ASCEND FISHING KAYAK TROLLING MOTOR SETUP! Complete walkthrough battery and PWM.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Since I’ve made this video, I realize that the wiring was too thin for the draw. Please use 6 to 10 AWG wire.

[@MostlyPosative-nj5ex]

Length of wire matters. If you’re going to extend your trolling motor wiring you should get a larger diameter wire (lower gauge) to avoid losses and heat building up from pulling high current through it.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Agreed I since upgraded to a bigger wire, a.k.a. smaller gauge, and probably could go two step smaller. I think that comment is pinned for anybody that is looking to use this as a basis for their set up.

[@44wolfpacker]

A tip for getting the wire through the tube without making any cuts: use a vacuum (or your lungs) to suck the end of some yarn through the tubing. Tie the end of the yarn to the wire and pull the wire through. Learned this from an electrician friend of mine

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

That is an awesome idea

[@Lethallead138]

Great job on the build! It helped me with mine as well. Thanks for taking the time and being thorough.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

No problem 👍. I’ve made some upgrades since then sae ports etc. let me know if you ever have any?s

[@THCBLADEWORKS]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[@truckerclint7028]

Nice work. I’ve been talking to Kevin Dismuke about purchasing one of his. I finally get to fish again this weekend. We finished end of quarter. Was a tough one.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

will be heading out tommorrow

[@truckerclint7028]

@@TiggsTailsFishing dang. I just now saw your reply. Oh well. Turns out I went back under 35 and didn’t stay long. The algae was horrible.

[@greghidalgo3521]

I am in Austin as well and just got a 12T with trolling motor and wanted to connect with you to see what I need

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Yeah, I’m visiting Houston right now. Can I get back to you here in a minute?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I would definitely recommend some upgrades from what you see on the video so hold tight and when I have some time, I will let you know

[@greghidalgo3521]

@@TiggsTailsFishing no worries for sure, take your time no rush.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Yeah, I’m celebrating my nephews graduation. If I have some time, I’ll holler back at you.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

What questions do you have so I can get to start thinking about them

[@bryangardner4370]

Trying to finish up my mods , steering and I want to add a safety cut off. All the ones I can find are N/O and are meant to ground the coil on a fueled motor. Obviously backwards for this application. any thoughts?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I’ve been looking for one as well and it’s been rather difficult

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The one I found that I liked was discontinued for safety reasons I think

[@bryangardner4370]

Well beans...I will have to use the fuse yank that another youtuber does, this will be a temporary adaptation as I want a refined solution. Thanks for the reply , tight lines, dry pants.

[@Texasfishingfamily]

on running the wire through the tubing. Get a slim weight and some braided line and drop the weight down the tube then use the line to pull the wires through.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Great tip! Thanks brotha!

[@krisrosano]

Awesome video.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Thank you. I just Upgraded all my wiring and added Sae ports. But this video is a great foundation for putting the trolling motor and battery together. If you have any questions Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I’ll probably be doing a walk-through video of the new upgrades and the kayak in general soon

[@stickeythumb9741]

Love the video helps alot

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I’m glad it did. That’s why I made it. I struggled putting this thing together.

[@crazyobservations3080]

4 wire dryer cable. It has 4, 50 amp wires in it. Wont get hot under load.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Love it thanks for the tip

[@noneyabusiness4555]

Hey man great tutorial…. can you send me or add the link or name for that pwm box you’re using? Is it waterproof?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

So far it’s been pretty waterproof. It’s an art box from Hobby lobby. Don’t have the link right now.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I’ll try to get it for you after I get back from work

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Oh, and just to let you know, I also upgraded the wires to a 10 gauge since that video is posted

[@noneyabusiness4555]

@@TiggsTailsFishing awesome just let me know, thank you!

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

None Ya Business www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Storage-Organization/Storage/Project-Box/p/80902345

[@hblocalfishermansanchez195]

Hey brotha im trying to do the same thing but put a 3.0hp outboard motor thing it would hold im 172lbs outboard probably 30lbs more you think even if it stays on from the movement of the boat you thing i would make the bolts loose because of the weight of the motor ??? Please help any advise

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

What kind of kayak do you have? I’ve never tried this, so I’m not sure I can give you an answer directly. There is a guy on KZbin that has tried it though. But it seems to weigh down the back of the kayak. That’s why I’m asking. What kind of car do you have? If you’re wanting to mount it the same way I mounted my trolling motor you’d have two supported in another way youtube.com/@AliexFolgueira?si=b1X7e2lVNv6ah7Rj this guy has some videos on it if you haven’t seen it already.

[@J5swagg]

So if your pmw fails by bypassing it all you should do is connect red to red and black to block from trolling motor to battery correct ?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Yes.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Or if you installed SAE ports in the kayak, you would need to build something to connect the two ports just in case your pwm fails

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Make sure you have some sort of failsafe just in case the PWM does go out

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

It’s happened to me

[@KansasCityBassSalayer]

I've always wonder if you could explain what percentage of battery you save if you running the trolling motor at 50% power, what are the amps drawn with and without a pwm Both running at 50%? i know at 100% power they both draw the same amount of power but the pwm its supposed to save battery so at 50% power how much power or amps are you saving, hopefully you understand what im trying to say .

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The amp draw at 50% is around 8 to 10. So if you have a 35 amp hour battery you can run nonstop at 50% for approximately 3 1/2 hours. I’ve never run it without the PWM so that Would be hard to say .I hope that helps.When I run it at 100% it draws about 17 to 20. I was just reading some things and I believe if you directly connect trolling motor to battery on a 30 pound thrust your drawing close to 30 A at 100 % 15 A at 50 %. So there is a difference

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Rodrigo I edited my comment so double check it

[@williamjdayton]

Do I have to rewire the motor when using this or can I hook straight to the power wires coming from it?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Straight to it. The minnkota endura in the vid has 14 gauge wire. In the vid I matched it w 14 gauge. But honestly I would run a 12 or 10 gauge so the wire can handle more heat. I called minnkota and asked why they install 14 gauge and didn’t really have an answer. They recommend 10 gauge for wiring the motor to battery. I run 12 and haven’t had any probs. Feel free to message me back if you have any more questions. I know it can be a bit much.

[@williamjdayton]

@@TiggsTailsFishing OK so that's telling me I have a bad pwm..everything hooked up just doesn't power the motor

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

@@williamjdayton Make sure you check the specs of the PWM on the website you bought it at. Make sure the ins and outs are matching. The PWM itself can be hard to read. In from battery out to motor

[@oakgarage3834]

Awesome video, How did you wired the wires coming from the trolling motor head to the 7 pin connector? And also from the 7 pin to the 2 wires?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Firstly thank you very much. I just took the positive and the negative from the trolling motor and wire them to two of the seven pins. You just have to make sure you match them to the receiver pins. I marked where I hook the wires up from the trolling motor with a marker and made marks on the receiver as well to make sure they were lined up. I hope that helps if not hit me up again

[@oakgarage3834]

@@TiggsTailsFishing hey no problem! Also thanks for the super fast reply! But just curious on why you end up using the 7 pin connect instead of a 2 pin connector?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Because I’m impatient and that’s what was available at the store I was at

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

😂

[@oakgarage3834]

@@TiggsTailsFishing oh ok make sense lol, thanks for the reply’s and tight lines!

[@josenarvaez5338]

How’s the pwm been working with ou a fan? Doesn’t get hot?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

I have 2 small computer fans on it

[@piratadasmoitas]

Hi, can you tell me how you monut the fans, the connections? Thnk you very much

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The fans were housed in the plastic container I bought there were little slots but now I just tape them directly to the PWM

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

They are wired to the battery in positive and negative on the PWM

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

If you want them constantly running if you want them to increase speed then you hook them up to the motor out on the PWM

[@piratadasmoitas]

@@TiggsTailsFishing hello, tell me something, if i want the fan to be activated when i turn the pmw knob to motor speed where do i have to turn the fan on? red or black cable or both on the pmw at the motor site? Thanks in advance

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

If you want the fans to turn on when you turn the motor speed up you need to connect them to the motor side of the PWM. As you increase speed the blades of the fan will turn faster. But I hook them up to the battery side so they’re constantly running. In this Texas heat Iwant them going all the time

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

If you guys enjoyed this video, please share it with someone or a fishing group or community that YOU think would also enjoy it. Thanks TIGGS!

[@noneyabusiness4555]

@TiggsTailsFishing Hey man great tutorial…. can you send me or add the link or name for that pwm box you’re using? Is it waterproof?

[@inalaska1709]

Please explain how adding weight to the boat makes the motor pull more amps when you don’t change the speed setting.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

It only changes the draw when you speed up. The more weight And more speed equals more draw. I draw about 14 A with me and fully loaded gear at 100% power. Please let me know if you have any other questions I hope this helped. if not message me again

[@inalaska1709]

@@TiggsTailsFishing ok just a bit of confusion. Adding weight doesn’t effect the motor draw at all, only the speed of the boat at a given power setting.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Weight and speed

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The more the motor has to work the more you’re going to have it draw. So weight plus speed equals more draw.

[@inalaska1709]

@@TiggsTailsFishing adding weight will only effect the draw if you increase power. If you’re running the motor at 100% and you add 100 pounds more weight the draw won’t change

[@wskerber]

Any chance that you could provide an update on how this is working out after 1-2 years? Are you still using it as you set it up in this video? Is there anything that you would do differently today? It looks like in current videos that you are running a bow mount trolling motor. Can you also give thoughts on bow mount vs transom mount? Thanks!

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The setup is the same plus a few upgrades. I increased the gauge of the wire size. I would recommend a 10 even thought the wire from the trolling motor is 14. Idk why they did that. I called minnkota and they recommended the 10 also especially since the wire travels a good distance to the front. Battery upgrade to a lithium for sure. Spending money is worth it in the LONG HAUL if you plan to have the kayak for an extended period of time. Lighter weight more speed. I would also upgrade the box to a smaller size so it could be mounted closer to me. I also upgraded the ports and plugs. Also I would recommend make a short wire set up to directly connect the battery to the trolling motor if the pwm fails so you would still have power to get back. I upgraded to an old town autopilot for my birthday. Much more streamlined. I still use the ascend when I take friends out. The bow mount would be good too. But would probably need a remote as opposed to using the foot pedal system. Hope this helps. Hit me up if you have any other questions.

[@wskerber]

@@TiggsTailsFishing Thanks for the quick and thorough response. I'm planning on adding a TM to my Native Slayer Max this year. Probably going to go with a transom mount TM setup like you did in this video with a Lithium battery. This helps work out all the pieces and parts that one needs to consider. Thanks again!!

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

@@wskerber my pleasure.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

@@wskerber twist lock plugs.

[@asdfkhieee]

Don't cut your tubing. Grab a piece of string, run it through, just drop it through or blow it through. Tie an end to your wires and pull. We use this trick extending the wiring for ape hangers on motorcycles all the time.

[@MrDoItAll91]

How are you liking that battery so far? I’ve looked at it and love the price!! I just recently (last month) built my kayak the same exact way with the same exact PWM. For now I have an old wheel chair battery. Looking at the Mighty Max 12v 35ah battery

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

+Countryboycreekfishing 10 Sorry I got back to you so late. I work evenings. The battery is great. For the price. And now bought another and I am running them parallel in circuit to get a longer run time.

[@MrDoItAll91]

@@TiggsTailsFishing sold!! I’ll get it ordered in a few! Thanks man. Appreciate the input! I too work evenings 😉 gotta love it right!! I did a review on my motorized kayak with PWM, check it out if you get a fee 8 mins. That’s again bro

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Done! Nice setup!

[@MrDoItAll91]

@@TiggsTailsFishing thanks dude 🙏🏾

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Oh I almost forgot You can use the link in my video to purchase the batteries and you’d help out my channel. Thanks again for watching

[@davidcarpenter4613]

where is the cutout if you fall out of the kayak?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Yeah, never did get around installing that Woopsie

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

“Aksmaniyak” has a video on it. He’s very good with wiring and PWM’s. You can check him out. Also I appreciate you watching.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKiueXprZ7lsY8Usi=htthWpV6CQJQup6c

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

You could also buy a Killswitch and mount it Into the side of the kayak, where the wires are running underneath cut the red wire connect it between the Killswitch prongs and then you could have it that way so you don’t have to mess with the PWM

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Here’s a link for that set up. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYbOdYunnsSHl80si=H2gx1qKNtdN_1unh I hope this helps

[@FlatsFisher73]

Hey brother, I got a question for you I’m in the middle of doing mine right now my perception, outlaw, 11.5 and I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth buying all the electronics or just use the potentiometer that’s out of the trolling motor head they say you lose a little bit of power through heat through this, but is it enough to have to go through and build a complete electronic box, I am leaning more towards the factory one out of the head. What is your thoughts?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The benefit of a potentiometer is that mid range speeds will give you better battery life. But if you’re maxing it out pretty often it’s really not necessary because at top speed, The potentiometer is not saving you anything. The factory potentiometer will give you a constant draw most likely 30 A if you’re using an endura 30 something like that. if you have any other questions, let me know because I know there can be a lot when doing this build. If you have 100 amp hour battery, the factory would be fine. i’ve also run close to seven hours on 2 35amp power batteries.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Hey, also if you didn’t see the pinned comment, I would definitely beef up the wires to a ten gauge

[@chrischase6731]

Why didn't you bring your steering down close to the kayak instead of so high up?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

You mean the Paracord?

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The steering sits lower in the water. In the garage it sits high cause it has nowhere to go.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Oh I see what you mean yeah I guess I could drop that thanks for the tip

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Dropping those pins down would also affect the depth it can go.

[@chrischase6731]

@@TiggsTailsFishing Set the motor barely below the bottom and adjust accordingly. That's what I did to mine. Good job

[@craigdickerson9706]

14 awg is too small to run your wire thet distance. You need 10 awg or risk burning something up.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

Agreed I’ve since upgraded. I will leave a pinned comment with that adjustment. Thank you.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

The funny thing is the wire coming out of the trolling motor is 14 AWG

[@jarrodpitts5632]

there are a few things wrong in this video. first off 14 gauge wire is only rated for 15 amps. that trolling motor can pull as high as 30 amps... thats a fire waiting to happen. second there is no way your amp draw is only 3.4 amps at full speed... your meter likely isnt working right.

[@TiggsTailsFishing]

You are correct. Even though I’ve never had an issue with the wires I have beefed them up. And the draw was incorrect yes. Especially since it wasn’t in the water with drag. Thanks for the correction.