freshwater trolling motor is saltwater

[mazzgolf]

I have a Minn Kota freshwater trolling motor . I'm thinking I would like to hit some of the salt marshes. Doing some searches on line, I hear people say don't worry about it. I also read some suggested buying one of these sacrificial anodes that you use with the prop: https://www.amazon.com/Minn-Kota-Sacrificial-Anode-Replacement/dp/B000E8BJKI

Anyone here with experience?  Thoughts?

[bucky]

It wont last saltwater is brutal

[MZ7Extreme]

Brackish water it's fine Saltwater is pretty rough, just rinse your trolling motor off well.

[Lunatic]

Salt will eat all metal components on your motor. It will not last long

[MZ7Extreme]

12 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

Salt will eat all metal components on your motor. It will not last long

Not if only used once for a short time, but yes prolonged use and multiple times it will begin to corrode it.

 

[Lunatic]

Just now, MZ7Extreme said:

Not if only used once for a short time, but yes prolonged use and multiple times it will begin to corrode it.

 

I hope you right but it only takes little salt to get inside some component you can't clean and it will destroy it.

[MZ7Extreme]

Just now, Lunatic said:

I hope you right but it only takes little salt to get inside some component you can't clean and it will destroy it.

The reason I said what I said is that I fish the lower hudson and the upper chesapeake bay and both are brackish with no issues. (I have a Fortrexx)

There were times I had Bluefish eat my topwater bait because the South winds blue the saltwater line way up in the chesapeake bay.

Hell I remember one year I saw Blue claws up near the Catskills, I was fishin a BFL tournament.

[Lunatic]

12 minutes ago, MZ7Extreme said:

The reason I said what I said is that I fish the lower hudson and the upper chesapeake bay and both are brackish with no issues. (I have a Fortrexx)

There were times I had Bluefish eat my topwater bait because the South winds blue the saltwater line way up in the chesapeake bay.

Hell I remember one year I saw Blue claws up near the Catskills, I was fishin a BFL tournament.

I can't argue with that since I never used fresh water motor in salt.
I just lived all my life on the beach, and I see what salt water does to everything near it.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Lunatic

[MZ7Extreme]

5 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

I can't argue with that since I never used salt water motor in salt.
I just lived all my life on the beach, and I see what salt water does to everything near it.

Oh I agree if he doesnt wash it off and uses it for a long period 9f time it will kill that thing.

When I had a sw boat I flushed the engine after every use and rinsed it off.

[mazzgolf]

I should say - I wouldn't be using this motor all the time in saltwater. I haven't even used this trolling motor more than twice this past year just to go fishing with it in a local freshwater lake. I doubt I would make more than a couple saltwater trips - if I go a half dozen times in brackish/salt water in a year, that would be a lot.

I bring it up because a friend invited me on a coastal duck hunting trip yesterday and I had a great time. Some of these places around the shore in the salt marshes or around some of the backwaters I'm positive I would be able to launch my 12' sneakboat and use it for a solo morning waterfowl hunt if I ever want to go myself. But I don't want to have to buy another trolling motor special for saltwater.

[Kype]

I rebuild pumps for a living. Trust me when I say saltwater is a killer to electric motors. Your best bet is install annodes. That will give you time. But check and replace the annodes every other month. Remember to use all stainless hardware when fastening the annodes to anything. 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Kype

[Rdfhunter]

I’d be more afraid of the current killing your battery and sweeping you  away . The creeks get really fast with all the rain we have had .