Bixby J-2
 

Hello,

First off, I am not a saltwater angler. I fish streams and rivers of the Driftless Region in MN, WI and IA primarily as well as rivers in Michigan. I ran into this Bixpy motor online the other day and it looks like it may be perfect for my needs. Seeing their based in Socal I searched forva kayak chat room in SoCal and ran into you guys. Does anyone in here have any experience with Bixby motors on their kayak? And if so, would you entertain a few specific questions? The nearest dealer to where I live is a 6 hour drive. I've been chasing brown trout, Lake run salmon and steelhead, smallmouth and walleyes on rivers and streams for 40 years. Primarily though wading, difrtboats and kayaks.

I appreciate any consideration,

Thanx,

Jeff

Welcome to the forum Jeff, The Bixby motors are popular in SE Florida also. Their light compact size allows my friends to stow them in the bow hatch, and pull them out to use when they get tired of pedaling. I don't own one and instead opted for the 2.5hp Suzuki on my Hobie Pro Angler. I went with gas due to the limited battery life of electric power. There are a ton of youtube videos on Bixby. Good Luck with your research.

The Bixby motors are popular here in CA as well. I have one on my PA17,does a pretty good job. I also have a Texas Power Paddle motor on my PA14, works good too.

John, how do you mount it? And how long does it run?

I have one on my PA 14 it's reliable but only does 4-5 knots in glassy conditions. I ended up buying 2 batteries ($$$) to eliminate the time crunch with one. The company is great and are super good with the customer service.

Hey Dave,

This rig was made by a kayaker who has converted about a dozen like this during the last 10 years. It has a proven offshore track record.

https://i.postimg.cc/PfRsKdLy/Alma-Engine-PA.jpg
It was cheaper for me to buy this one used rather than re-rig my own. The Aluminum motor mount is rigidly connected to the Alma support pipes on the kayak. I would have preferred a removable motor mount.

It came with a 20" shaft outboard which I can put up to full throttle in calm conditions, but hull form keeps it from going any faster than about 5.5kts.
The side mount makes for easy control and monitoring of the outboard versus a stern mount that would allow the hull to go faster up on plane. The Suzuki 2.5hp is water-cooled, and needs to have it's intake cleared periotically from weed debri.

With the 15" shaft outboard, I can only go to 1/3 throttle before the prop starts to cavitate, but the net speed is nearly the same(5.5kts), and the fuel consumption is less than half. I keep the 20" shaft Suzuki 2.5hp as a backup. I can go out all day and not burn a gallon of gas with the 15" shaft. It will run for about an hour and a half before I have to refill the engine's gas tank. I carry a 1 or 2-gallon refueling gas tank.

While drifting over structures, I still use the mirage drive to help keep my jigs vertical. That Texas Power Paddle would be handy as a bow thruster.
Under mirage power the Alma makes left turns difficult.

How shallow have you guys run these motors? What I'm looking to do is fish upstream in Rivers and Streams. I despise fishing downstream. The fish holding depth is 3'-8' of water. However, I will need to navigate riffles and runs in very shallow water (6 inches or even less) as I move upstream. My goal is to motor upstream, drop anchor and make 10 or 12 casts, then bump up 25-30 yards and repeat. Also there are unproductive stretches 400-600 yards long at times. Ultimately, I'd like to cover 5 or so river miles in a day, then just float back down to the truck.

I've tried 2-man pontoon type boats with trolling motors and they work in many areas, but don't work in the small to mid size Rivers where some of the largest fish reside. Larger, older fish get spooked by boats and humans floating downstream. Also, trolling motor props get torn up by the limestone bottom very easily. The Bixpy, mounted on a kayak rudder, which i plan on rigging with a lever I can operate by hand for very shallow areas, might just be perfect. Any thoughts? Am I crazy, lol?

get the weed guard!!!

With the Gas Engine, I can't go shallower than a foot, and feel uncomfortable in less than 2ft. With the engine up, one can scissor kick a mirage drive in 6 inches of water. Anything shallower than that one is better off to get out of the kayak and walk it up until the water gets deeper again.

The Bixby with it's standard power Shrouded propeller sounds perfect for what you describe. Electric is much quieter than gas, so there is that to consider as well. Let us know how it works out for you.

Looks way too complicated for me...

I am thinking of using a Bixby mounted on the rear of the 14 and 17 instead of on the rudder though.