6 Best Trolling Motor Mounts For Inflatable Boats for Rock-Solid Stability

You’re gliding across a calm lake in your inflatable, but every time you adjust the trolling motor, the whole setup shudders and flexes. The flimsy bracket you rigged up just isn’t cutting it, and you spend more time worrying about your motor taking a swim than you do about fishing. A proper motor mount is the crucial link that transforms a simple inflatable from a paddle-powered float into a capable, stable vessel for exploration and angling.

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Why a Solid Mount is Crucial for Inflatables

An inflatable boat, by its very nature, lacks the rigid structure of a traditional jon boat or skiff. Without a solid transom, there’s no natural place to clamp a motor. A dedicated motor mount solves this by creating a stable, rigid plate that distributes the motor’s weight and thrust across the boat’s structure, usually by attaching to reinforced D-rings or grommets on the stern tubes.

Trying to get by with a poorly designed or ill-fitting mount is asking for trouble. Constant vibration from the motor can wear away at the boat’s PVC or Hypalon fabric over time, leading to leaks. More immediately, a weak mount can flex under power, causing a significant loss of steering control and efficiency. In the worst-case scenario on choppy water, a failed mount can send your expensive motor straight to the bottom of the lake. Think of the mount not as an accessory, but as the foundation for your boat’s power system.

Newport Vessels Mount: Versatile and Reliable

If you’re looking for a go-to, jack-of-all-trades mount, the Newport Vessels Trolling Motor Mount is a fantastic starting point. It’s designed for the boater who owns an inflatable from a variety of brands and needs a reliable solution that just works. This mount isn’t trying to be the lightest or the most heavy-duty; it’s built to be a dependable workhorse for the vast majority of weekend anglers and recreational boaters using common electric trolling motors.

Constructed from marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel hardware, it’s built to resist corrosion from both fresh and saltwater exposure. Its key strength lies in its adjustability. The support arms can be set to different widths to accommodate various boat sizes, ensuring a snug and secure fit against the pontoons. This versatility makes it a safe bet if you’re not entirely sure which mount will fit your specific boat, providing a rock-solid platform for motors typically up to 35-40lbs in weight.

Watersnake Bracket: Simple and Effective Design

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one, especially when you’re just trying to get on the water for a few hours. The Watersnake Trolling Motor Bracket is designed for just that—simplicity and efficiency. It’s an excellent choice for boaters with smaller inflatables or kayaks who are using lightweight electric motors and prioritize ease of use and portability over all-out strength.

The design is often minimalist, focusing on a quick and easy installation process that doesn’t require a toolbox full of wrenches. This makes it perfect for those who inflate and deflate their boat for each trip. The trade-off for this convenience is its power handling. This type of bracket is ideal for smaller, lower-thrust motors on calm ponds and protected coves. It’s not the mount you’d choose for a heavy motor in windy, choppy conditions, but for its intended purpose, it’s a brilliant, no-fuss solution.

Brocraft Universal Mount for Maximum Compatibility

What do you do when your inflatable has an unusual shape or non-standard attachment points? You look for a universal solution. The Brocraft Universal Mount is engineered to solve compatibility headaches, making it a top contender for boaters with off-brand inflatables or those who want a single mount that might fit multiple boats.

The "universal" claim comes from its high degree of adjustability. These mounts typically feature multiple pivot points, telescoping arms, and a variety of hardware to connect to different styles of D-rings and attachment patches. This means you’ll likely spend more time on the initial setup, carefully dialing in the fit to ensure it’s perfectly snug and stable. The tradeoff for this versatility is that it may not feel as seamlessly integrated as a brand-specific mount, but for the boater with a hard-to-fit craft, it’s the key to getting motorized.

Sea Eagle Motor Mount: Built for Their Own Boats

If you own a Sea Eagle inflatable, choosing their proprietary motor mount is almost always the right call. Sea Eagle designs their mounts to integrate perfectly with the specific attachment points and hull geometry of their boats, from the Frameless Fishing series to their Sport Kayaks. This removes all the guesswork and ensures you get the stability and performance the boat’s designers intended.

This perfect fit provides optimal weight distribution, which is critical for maintaining balance and trim on the water. The installation is typically foolproof, as the parts are made to mate perfectly. The only real downside is its specificity. A Sea Eagle mount is a fantastic piece of gear for a Sea Eagle boat, but it’s highly unlikely to fit a boat from another manufacturer, making it a specialized, rather than universal, choice.

Intex Motor Mount Kit for Entry-Level Boaters

For the thousands of people getting their start on the water with an Intex Seahawk, Challenger, or Mariner, the Intex Motor Mount Kit is the logical first step. It’s designed with one thing in mind: accessibility. This kit provides an affordable and straightforward way to add a small electric trolling motor to your boat without a significant investment.

Made from heavy-duty composite plastic with aluminum support arms, it’s designed to handle the light weight and low thrust of motors typically paired with these boats (under 3.0 HP). The installation is simple, fitting directly onto the molded attachment points found on compatible Intex models. This is a classic cost-versus-durability decision. It’s the perfect tool for calm days on the local pond, but it lacks the rigidity and strength needed for more powerful motors or navigating choppy water.

BRIS Transom Mount for Heavy-Duty Applications

When you need to power a larger, more substantial inflatable with a gas motor or a high-thrust electric trolling motor, a lightweight bracket just won’t do. The BRIS Transom Mount is built for these heavy-duty applications. It’s the choice for the serious boater who is running a larger inflatable dinghy or sport boat and needs a mount that can handle significant torque and weight without flinching.

These mounts are typically constructed with a thick marine-grade plywood transom board and robust stainless steel or aluminum support arms that glue directly onto the boat’s tubes. This creates a permanent, incredibly strong structure that becomes part of the boat itself. The tradeoff is clear: you gain immense strength and stability at the cost of portability and a more involved, permanent installation process. For powering through waves or carrying heavier loads, this level of structural integrity is non-negotiable.

Key Factors: Material, Fit, and Motor Weight

When you’re ready to choose, boil your decision down to three critical factors. Getting this right is more important than brand names or fancy features.

First is material. Marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel offer the best blend of strength and corrosion resistance for serious, long-term use. Heavy-duty plastics and composites, found on entry-level mounts, are lightweight and affordable but less rigid. Marine plywood, used in heavy-duty transoms, is exceptionally strong and dampens vibration well but requires proper sealing to prevent water damage.

Second is the fit. This is paramount. A brand-specific mount like one from Sea Eagle offers a guaranteed perfect fit. A universal mount from Brocraft offers flexibility but requires careful adjustment to ensure there’s no slop or movement. Your mount must connect securely to your boat’s specific hardware—don’t try to force a fit. A loose mount is an unsafe mount.

Finally, and most importantly, is motor weight and thrust. Every mount has a maximum capacity. It’s crucial to match the mount to your motor. Putting a 55lb thrust motor that weighs 45 pounds on a plastic bracket designed for a 20-pound motor is a guaranteed failure. Always check the manufacturer’s specifications for both the mount and your boat to ensure they can handle the forces your motor will generate.

A solid motor mount is what bridges the gap between a simple inflatable and a true fishing or exploration craft. Don’t view it as an afterthought. Match the mount’s durability to the conditions you face, its design to your specific boat, and its strength to the power of your motor. Now, get it set up, and get out on the water.