Trolling motor length

[mr.jadkowski]

I got a sweet deal on a trolling motor and battery, but the shaft is WAY too long. I think it might be a 40" shaft. The internet leads me to believe that shortening the shaft is a relatively easy job, but I'm wondering how short I should make it? I have the original (I think) retractable motor mount on the transom. How deep does the motor pod need to be to run efficiently?

[JTMeissner]

I have used two different trolling motors on my CP-16, one with a 36" shaft, and more recently, a 30" shaft (more power and saltwater vs fresh rated).

With the longer shaft, I did not need to lower the outboard bracket to use.  After turning the motor's tiller, I just needed to tilt it all the way up and the prop would stay out of the water. The longer shaft motor is what can be seen in my avatar photo.

With the loss of six inches, I do use the drop function on the bracket to keep the prop deep enough for the newer motor.  Still need to raise and tilt the motor when not in use.  A nice feature of the trolling motors is that you can just raise the whole motor in its clamp and not tilt it to manage depth, which can keep the tiller handle from coming into the cockpit.

So, not really an answer, but what has been used here.  In calm water, the motor doesn't need to be too deep, normally just used for getting in and out from dock/ramp at low speed.  Usually not cruising around via the motor.  When things get rougher, the deeper prop will better manage rolls and swells.

-Justin