The future of outboards ????

[Lee Borgersen]

      What's Up Outdoors - The future of outboards


By Jamie Dietman on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:00 a.m.


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The talk of the town this week has been the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Mille Lacs Lake. Once again the top anglers from all over the country are competing for the angler of the year on what has been called the best smallmouth fishery in the nation. And once again the bass guys are hammering the walleyes, but that's a whole other story.

With the big names in fishing in town also comes sponsor trailers and fishing fans coming to watch their favorite angler weigh in. But another thing that the top fisherman rely on is technology, from new lure design to locators with amazing views. And another new piece of equipment was also in town.

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 I got to meet up with Troy Linder and the guys from Pure Watercraft, who came all the way from Washington to show off their new electric outboard. Troy, who has actually been competing in bass tournaments with this motor, took me out for a test drive. The first thing I noticed was the sound, or lack of sound. The 16-foot Lund boat was equipped with a 40-hp motor. The electric motor and lithium batteries were no slouch. The take off was way more powerful than I ever expected and with six to eight hours of average use between charges they will definitely be making waves in the marine industry. There was quite a gathering of people around the access when we were out testing it—even the pros had to stop and see what all the hype was.

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It's pretty cool to know I was one of the few people ever to go over 25 mph with an electric motor. I know it's not crazy fast but I think this is the beginning of the future and we will see some really cool advances in years to come. Not having to buy gas and oil all the time, that's something to think about.

JAMIE DIETMAN, What's Up Outdoors, may be reached at 218-820-7757.



Pure Watercraft's electric outboard motor is showcased on Mille Lacs Lake during this week's Bassmaster Elite Series tournament. Photo by Jamie Dietman

         


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[Gunner55]

Are extra batteries needed to run these? I would think so. How many? What do they weigh? How much room do they take up?

[Rebel SS]

No thanks. Way up in da boonies somewhere and the batts are on low charge.....

[Bobby Bass]

No mention of the price of this little toy and the weight and space the batteries will take. 

[Steve-o]

Yes, I'd hate to get stranded with a dead battery or corroded connection.

But on the flip side, it would be a ton of fun tooling around the lake at a high rate of speed without the noise.  Actually being able to talk with someone skiing would be a blast.

Now if they could just get a battery powered turbine shrunk down to the size of a jet-ski.

[Rebel SS]

I just don't know...batteries and water...wet environment...rain....damp conditions....*ZZZT*