Minn Kota PowerDrive 55 Trolling Motor with Foot Pedal 12V 55LB 54"

The Minn Kota PowerDrive 55 with foot pedal (part 1358453) is the freshwater bow-mount trolling motor for the 16-19 foot fishing boat that wants Minn Kota's reliable electric-steer platform without paying for the GPS-driven boat control of the higher-tier Terrova and Ultrex lines. 55 pounds of thrust on 12 volts (one battery, no series wiring complexity), 54-inch composite shaft (right for typical 16-19 ft bass boats and multi-species boats with normal bow height), electric foot pedal with side-to-side steering control, AutoPilot heading-hold for hands-free straight tracks, Digital Maximizer for long battery life, and the Deploy-Assist lever that makes one-handed launching practical even on a day when you're solo at the ramp.

What 55 lb / 12V is right for. 55 lb of thrust on 12 volts suits 16-19 foot freshwater fishing boats, typical bass boats, jon boats, and multi-species boats up to about 2200 lb fully loaded. The general Minn Kota guideline is 5 lb of thrust per 200 lb of fully-loaded boat weight, so the 55 lb PowerDrive handles boats up to about 2200 lb confidently. For larger boats (over 19 feet, over 2500 lb), step up to the 70 lb on 24V or the higher Terrova / Ultrex options. For smaller jon boats and kayaks under 1000 lb, the 45 lb PowerDrive saves a little money. The 55 lb is the sweet spot for typical owner-operated bass boats.

Electric foot pedal with side-to-side steering. The included PowerDrive electric foot pedal sits on the bow deck and gives you steering, speed, and momentary / constant on / off control all from a foot tap. Side-to-side control means you tilt the pedal left or right to steer the motor in that direction (instead of the rocking heel / toe action of the cable-steer pedals). The 18-foot waterproof cord runs from the pedal to the trolling motor's pedal port. Plug-and-play install, no wiring required, and you can choose where on the bow deck to mount the pedal for the best ergonomics for your fishing style.

AutoPilot for hands-free tracking. The PowerDrive's AutoPilot feature locks the motor heading to a chosen direction, then automatically corrects against wind and current to maintain that heading. Set the heading by pointing the motor where you want to go, tap AutoPilot on, and the motor holds the heading. Combined with variable-speed Digital Maximizer thrust, AutoPilot lets you make a long, straight pass over structure or along a shoreline without having to constantly correct steering with the foot pedal. Tap AutoPilot off to return to manual steering.

Important: AutoPilot is heading-hold, not GPS Spot-Lock. AutoPilot maintains direction (the boat keeps pointing the same way) but doesn't maintain position (the boat still drifts forward / back / sideways with current and wind). For full GPS-anchor capability (Spot-Lock), you need the Terrova or Ultrex lines. PowerDrive's AutoPilot is the most you get without GPS.

Digital Maximizer for 5x run time. The Digital Maximizer microprocessor controller delivers exactly the motor power needed for the speed setting you've dialed in, instead of the constant-current resistor system that older non-Digital trolling motors used (which wasted power as heat at low speeds). The result is up to 5 times longer run time per battery charge at typical low-to-mid speed settings. For typical fishing-day use at speed settings 3-5 with a quality Group 27 or Group 31 deep-cycle marine battery, the PowerDrive 55 runs all day without needing recharge.

Power steering. The motor steers via electric power-steering, not via direct cable pull from the foot pedal. Steering effort at the foot pedal stays light regardless of motor load (the motor handles the actual steering work). The light foot effort matters during long days on the water where heavy steering pedal effort would tire you out. Combined with the side-to-side pedal action, steering control is precise without being physically demanding.

Push-to-test battery meter on the motor head. Tap the button on top of the trolling motor and the LED bar shows current battery state. Quick check without reaching for the chartplotter or the head unit. Useful for deciding whether to head back to the launch or fish another hour. The push-to-test design draws no current when you're not pushing the button, so it doesn't drain the battery.

Power Prop (MKP-37). The PowerDrive ships with the MKP-37 Power Prop, the open-water optimized prop in the Minn Kota line. The Power Prop has the right blade geometry for pushing the boat efficiently in open water and through normal current. It's not the same as the Weedless Wedge 2 (MKP-33) that ships on Terrova and higher motors. For weed-heavy water (lily pads, submerged grass, floating algae), the Weedless Wedge 2 cuts through better. For typical open-water bass and walleye fishing, the Power Prop is the right standard prop.

Indestructible composite shaft, lifetime guaranteed. The composite material flexes under impact rather than bending or breaking. Hit a stump, run aground, take an impact, and the shaft springs back to straight. Minn Kota guarantees the composite shaft for life: if it ever bends or breaks under normal use, they replace it free. Shaft failure is the most common reason older trolling motors get scrapped. The lifetime guarantee removes that as a concern.

Deploy-Assist lever. The patented Deploy-Assist lever in the PowerDrive bow mount cuts the manual lifting effort of stow / deploy in half. With the trolling motor's full weight on the lever, the unassisted stow is a real workout. The Deploy-Assist mechanism reduces the manual lifting force to where one hand handles it easily. For solo anglers who launch and load alone, the Deploy-Assist is meaningful daily quality of life.

Cool, quiet lower unit. The lower unit (the part that sits in the water with the motor and prop) is engineered to run at a low operating temperature even under sustained heavy load. Lower operating temperature means longer service life. The unit is also engineered for low acoustic output, which matters for catching spooky fish in shallow water where motor noise can drive fish off the bite.

Bolt-on bow mount. The PowerDrive mounts to the bow deck via the included bolt-on mount plate. Drill the four mount holes (or use existing trolling motor mount holes if upgrading from a previous Minn Kota), bolt the mount plate to the deck, secure the trolling motor to the mount plate. The mount is built to take a beating: tough materials, sleek profile, designed to survive years of vibration and impact loading.

What's in the box. PowerDrive 55 lb 54-inch motor with electric power-steering, side-to-side electric foot pedal with 18-foot waterproof cord, MKP-37 Power Prop, bolt-on bow mount and mounting hardware. Required separately: one 12V deep-cycle marine battery (sold separately), 8-AWG (or heavier) battery cable from the battery to the trolling motor, and a 60A inline circuit breaker on the positive cable.

2-year limited Minn Kota warranty on the motor (lifetime warranty on the composite shaft). Same-day shipping before 3 PM ET on in-stock units.