A good trolling motor can make a world of difference to your fishing activities. It enables you to move stealthily through the water and position your boat in the best spot so you can lure and catch more fish.
Instead of splitting your time and focus between casting reels and piloting your watercraft while dodging winds to keep it positioned correctly, you deftly and quietly navigate to where the fish are biting with less effort.
The market for trolling motors is packed with dozens of brands offering different models from hand-controlled units to electronic options that can be controlled with wireless remotes.
However, all trolling motors are not created equal. High-powered trolling motors with the best builds and most advanced feature sets are top of the food chain and cost thousands of dollars.
But if you’re determined to get the best and nothing less, we’re going to break down some of the most expensive trolling motors on the market to put on your wishlist.
Let’s begin.
Most Expensive Trolling Motors You Can Buy
1. Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 54”, 60”, 72”
- Thrust power: 80 lbs, 112 lbs
The Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra is a powerful trolling motor designed for fishing in saltwater. It’s packed with many advanced features seasoned anglers will love to take for a spin.
You get to enjoy GPS anchoring that is remarkably accurate thanks to the Riptide Ulterra’s Spot-Lock function with built-in Bluetooth connectivity.
Thanks to the integrated battery meter that accompanies the trolling motor, you’ll always have full awareness of how much power you have left, allowing you to tweak your fishing plans for the best results.
The Riptide Ulterra operates quietly so you can explore your favorite fishing destinations without worrying about scaring away the fish.
This bow-mounted trolling motor is electronically steered, so it will automatically deploy, stop, and apply as much power as necessary given the situation.
The result of not needing to reach out to start, pause, or control the trolling motor’s operations is that the Riptide Ulterra is extremely easy to use in water. All it takes to get the motor to perform any action is a click on the button of your wireless i-Pilot remote.
Minn Kota upgraded the i-Pilot remote to offer a larger LCD screen, user-friendly navigation, full motor control, enlargeable menus, and recording features so you can find and return to the best fishing spots easily.
However, the trolling motor also has a traditional foot pedal system with heel-toe controls that you can use to steer your fishing kayak when needed.
2. Lowrance Ghost Freshwater
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 47”, 52”, 60”
- Sonar included: Hdi Sonar Nosecone
- Thrust power: 120 lbs, 97 Lbs
The near-silent operation, innovative propulsion technology, and high-powered thrust of the Lowrance Ghost Freshwater make it one of the most efficient premium trolling motors.
Lowrance Ghost has received commendations for the brushless design and angler-friendly nature of its spot-lock trolling motors, which produce stronger thrusts and longer run tunes than most of its counterparts.
This freshwater motor features a configurable foot pedal, so you can place the button on the left or right side depending on your preference.
With plug-and-play Sonar, you can select the best sonar imaging technology for your fishing style and the images you generate will be clear and detailed.
You can boost efficiency and save time when fishing by programming the Lowrance Ghost Freshwater easy-access keys with your most-used functions, instead of constantly reaching down to manually regulate the solar unit.
Regardless of the weather conditions, the Lawrence Ghost Freshwater trolling motor will enable you to anchor your boat anywhere you are or any place on the map.
This way, you can fully devote your attention to finding your next catch and not worry so much about staying in position.
The Lawrence Ghost Freshwater is built to withstand impacts, automatically reposition itself, and launch and stow easily with the help of a dual-action gas spring. What’s more, it’s compatible with all types of boat brands and setups.
3. MotorGuide Tour Pro Bow-Mount
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v
- Shaft Length: 45”
- Sonar included: HD + Universal Sonar
- Thrust power: 82 lbs, 109 lbs
The MotorGuide Tour Pro has all the trappings you’d expect from expensive trolling motors such as cruise control, heading lock, anchor, and jog.
It combines a precise GPS with stainless steel pull-pull cables to ensure the steering experience is as responsive and effortless as possible.
One thing I particularly love about the MotorGuide Tour Pro is its compatibility with other popular Sonar brands. So you can use whichever one suits your needs best if the built-in version doesn’t do it for you.
You can take this trolling motor to explore waterways with thick vegetation and it’ll slice its way through the water and emerge unscathed because it’s protected by a 360° breakaway system.
MotorGuide Tour Pro also features a Zero-G Lift Assist System which promises to simplify the process of launching and retracting trolling motors. It is ideal for freshwater fishing and medium to large-sized fishing kayaks and boats.
The high-efficiency trolling motor provides a patented Bulldog locking latch system that uses distinctive launch and stow latches that grip harder in rough conditions but releases quickly on command.
4. Minn Kota Ultrex Bow Mount
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24”, 36v
- Shaft Length: 45”, 52”. 60”
- Sonar included: Hdi Sonar Nosecone
- Thrust power: 112 lbs
Say goodbye to taking the wrong paths and struggling to stay on top of fish with the Minn Kota Ultrex bow-mount trolling motor’s GPS.
With the Ultrex wireless remote, you can record fishing trails, activate spot-lock, change speed, and control your trolling motor with exceptional accuracy using touchscreen actions.
The Ultrex comes with a heading sensor that you can leverage to move the location of your spot-lock five feet in any direction.
It also includes other handy features like auto-pilot, which allows you to travel where you want by simply pointing your trolling motor remote in that direction.
Stowing and deploying your trolling motor no longer has to be a back-breaking shore with the help of Ultrex’s trademark Lift-Assist design. You can easily use the foot pedal or the remote control to accomplish these feats.
The Ultrex is one of the few products that offers foot pedals with power steering to maximize comfort, responsiveness, and precision control.
Rather than readjusting or recoiling when you take your foot off the foot pedal, the Ultrex’s motor head will stay pointed in the direction you aimed it at.
If you have Hummingbird fish finders you can try linking them with your Ultrex trolling motor to explore other advanced capabilities like following depth contours.
You won’t have to deal with your trolling motor batteries dying out fast because the Ultrex conserves power and boasts a run time that’s 5 times longer than the average trolling motor.
5. Garmin Force
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 50”, 57”
- Sonar included: CHIRP sonar
- Thrust power: 80 lbs, 100 lbs
Retailing for over $3,500 a piece, Garmin Force is one of the most expensive trolling motors on the market. It promises to help you power your boat with more forceful thrusts so you can get to fish faster and spend a longer time on the water.
The Garmin Force trolling motor is designed to glide through the water quietly so as not to alert fish and tolerate harsh currents and winds. It has built-in GPs and a heading sensor, enabling you to head hold, cruise control, and anchor hold on autopilot.
Controlling your trolling motor is intuitive with the wireless Garmin chartplotter. The motor has integrated sonar which enables you to find the best hotspots using high-definition imaging.
It also comes equipped for the installation of Garmin’s Livescope Panoptix transducers. Whether you own a freshwater or seawater boat, you can spring for the Garmin Force rolling motor to take your fishing expeditions to the next level.
The included remote has a sunlight-readable display so you can view and pilot your trolling motor through the screen in all weather conditions.
You can even skip the screen controls and simply point the remote in the direction you want to go and the motor will bring you there.
Additionally, the Garmin Force trolling motor gives you the option of hardwiring the pedal if you prefer cable-driven pedals over wireless.
6. Power-Pole MOVE ZR
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 45”, 52”, 60”
- Sonar included: Lowrance HDI
- Thrust power: 78 lbs, 100 lbs
Power-Pole wasted no time establishing itself as more than just the new kid on the block with its action-packed MOVE ZR trolling motor. The first thing you notice about the MOVE ZR is how the design stands out from most other motors.
It utilizes titanium as the product material in its constructions rather than the typical fiberglass composite most competitors use. Since titanium is lighter, tougher, and more durable than fiberglass, those benefits are passed on to the MOVE ZR.
There are plenty of fail-safes built into the MOVE ZR to prevent the motor from shutting down completely no matter the damage that comes its way. You can control the motor’s steering drive easily using the wireless remote, wireless foot buttons, or the foot pedal.
You can turn on your MOVE ZR’s advanced GPS navigation modes to steer your boat on auto-pilot so you can focus on fishing. The trolling motor has an integrated fish finder with, a built-in transducer option, and Lift Assist for easy launches and stows.
This brushless trolling motor performs brilliantly in heavy winds, waves, open water, and pathways with a lot of vegetation. It moves silently and delivers greater speed and longer hours of runtime due to its efficient operating system.
7. MotorGuide Xi3 Trolling Motor
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 12v, 24v
- Shaft Length: 36”, 48”, 54”, 60”
- Sonar included: 2D Integrated sonar
- Thrust power: 55 Lbs, 70 Lbs
If you’re looking for a deluxe trolling motor for your fishing, you can’t go wrong with the Motorguide Xi3. Installing the Xi3 is a simple process that any angler can handle regardless of their level of experience.
Although the Xi3 is designed for small boats it offers a lot of the sophisticated features of bigger trolling motors including autopilot, virtual anchor, GPS control, and programmable paths.
The Xi3’s big lever and lightweight build make deployment and stowing a breeze even after you’re already seated in your kayak. The motor delivers powerful thrusts to help you propel your kayak faster than you can paddle or pedal on your own.
You can keep an eye on your battery level, propeller activity, and other motor functions via the LED display on the Xi3’s remote control even under the full glare of the sun.
With the Xi3’s Pinpoint® ️ GPS technology, you can concentrate on finding your next catch while anchoring, jogging, recording, and replaying routes wirelessly.
The Xi3 is compatible with major brands of fish finders on the market so you can install one to enhance your fishing experience.
Additionally, this kayak trolling motor operates quietly, takes you where you want to go in less time, and provides models for navigating saltwater and freshwater.
8. Garmin Force Kraken
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 63”, 75”, 90”
- Sonar included: Traditional: High-wide CHIRP
- Thrust power: 80 lbs, 100 lbs
Wireless integration with compatible chart plotters, an integrated transducer, CHIRP Sonar, and easy installation are just a few of the convenient features you’ll get with the Garmin Force Kraken trolling motor.
This motor is best used in rough open water. It can withstand severe marine environments and last a long time thanks to its saltwater and corrosion-resistant materials.
You can easily locate your favorite fishing spots and maintain your position on the water using the Kraken’s wireless remote and Anchor Lock function.
The motor’s brushless design provides more efficiency and longer run times than what you’d typically get from brushed motors.
This means that you can spend more time fishing without worrying about running out of battery too soon. You can creep up on fish without spooking them because the Kraken is practically noiseless in water.
You also get ultra-high-definition images with little to no interference via the integrated sonar on the transducer that accompanies the motor.
The Kraken is designed for larger boats requiring motors with longer shafts and can be used with either freshwater or saltwater fishing boats.
Although the Kraken comes with a wireless color remote included, you also have the option of operating the trolling motor with your smartphone, Garmin Smartwatch, or Garmin chart plotter.
All you have to do is download Garmin’s ActiveCaptain app to unlock this navigation feature.
9. Rhodan HD GPS Anchor
Key Specifications
- Voltage: 12v, 24v, 36v
- Shaft Length: 36”, 48”, 54”, 60”, 72”, 80”
- Sonar included: HD Sonar
- Thrust power: 55 lbs, 80 lbs, 120 lbs
Stay on the right spot and improve your fishing efficiency in rough and calm water conditions with Rhodan’s HD GPS Anchor trolling motor. Depending on the shaft length you want, this motor will cost you between $3,000 to $5,000 so it’s as high-end as possible.
Fortunately, the HD GPS Anchor is furnished with many premium features which justify the price such as a quick-release mount, high-definition GPS, virtual anchor, powerful thrusters, and autopilot.
It has a sensor that automatically detects when the motor is in a stowed position and keeps it from running to avoid damage.
Equipped with cutting-edge pulse width modulation circuitry, the HD GPS Anchor works hard to optimize power, reduce heat dissipation, and extend battery life so you can fish for longer.
With the waterproof wireless remote control fob, you can control the motor from anywhere on your boat. When you activate Anchor Mode on the trolling motor, it will automatically position your boat’s bow right where you want to cast your reel.
It works in both shallow and deep waters, accounting for waves, winds, and cross-currents to achieve precision and accurately position your boat.
There are 12 memory locations featured in the HD GPS Anchor trolling motor. Four of them are specifically designed for recording anchor sites while the others can be used to memorize complex routes or pathways with a distance of more than 1,000 miles.
The HD GPS Anchor is designed for use in saltwater so the shaft and lower unit of the motor are fortified with zinc anodes and Rhodan’s patented Line-X finish for increased durability.
Conclusion
When it comes to trolling motors, you get what you pay for. The more feature-packed a motor is, the bigger the hole it’ll burn in your pocket.
If price is not an issue and you want the best of the best trolling motors to transform the way you fish, you’ll not regret investing in any of the most expensive trolling motors on the market.
However, price is only one part of the equation, so don’t forget to take factors like the type of trolling motor, battery level, available sonar brand, and your boat size into consideration when deciding the option that’s best for you.
