While I have never put a trolling motor on a kayak myself, I would second the opinion that a 24 volt motor would be overkill on a kayak. I've had numerous fishing boats with trolling motors (both 12 and 24 volts) and 12 volt TMs are the standard on smaller boats in the 16 foot range, and these boats certainly weigh a lot more than your PA17. Going to a 24 volt motor will be more costly, adds more weight from the second battery, and will require a more expensive charger. Bottom line, I don't see much needed benefit from such an upgrade.

The 24 volt is far from overkill. Keep in mind Minn Kota is looking at a chart they based on weight of the boat. This "chart" is designed for a trolling motor on a motor powered boat not the only means of power on a boat. I do agree the 50AH will not be enough. You need the 100AH. Lifepo4 is the way to go. You have a big investment already. Don't skimp on the most important part- the battery.

I am not trying to skimp anywhere at all regarding $$. There is just nowhere to put 2 batteries to get 100Ah for 24v. There is a dedicated spot on the PA17 for a battery behind the back seat and it only fits 1 battery. That is why I stated either 12v 100Ah or 24v 50Ah. I calculated that if I mostly use around speed 3-4 then which is around 3-6 amps, then I should get around ~8 hours with the 24v set up. Still deciding which way to go tho. Wish I had more input from people who tried this.

Hey everyone! I have a PA17t and am looking to outfit it with a trolling motor for the upcoming season. I was initially going with a 12v but then every forum I read said to absolutely go with 24v if the $$ allows for it. So I decided I will go with a 24v (80lb thrust) and called Minnkota to ask a few questions. I was left with even more uncertainty after getting off the phone. They said 24v is overkill for a kayak and doing a 24v 50aH lithium battery wasn’t sufficient enough to get good run time as they recommend at least 100aH. The battery box slot is only good for 1 battery on the kayak so I am not sure where a second battery would go.

Can anyone give any insight on whether to go 12v or 24v? Anyone have personal experience with this? Would greatly appreciate some good input. Thanks!

have you considered a torqueedo ultralight?
designed for kayaks
note the spacing of the 4 mounting screws and pictures

https://www.torqeedo.com/us/en-us/produ ... ultralight

Let us know which direction you go. Always interested in feedback on TM systems.

More power will not equal more speed on a kayak. The pitch of most trolling motor props is set to move boats that weigh much more than any kayak. Now if you could obtain a prop with greater pitch, you might be able to make use of more power/thrust. I all the work we did early on with trolling motors, we never found much speed difference between 12 and 24 volt systems, nor from 18 to 45lb thrust motors. The larger motors just drained the battery quicker.

Most trolling motors of any size on a kayak are going to net you a top sustained top speed of from 3 to 4 knots. More battery will simply give you longer run times.