Unofficial TURBO Prop? | Speed Boost Your Old Town Sportsman Autopilot Fishing Kayak

On this episode of Top Gear Kayak Fishing, Chris Castro discusses installing an alternative "Turbo Prop" for a speed boost on your Sportsman Autopilot fishing kayak.
Links to parts:
Washers: amzn.to/2HVRodn
Props: www.apcprop.com/product/10x4p...
#OldTownKayak #AutopilotKayak #KayakFishing #NextLevelFishingTV #TurboProp #SpeedBoost

[@jelly_fishing]

Great stuff !! Any concerns with long term use ?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Man great question! So here are my thoughts since I don’t fully understand the way programming works on this Minn Kota. If the programming isn’t working any harder then I’m gonna say we shouldn’t have any issues, although if the system is increasing revolution due to the lack of water displacement, then yes we could have problems down the line with longevity. It’s a question I’m going to find out, and a risk I’ll take to see if it’s plausible for anyone else to try. Thanks for the great question Pablo!

[@jjpope1144]

Model airplane guys are concerned with balancing props after making modifications so that both blades weigh the same to avoid vibrations when spinning at high rpm’s. Great hack- thanks for sharing!

[@MSmith-jf5wo]

Thinking about getting the 120 Autopilot this Spring (have a Titan now, and my legs are GREAT after 4 years!). Haha! Now that you have shown a prop replacement for the Autopilot, I might just have to get a Lithium Battery to go along with the new 'Yak! Where I mostly fish, it is "Stump City", so the $4 Buck props sounds Great...!

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

It's not a bad deal at all! Would love an aluminum one fabricated but I'll have to do a bit of asking around. Hope you enjoy the AP 120, such fun kayaks man.

[@paulc1905]

I did this a few months back and always had issues with the prop getting stuck when trying to dock..... I trimmed it as well... I took it off after I snapped it on the Brazos River......BTW the speeds were awesome..... I have the 106 mk

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Yea this prop is definitely not as rugged. Probably a good thing for not damaging anything, but a bad thing if you are in and around structure. With a significant battery increase I plan on keeping both on me just in case I run into issues. Question: what speeds did you get on your MK?

[@paulc1905]

@@NextLevelFishingTV with the new prop 4.66 and 4.03 with old prop.

[@Cooklo5970]

how many lb's of thrust does the motor come with on the 106 mk?

[@briandalton7671]

45​@@Cooklo5970

[@hookgrabventures7469]

I got me some and I love those apc props

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Awesome!

[@Andy-df5fj]

Trolling motor props are designed to prevent weeds from wrapping up around the motor. That feature costs performance, but it's absolutely worth it when you encounter weeds.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

I agree!

[@user-sr2pm8vs2o]

Having been in the RC world for some time, is the APC that your using a "pusher variant" as the slot in the back would mean it's actually running backwards which does work but is also the least efficient way.

[@user-sr2pm8vs2o]

Also you can get smaller dimensions i.e 9.5x 5 this would obviously make the clearance issue a non problem and maybe go up a pitch to 9.5x6 to of set the smaller diameter

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Sport Pusher. Left Hand Rotation. For smaller shaft sizes. This propeller works well on Electric Powered KAYAKS. www.apcprop.com/product/10x4p-lh/

[@coronagyrl25]

I currently use the airplane prop, though speed is not important since our lakes aren't that big. Does prop size make a difference in cutting through weeds?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

If you have grass issues stick with the original prop. It cuts way better.

[@bettyanneblack8633]

How does that hold up when you hit rocks...Thinking about it in the river..Thanks.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

It’s a thinner blade so I couldn’t imagine it being stronger than the original. The blades alone are only 3.95 so it’s worth a shot I’d say. One thing is for sure…you’ll be faster.

[@richardsanchezjr.2273]

This is pretty interesting. How does the change in prop effect your spot-lock?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Works great man, seems just as responsive and I noticed a nice increase in battery life.

[@richardsanchezjr.2273]

@@NextLevelFishingTV No way! Too many positives hahaha jk That is a great investment.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

@@richardsanchezjr.2273 not bad at all man, the blades are only 3.95 a piece. I got a couple for insurance and will hold the original on me just in case I blow something 😂

[@joeys7519]

Richard great question my brotha

[@dbraski]

I have the AP 136 and I could not dock because the blade kept getting stuck even after trimming it like you suggested. How are you able to use it?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Don’t have that issue but you will if it’s too long. Line up your original prop and be sure it’s the same length.

[@BassKing916]

I’m having the same issue. The problem Is the original prop is much thicker so it turns more when lifted while the APC is less because it’s thin. I already shaved off 3/4“ and still binds when lifted

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

I’ve had this conversation with many folks in the past. I think humanity has a good grip on prop design, although if I can get this type of speed increase, should we be focusing a little more on putting the right prop for the right job? … or am I just going crazy? 😜

[@noyopacific]

I think that prop design involves compromising between various factors to get the result that best meets the application. Let's say that trolling motor design factors are #1 motor / shaft RPM #2 maximum boat speed, #3 static thrust, & #4 electrical load (amps.) Let's assume that we aren't going to be able to change the shaft RPM range and we will accept the motors the way they are made. If maximum boat speed is our goal, the prop size and pitch (as well as blade width and whatever factors could be changed) differences can be observed on a particular boat. Static thrust is useful for maneuvering the boat at very low speeds. This could be tested by tying the boat to a dock with a means to measure the pulling force at various power settings. I would guess that the standard prop will produce the highest static thrust. The type of boat being tested shouldn't make much difference because it won't actually be moving (unless the tiller is swung.) The last factor is electrical load. I have read that the OEM prop is made to operate within the design electrical load limits of the motors. A steeper pitched pro might have the ability to deliver a higher speed but could result in a higher electrical load than the motor is designed to operate under. I've thought about messing with this some myself. To do this I'd want to put an amp meter on the electrical line so I am able to keep the load within the design limits.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

@@noyopacific interesting stuff here noyo! Thanks for breaking this down for us. 💪

[@TheHemiphil81]

Im going to do that to my minn kota 106.

[@EthanPriceOutdoors]

cool!

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

We’ll see how long it lasts!! Thanks for tuning in Ethan 👊

[@Tmfndlb]

Do you think the ap drafts shallower than the predator. Thinking about picking one up for fly. It would like a little self poling skiff

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

I feel like it does because of the “w-shaped” hull and with its much larger weight capacity it just sits much higher. I’ll do more test of this in the future.

[@edwin6709]

Chiiiiiiihoooooo time to upgrade me prop!

[@deannorton1124]

How much does the rpm increase? Doesn’t that wear out the motor brushes sooner?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

I suspect an rpm increase but I could be wrong.

[@opuntina]

I wonder if we can get a toroidal prop on one of these?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

There’s enough data to back a toroidal prop, but I’m not sure how much more efficient it is at lower RPM’s.

[@richpleiss1864]

Seems like that prop could get jammed up into weeds more easily. What has been yo u r experience with weedy areas?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

If you are dealing with heavy grass you’ll have to clean it for sure every so often. Light grass you’ll have no issues.

[@jonnyspeed]

What did you say at the end? What got you to 6mph?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

“Close to 6mph” I’m able to achieve upper 5mph speeds with both Bixpy Jet and motor maxed

[@orlandoharmon4738]

Any changes in spot lock?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

@@orlandoharmon4738 none, still working good.

[@Obxhatman]

I bought the exact prop linked, modified it as was instructed in the video. Put it on and went out to Rodanthe sound, went 5 feet forward and the wind and waves pushed me backwards at a speed of 10. I can say this definately does not work in any windy conditions, we were in 15 mph winds. The main reason is that the blade is too thin. You do not get the nessasary thrust for forward propulsion. Very little surface area. While this may work better in low wind environments, it's not for sound use with winds over 10 mph.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

Interesting, I’ll have to pay attention to this. I’ve been in a few 25-30mph wind situations and haven’t noticed any immediate lack of performance, but will run some electronics to test it. Thanks for the info

[@Broxty]

No shit, Sherlock.

[@crazyobservations3080]

I wonder how it holds up when you blast a rock with it?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

will probably chip i'm sure depending on how it hits.

[@markskibo5159]

AHH Yes performance ok nice , I need range!!! What say you. Thanks Great movies

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

I've been pretty happy with the range of a 100AH battery.

[@arnoldlueders7500]

Why do you need the washers? Can't you just use what came with the other prop?

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

The assembly thickness between the minnkota prop and the model airplane is slightly different. The washers will makeup for that.

[@garygerard4290]

'why trim it? but OK. What about you put it on the motor then mount the motor on the work bench or in a vise, 'then mount your Dremel and you'll be able to cut the same amount off each side of the blade.

[@NextLevelFishingTV]

The blade gets damaged quickly if we don’t trim it when releasing the drive. As for my technique, yea that could use some work.

[@edgars00789]

I wish I could win a old Town autopilot 120 so I can complete my mission in saving our beautiful waterways universe to pick up Trash and to keep it clean. Please can you help me win one please

[@XploreAz]

I think your best bet would be to get a job and buy one yourself. It's been a year since you made this comment. Hopefully you saved up some money to buy your own instead of holding out hope of winning one.