Sportfishing - pioneers of electric power at sea

Switching to electric power is far from a new phenomenon as anglers will tell you, they have seen the benefits of quietness and greater maneuverability early on. The fact that sport fishing is often practiced in smaller boats at low speeds makes it easy to go on electric power.

The electric motor - beneficial in many ways

One sunny morning on Orust, we get to join Jonas Nordigårds on a test trip. Jonas is a well-known sport fishing profile and guide in the company Wild Fish Sweden, which makes around 80 guided sea trout trips in a year.

Jonas describes a typical day as a fishing guide. Interest in hiring a guide is high and on the rise, and customers are often beginners. A trip often lasts around seven hours and in just over six of these, only the electric motor is used. The boat he uses also has a gasoline-powered sternwheel that is used to cover a longer distance quickly.

The electric motor can drive the boat at 3-4 knots, but when Jonas is fishing, you rarely go faster than 0.5-0.8 knots. Which is perfect when you want to sneak up on the fish. He shows us how the electric motor is controlled by a handheld control, both for speed and position but also how deep the propeller should go. "The control allows me to be active during fishing trips and steer the boat at the same time". As a fishing guide and angler, Jonas says there are many advantages to running the boat on electricity. "It's completely silent both above and below the surface", making it much easier to talk to each other during fishing trips. He continues "you can get closer to shore and fish in shallower waters", thanks to the electric motor's easily regulated propeller depth.

We glide towards the jetty again and Jonas says that the electric motor provides greater flexibility as it can also keep the boat in a precise position, without releasing drag. The electric motor also provides increased stability in the boat and as it is front-mounted, it is easier to catch waves from the front. We ask how it works if the wind picks up and are told that you want to go home yourself before it becomes a problem for the electric motor to keep the boat in position.

The company Wild Fish Sweden is part of a collaboration with several fishing guides in the area and they are called, simply enough, "Fjordguiderna". They all use electric motors of the same brand, Minn Kota, and it is an important part of the collaboration to be able to help each other with the motors, if someone has problems, it is easy to borrow from each other. It has also been important that there is a dealer and service nearby, in this case Jan Comstedt AB in Gothenburg.

Jonas, like many sport fishing boats, has his boat on a trailer and despite long days out, there is no need to charge the boat during a fishing day. Two lithium batteries totaling just under 2.5 kWh (100 amp/h and 24 V) are enough for 2-3 fishing days in normal weather. Jonas says that he usually uses around 20% of the battery capacity during a guiding day. Charging is easily done in a standard electrical outlet (220 V).

With many operating hours, it is also a good solution economically, fuel costs are only 20% compared to what continuous gasoline operation would have cost me during a season says Jonas.

Front-mounted electric motor - for everyone

We ask whether Jonas thinks that this type of electric motor is also suitable for other users. The answer is that it is entirely up to the user, "everyone who can manage without high speed benefits from an electric motor". It is a matter of reviewing your needs, for those looking for a quieter and sustainable alternative, a front-mounted electric motor can be an excellent solution. Electric motors for sport fishing have been around for more 15 years, allowing a variety of solutions in all price ranges. Features, size and saltwater resistance are some factors that influence the price.

Jonas Nordigårds, well-known angling professional and guide in the company Wild Fish Sweden.

Future prospects

Naturally, we're curious to know how Jonas sees the future. Although electric propulsion for small boats with high speed is still under development, Jonas notices that interest from anglers and boat enthusiasts is increasing. He often has customers on board who notice the silence and curiously ask questions about the electric motor. Today, there are also many good options for those who want a stern-mounted engine that corresponds to the smaller gasoline engines.

For the future, Jonas also sees a need for ports to equip themselves to receive electric boats with charging facilities in the ports.  

Find out more about the equipment and retailers:

https://www.ockelboboats.se/ockelbo-b18-cc

https://www.comstedt.se/produkt/riptide-instinct-quest-wr

https://www.comstedt.se/produkt/exide-equipment-li-ion-12v-2

For more information on angling guiding:

www.wildfishsweden.se

www.fjordguiderna.se