Need advise on shallow water bass fishing and trolling motor depths

[csilvey24]

Hi all,

I plan on joining local bass fishing tournaments here in the Alabama area in the coming months. I've been getting in a lot of bass fishing time and practice here lately. Yesterday, while on the water, there was a local tournament on the Coosa River in Etowah Co. I was watching these teams going in to these small inlets with very shallow water averaging a max of 4 feet deep and getting even shallower the closer you got to the banks in those areas. I noticed some of these teams had their outboard motors trimmed in the middle (vertical/ straight up and down) while others raised their outboard motors.

The question I have is trying to understand the best and safest method for fishing shallow waters like this. I have a 2021 Nitro Z17 Pro XS CT with a 45" Minn Kota Ultrex 112 iPilot-Link with the built in side and down imaging transducer. I also have the Mega 360 imaging mounted to it which does allow me to see hidden obstacles all around me that may not be visible to the naked eye. What depth should I consider setting my trolling motor to if I plan on fishing shallow a lot? I'll need to get into areas like this to find the bass when they are spawning, etc. Should the bottom trolling motor be even with the outboard lower unit fin, lower than the fin, above the fin, or even with my side and down imaging transducer that is mounted at the stern of the boat? I'm trying to consider all factors, such as not damaging the fiberglass where the trolling motor is mounted, the trolling motor itself and its built in transducers, the bottom/hull of the boat, and the motor/transom should I hit something hard.

I'm sure there are a ton of bass fishing tournament guys with a lot of experience in this forum and I could really use your advice on figuring out how you safely navigate shallow areas like that when fishing while minimizing the risks to your boat. I do understand that something should take the impact if it is bound to happen, other than the hull of the boat, should you encounter something hidden down below. Should it be the lower unit or the trolling motor? What have you found to be the best method for shallow water fishing?

Hopefully what I'm asking is made sense. If there is something else I haven't considered please let me know.

Thanks in advance for any valuable insights that I can use for shallow fishing!

[yupitsme]

There is no correlation between the trolling motor and the outboard engine. Run the trolling motor as high as you need to to navigate the shallow water. With the outboard trimmed up the bottom of the boat will tell you when you've gotten as shallow as your going to get.

[bobcoy]

More than likely the straight up motors had a jackplate they were lifting the motor with

[csilvey24]

There is no correlation between the trolling motor and the outboard engine. Run the trolling motor as high as you need to to navigate the shallow water. With the outboard trimmed up the bottom of the boat will tell you when you've gotten as shallow as your going to get.

Interesting, thank you! I would have never guessed that the common approach was to let the bottom of the boat take any accidental hits while trolling.

More than likely the straight up motors had a jackplate they were lifting the motor with

Ahhh, you are absolutely right. I forgot about the jackplate. Unfortunately mine did not come with that.

[xxstang90]

Look into push poles as well, any telescopic rod with some meat on it will prob suffice. If you get your boat stuck you'll either need some kind of "push pole" or get out and push the boat by hand (not recommended).

[yupitsme]

Originally Posted by yupitsme
There is no correlation between the trolling motor and the outboard engine. Run the trolling motor as high as you need to to navigate the shallow water. With the outboard trimmed up the bottom of the boat will tell you when you've gotten as shallow as your going to get.



"Interesting, thank you! I would have never guessed that the common approach was to let the bottom of the boat take any accidental hits while trolling."

There's nothing mystical nor magical about fishing shallow. You have choices. Run the trolling motor deep and let it take the impact. Trim down the gas engine and let it take the impact. Or trim/tilt up the gas engine, raise the trolling motor and let the bottom of the boat take the impact. Since you can't raise the bottom of the boat it, the bottom of the boat, becomes your absolute limiting factor when fishing shallow. Don't want the bottom of the boat to rub the bottom of the lake - don't fish shallow.