Trolling on magnets, you might say. Legendary product innovator and GPS pioneer Garmin is bringing the technology of permanent-magnet brushless motors to the outdoor recreation world of fishing with an extensive line of trolling motors. Through a variety of designs, they provide quiet, electric propulsion and positioning for anglers working from kayaks to larger sports watercraft.
In July, Garmin expanded its series of Force Kraken trolling motors with a model sporting a shaft length of 110 inches – its longest yet — ideal for coastal boats like large center consoles, as shown above. Kraken is engineered with a pivot-style mount for easy installation where bow space is limited and offers anglers considerable power, advanced precision and wireless chartplotter integration.
Kraken’s brushless permanent-magnet motor uses a high-efficiency propeller to produce 100 pounds of thrust on a 36-volt system or 80 pounds on a 24-volt system. With longer run times than brushed motors, it can be counted on all day so there’s more time to focus on fishing, not running out of battery. Typically, brushless DC motors use permanent magnets mounted on the rotor to create a rotating magnetic field with electromagnets located on the stationary stator. The electronic controller switches the magnetic fields from the stator coil, interacting with the rotor’s permanent magnets to generate torque and cause rotation.
Reverse thrust control allows anglers to quickly shift into reverse to control their boat without spinning the motor around. They can navigate from anywhere in the boat with the included wireless remote and, as you might expect, it can interface with a compatible Garmin smartwatch to wirelessly connect to Kraken to control steering, anchor lock and more, right from the wrist.
Also in July, Garmin launched the Force Current kayak trolling motor featuring a hands-free propulsion system so anglers can focus on their fishing. Delivering the company’s Force performance, it features a brushless motor purpose-built for kayak anglers with full forward and reverse thrust that makes it easy to navigate in any direction, weave through tight timber, turn in a tight circle, sneak along shorelines or creep through weed beds while fishing.
This spring Garmin introduced its new generation of Force Pro trolling motors combining their signature power with improved anchor lock performance and the innovative reverse thrust control, all integrated with the company’s latest GPS positioning technology.
Force Pro is also features built-in sonar integration with an included GT56UHD, Garmin’s premium all-in-one scanning transducer that delivers high-definition sonar along with traditional sonar for brilliant image clarity of structure and fish below and to the sides of the boat. See www.garmin.com/marine.
