Bow Rail & Bow Mounted Trolling Motor..Can They Co-Exist??

[Timagination]

My '04 190 Bay came with the factory bow rail, which I like a lot. I'm going to have various family members out on the boat frequently, and this railing seems to offer a comfortable degree of security up front. However, after only a handful of trips out I know that I have to have a trolling motor to fish the coastal rivers around here.

It doesn't look like there's going to be sufficient clearance between the bow rail and the deck to allow installation of most of the motors I'm looking at but I may be wrong. With the motor in the vertical, deployed position it looks like they may fit, but I wonder about the mechanics of deploying/ stowing the thing. This sorta bums me out because the motors that have the wireless steering option are all bow mounted.

I haven't checked yet to see whether or not I have the 13" of water above the cavitation plate on my 115 Yamaha that the outboard-mounted units seem to universally require.......if I do in fact have that much room, I'm considering one of those units.....24v and 64lbs thrust.

The other options are the "traditional" styled transom mounted....tiller operated motors or the way expensive Lenco trim-tab trolling motor combos. The latter, besides being the most expensive way to go, would, I fear, force the removal of the aft swim platform but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Anyway, I think that I'll probably end up with the transom-mounded "traditional" motor and the posts that I've searched don't seem to have much info about these particular units concerning shaft length and required power. Any enlightenment available is appreciated.....

[Putershark]

Another option would be to take the boat to a local welding shop and have them re-work and re-mount the bow rail and to cut out the section the bow mounted trolling motor would need to use. This or have a new low bow rail made (if you must have one) and mounted inside the casting deck much like the low bow rail on the 210/215.

Now I don't have any rails on my boat (console only) and don't have a need for them and usually find that they only get in the way when trying to either get off the boat at the dock, or trying to reach over one to grab a fish .

[ReelDive]

Was thinking of removing mine. They might make it easyer to roll of the front in full dive gear. now you have to squeeze your but between the bow rail and the side rail. Not as easy for some as for others. I'm one of those others. I usually throw my rig (BC, reg and tank) overboard on a gear line and don it in the water.

I do like the bow rail when standing on the casting deck while flats fishing though. Gives me a false sense of security I supose.
The side rails are expendable though. Haven't got around to removeing them yet.

[Dick@merrittmarine]

We have installed a couple of power drive trolling motors on 186/190 bay boat's with a bow rail, by moving the bow rail aft approx. 3", installing the trolling motor bracket and trolling motor, check all clearances before reinstalling the bow rail.

Dick

[Putershark]

That is a very cool idea Dick!
I guess if you have to have a bow rail installed with a trolling motor, that is your most cost effective way of having both for sure