into the water with only your paddles and efforts to take you to where you want to go.

However, I was eventually persuaded into taking my trolling motor along with me on certain kayak fishing trips. Why? Well, my friend Lenny convinced me that paddling actually fatigues you (whether you know it or not) and results in you spending just a little less time on the water. Even more, it results in you being able to fish fewer locations than you might be able to with a little extra “muscle”.

After contemplating that I could spend more time with my line in the water, and discovering that these trolling motors are “run quiet” and thus much less obnoxious than their gas power cousins, I decided to give it a shot. I purchased the model of kayak motor mount shown above and combined it with a mounting rail to move the throttle an appropriate distance from my arm (and to keep the motor from crowding the space within the kayak). Simply put, the equipment has held up tremendously well and I’ve never had a single incident of slippage relative to the connection of the mount to kayak or even mount to motor, for that matter. You should try it for yourself!

By the way, if you want to use something other than paddles or motors, maybe a pedal kayak would be your best choice! If you want to learn more about types of motor mounts, we’ve added an easy to use reference here!

KAYAK MOTOR MOUNT: CONCLUSION

I hope this article has proven to be an informative source of information about the kayak motor mount. These are truly awesome pieces of kayak fishing gear and can make a big impact in terms of the positivity of your experience on the water! This is true regardless of your level of skill or experience!

If you’ve made it to this point and find that you still have questions about the kayak motor mount – How to use it? Which model is best for you? What can you expect? Or other questions, please be sure to post in the Comments box below! We read and respond to every comment and we love interacting with fellow kayak fishing enthusiasts!

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Comments

Have you ever used a kayak trolling motor? Did you find that it made your kayak fishing experience more enjoyable? What did you mount it to? Did you find that the installation of the motor mount to the hull of the kayak was quick and easy? Have you ever tried connecting with a mounting rail? We read and reply to every single comment! Interacting with the kayak fishing community is one of our favorite pass-times!