Minn Kota on a 14' Whitewater Raft

[Vagab0nd]

I finally got my raft repaired, and have been setting it up for flat water fishing. My plan is to outfit it with a trolling motor.
It's 14' long 6'6" wide and is 119lbs.
The height is 31" at the Bow and 29" at the stern on dry land. I believe it sits between 2-4" under water.
My question is should I get a 30lbs/ 40lbs/50lbs thrust ?
I cannot afford a rowing platform the oars are expensive nearly $200 each an the platform is between $900-$1500
I get on the water only a handful of days a year so I cannot justify the expense to my wife no matter how smooth the presentation may be. Lol.
Anyone have input at all?

[The Fisherman Guy]

Why not build your own rowing platform?

A trolling motor, the size you want, and a battery will nearly double the total weight of your boat and will set you back at least $350.

A whitewater raft isn't designed for a motor, so it will have a lot of drag. This will work your trolling motor hard, and reduce battery life.

I suggest you save your cash and build a rowing & casting platform. Then you could also float and fish rivers, increasing the usage of your boat.

[HunterDave]

Go with the biggest motor that you can afford. I have a 10' jon boat with a 40lb motor that I use for checking traps that works great in calm water but when it's windy, I don't make a lot of headway going against the wind and waves. The motor is older though so it may not have the same power as a new one.

[BeeGuy]

I have a 40 or 42lb or something I use on my canoe.

I don't think you'll get the performance you are looking for even with a 50lb motor. The difference between them isnt that great.

As noted, your craft is designed to float with the current, not glide across the water, so you will be slow, have poor maneuverability, and limited range.

Maybe time to think outside the box...or trade in the whitewater raft for something else.

[dwedmon]

I think even at 50lbs your motor is going to be underpowered, especially if your raft doesn't have a hard floor. You might be better off just buying one of those fishunter rafts, they are not much money and you could power one of those with a cheaper motor.

[Vagab0nd]

As it stands I am building a platform. I have already created a hard floor for casting and what not. In the end I would like nothing more than to run the rivers and for that I know I must have oars.
I'm not 100% on the motor, it was and option presented to me.
I'll explore platforms. All I can find at the moment are NRS and they are not cheap for anything they sell.
Save a little longer I guess.

As for getting rid of the raft, not an option. I like the size, as I fish with others real estate in the water is worth more than on land:)