Motorguide Xi3 kayak trolling motor BOW MOUNTED on Hobie Compass!

I could not find anyone selling a bow mount bracket for the hobie compass kayak so I built my own. It wasn't easy but it is possible and so far I have had zero issues with the stability and watertightness of what I did. The xi3 motor weighs about 30lbs with the quick release mount so you do need to be aware that the bow will be heavy and I don't recommend using it in rough conditions, especially following seas. With the battery behind my seat and cooler as well, it does seem to balance just fine in normal conditions. As I mention towards the end of the video, there is a bit of a learning curve on how to efficiently use the motor while fishing and fighting fish, so as I continue to use it for different fishing conditions, I will make updated videos on its performance.

This video may seem to jump around a bit and that's because it started in December 2023 and took me roughly into April 2024 to finish. I ended up installing both a bow mount and stern mount using the quick release bracket screwed into 1" cutting board and then affixed that to my Hobie Compass 2021. Here is the link to the video of the stern mount install:    • Motorguide Xi3 kayak trolling motor with p...  

Motorguide Xi3-5SW 36" Kayak Motor - 12V - GPS - FOB: https://amzn.to/3yfNwhI (affiliate link)
Motorguide 8M4004173 Katana two-blade Prop: https://amzn.to/4bhs9es (affiliate link)
Motorguide 8M0092063 XI series Quick-Release Mount bracket kit: https://amzn.to/3wBZlhK (affiliate link)
Trolling motor remote fix it bracket: https://tkicnc.com/product/tki-motor-...
1" thick cutting board: https://amzn.to/4bhbojp (affiliate link)
Trolling motor shaft mount for deployment: https://amzn.to/3UYFNNG (affiliate link)
Drill bit rasp for shaving: https://amzn.to/3Wrx9bi (affiliate link)
Contour Gage for measuring angled cut: https://amzn.to/3WaWXas (affiliate link)
banana plugs for connecting to battery: https://amzn.to/4bNjsIh (affiliate link)
quick connectors: https://amzn.to/3zU3tL0 (affiliate link)
marine grade 10/2 AWG wire: https://amzn.to/4cKvnYH (affiliate link)
JB weld water-weld: https://amzn.to/3zMfylE (affiliate link)
cable glands: https://amzn.to/3Sda4Xz (affiliate link)
liquid tape: https://amzn.to/4bJnT6J (affiliate link)
Panoptix collar for deployment: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWHKQ1W?...
lithium iron phosphate battery: https://shorturl.at/Dw3rh

Here's a link to the playlist with all the mod videos I've done to this kayak previously:    • Hobie Compass 2021 Kayak modifications for...  

#hobiecompass #kayakfishing #hobiekayakdiy #kayak #trollingmotor