Fall 2021
F
motors.
ishing kayaks are quickly becoming mini bass boats with raised seats, standing platforms, high end electronics and now
Anglers are mounting the equivalent of an
electric outboard to the stern and drop-in trolling
motors (complete with anchoring systems) to the
bow.
Current tournament regulations only allow
one motor per vessel and it must fall within the
manufacturer’s specifications.
I interviewed two hardcore tournament anglers
who have both been running motors for the past
several seasons. John Myers of Atwater, Calif. has
opted for the stern
mount electric motor
on his pedal driven
setup (Hobie PA14 360)
and Shane LemMon of
Corona, Calif. went with
the bow mount on his
paddle kayak (Bonafide
SS127).
Let’s hear what
each has to say about
their specific choice and
how it has changed the
game for them.
How has the addition of a motor changed your fishing?
MYERS: It’s all about capitalizing on time fishing and not consuming your time moving from spot to spot. During tournaments, you have to fight against time and figure out what the fish want. You can only control what you can and spending more time fishing is one factor that is manageable. My idea was to race at 5 MPH to my fishing location, pull the motor up and then control the kayak with the Hobie 360 drive. Fishing is about setting up the kayak to achieve the best angle of attack to make the best cast of the lure. It’s all about lure presentation, time fishing and making the right choices to catch fish.
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