I've been going back and forth in my mind with this question for a couple weeks now, and I'd appreciate some feedback. I apologize for the length of the post but I want to make sure to cover everything. I bought a Lowrance Ghost trolling motor last Spring to put on my bass boat. I don't have updated electronics or a NEMA network, so really the only feature I specifically bought it for was the spot lock. Due to low water in our area last year I really didn't get a chance to use my boat a lot (probably a dozen days on the water, the rest of the time I was shore fishing). That said, I love the Ghost and really enjoyed the spot lock feature when I used it. Fast forward to this year and I decided over the winter months to invest in a kayak. I did this for a few reasons. First, I would be able to put in at these places that still have low water levels where I can't put my boat in (I really am not a fan of shore fishing if I don't have to). Second, I would be able to explore new water or water that I refuse to take my boat since I'm afraid of damaging it. Also, with gas prices going through the roof, it costs me a lot less in fuel to tow a kayak in the back of my truck bed versus towing a 3500 lb boat and trailer. Lastly, I fish by myself 95% of the time anymore since my dad has gotten older and just doesn't fish, and my good friend has kids that he goes fishing with in his boat, so we only get to fish together 2-3 times a year. After having the kayak out a couple times this spring I'm really enjoying it. The biggest question I had since I hadn't fished much from a kayak before was whether I'd be able to stand and fish since that's what I'm used to doing in my boat. The kayak I bought has enough stability that I can comfortably stand and fish, so that was a pleasant surprise. The one downside to the kayak is the paddling. Because it's a sit-on-top kayak it is not built for speed and it's an absolute pain in the butt to try and paddle against the wind. So now I'm thinking about getting a trolling motor for the kayak. Motorguide makes a bow-mounted kayak trolling motor that has spot lock and that's the one I'm interested in. If I sell the Ghost and replace it by buying a used Fortrex (which is what I had before the Ghost), I should have enough money left over to purchase the kayak trolling motor and possibly also buy a lithium battery for it. All of my local lakes I would take my kayak to and would have the spot lock feature. The only place I would miss the Ghost would be the handful of days a year that I fish the Mississippi River, where I still would be using my bass boat. If I keep the Ghost then next season would be the soonest I feel I would be able to afford to purchase the kayak motor. Also, if I keep the Ghost, is it really worth the money I spent on it if I'm only using it a handful of days each season? If you were in my shoes, what would you do? Anything I am missing that would help in making this choice?
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Originally Posted by Rangerdeepv
