Trolling motors have come a long way in the 90 years since O.G. Schmidt used the starter from a Model A Ford to build the first in his garage, located near the border between Minnesota and North Dakota.
That company became Minn Kota, of course, and spawned a number of other names now widely known among anglers: Garmin, Lowrance, MotorGuide, Power-Pole and Rhodan.
The 2024 crop is especially significant because many motors have made a quantum engineering leap to produce more power on less current. They’re “brushless” motors, greatly reducing friction and thus adding efficiency. They’re quieter and last much longer than traditional designs. Bass, muskie and walleye anglers will find they can fish multiple days without recharging, especially if they team the new motors with high-output, lightweight lithium-based batteries.
Many of the new motors are also
