In August I asked a question about canoe trolling motor mounts. Just wanted to provide an update of what I ended up doing to Al_A, plaidpaddler, pilotwingz, and the others who offered valuable advice. I updated the OP and also posted a new reply, but for some reason that didn't bump the thread back up to the top. Here is the thread:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=1316685#1378489
And, for those who don't want to look at the old thread, here's what I ended up doing:
I copied ll bean's design for a motor mount for a traditional canoe, with the two pieces of wood that clamped on by "sandwiching" the tops and bottoms of the gunwales. But as I was preparing to test the bottom piece of wood for fit, it just seemed to me such a clumsy way to do things. So I said "screw it," tossed the lower piece of wood, bought a 6" piece of 90 degree aluminum angle iron. I cut 2 1" pieces off, and drilled a hole through each face of each piece. Then I drilled holes in the side of my boat (in the aluminum stripping that the gunwales attach to) and attached the angle iron pieces (facing inside). So now when I want to mount the motor, I put the wooden mount athwart the gunwales behind the aftmost seat, stick the bolts through the holes in it and the holes in the angle iron pieces, and fasten with wingnuts (though I actually go from the bottom up so the wingnuts are easier to turn). Works great and I wouldn't recommend any other way to do it.
I remember when you had ask …
....... about mounting a trolling motor . Then again I may be confusing you with someone else ??
Glad you got creative and worked it out . You mainly planned on using the motor/canoe combo in lake type waters and not rocky rivers , so there was little chance of hard impacks on the motor pod , and you really didn't want to drill any holes in the canoe itself . Also I think you had the round alum. gunnels .
If you get a chance send a pic or two , I'd like to see it . By attaching those angles to the side hull you realize that a sufficient amount of stress from the motor and mount system gets transfered to the fastners and the hull's skin now , right . It would be good idea to reinforce the hull's skin at the new angle alum. connection with some type of plates to spread that stress load over a wider area .
A trolling motor on a canoe
now makes you (in most states)a power boat and you are subject to all power boat regulations. Check you state regs.
I found out the hard way with a small sailboat.
That’s right
except it's mud bottom bay, not lake. No rocks or stumps.
I guess I got over the aversion to drilling holes.
The canoe has a plastic hull, with plastic (not aluminum) gunwales, but just underneath the gunwale, there is a strip of aluminum on each side. So the holes drilled go through aluminum then plastic then aluminum again.
That’s only if you get caught
I ran an unregistered 14 foot jonboat around these same waters for almost 10 years, never got stopped. Since I launch from my private dock I don’t have to worry even about the remote possibility of someone catching me at a boat ramp I’ve fished these waters for 27 years now and have never once seen a game warden, let alone be asked for my fishing license. The only reason I bother to buy one every year is because it supports fish stocking.
Don’t know…
about your state, but the problem with that approach in MO is that you have to register and put the numbers on your boat. So an official with a set of binoculars could very quickly check to see if you have the numbers from a good distance away. In MO, however, it usually isn’t the game warden who does the checking but the state water patrol. The water patrol seems to be very active on all the Corps of Engineers reservoirs in MO, and they also frequent the Ozark streams that are big enough for jet boat use.
fishing TX coastal/tidal waters …
… might as well make certain to get your tidal fishing license … that way you’re automatically registered in the NSAR … get busted w/o one the Fed. will get their lashes in too now .
MD. had a mandatory “National Saltwater Angler Registration” that a saltwater angler had to “voluntarily” (on their own) do last year or run the chance of getting busted for not doing it . The $10. reg. fee was exempted if you already had tidal fishing licensed . The state this year automatically registers you when you purchase a tidal fishing license (no extra cost) . TX does too . Looks like NJ is the only USA coastal state holding out for some reason … I think they get to pay $15. for the privledge of regestering this year (on top of the tidal license fee) .
http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/home.jsp
I was ticked about the NSAR program last year because they were talking about an additional $10. fee may be imposed the following year for states that didn’t comply voluntarily .
In MD. if you run a motor (elect. or power) on a boat (read canoe/kayak) … you get to put those pretty 3" #'s and sticker on the hull and pay for the privledge by registering your paddle craft . Around here I think they’d slap ya silly if they saw you with a motor and no #'s .
Not so much my state, but the part
of the bay I run around in. There simply isn’t anyone patrolling it. There is no state water patrol in Texas. Galveston County Sheriff’s Department has jurisdiction, but you never see their boats out there. Even game wardens don’t make it out there because it’s not really a fishing hotspot in the bay system.
We call it the "saltwater stamp"
because you actually used to get an honest-to-goodness postage-like stamp on your license, with attractive art, too - paintings of redfish, tarpon, etc. depending on the year. Now you get something that looks like a cash register receipt that just states you got the saltwater endorsement.
It used to be, in Texas you bought a fishing license, and it covered freshwater, and then if you wanted the saltwater stamp, you paid extra. That meant you could be mostly a saltwater angler, but if you got a wild hair and wanted to go freshwater fishing, you were covered. Now there is a base license fee, and then you have to buy each endorsement. That means if you are a saltwater fisherman who has a license with the saltwater endorsement, but one day decide to try a nearby freshwater lake, you have to pay to go add on the freshwater endorsement.
last year I’m at the docks and …
… I see a sweet looking commercial type boat (CC about 26’) . Somethings different about this boat , it’s got too many lights . Then there comes these two State police officers to ready it for trailering .
I say to the nephew , what’s that all about … didn’t know those guys were patroling our waters . He says , yeah … they started last year , now getting all the same equptment as the DNR Marine police . Isn’t that little overkill I say , and ask what’s there for them to do . He says they help bust the reckless drivers and drinkers which leaves the DNR more time to focus on fishing and natural resource violations . I says oh , nice boat !!
Then we noticed what they were up to . The poor fisherman who’s transom gave out and his motor was hanging in the water is getting busted . I said to the nephew , think they engaged to lend him a hand for saftey sake . Nephew says they’ll slap him with every reg. bust in the book they can ,
as long as I can remember …
… MD has always had two part fishing license .
One is non-tidal (fresh water) and the other is tidal (salwater) . You could pay for both up front and have it read that way on the license or just get one of them . If you wanted to add the other later it was a seperate card . The only stamp I know of here is the freshwater “Trout” stamp add on (never got one , don’t fish trout) .
So a freshwater only angle doesn’t need to be registered w/NSAR , but for a saltwater fisherman it’s manditory (automaticly done now) , and the NSAR Fed. program started last year .
To my knowledge the idea behind the Fed. registry is suppose to be a cenus on fisherman for scientific marine fisheries studies and conservation . The Fed.'s are encouraging angles to voluntarily report their catches through on-line forms .
One good thing (maybe , depending on how you look at it) seems to of come about due to the angles making reports … our state DNR now has a fisherman’s report page . It’s voluntary but fisherman can say what they caught , where , how many , what size , method , etc. . It’s an OK way to spread the inside word on hot spots and movements . Stripers are big fun here (Chesapeake Bay) and a major target for anglers . Use to be you had to earn your fish (Stripers) the hard way from individual or close circle experience (tight lip as we were) … now with all the increase in weekend warriors , if the fish are on and hot in a given spot … “everybody” knows it and that causes crowding swarms raiding the same spots . Still ya got to know “how” to catch them , not just be there fishing for them . Less pressure on a spot used to be an advantage … now , that’s just about history .