• 14 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Trolling Motor

A bow-mount motor with a foot pedal, then a transom-mount motor with a tiller.

Parts of a Trolling Motor

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Control head
  2. Shaft
  3. Depth collar
  4. Steering tension knob
  5. Mount
  6. Pull rope
  7. Foot pedal
  8. Steering cable
  9. Power cables
  10. Lower unit
  11. Propeller
  12. Propeller nut
  13. Tiller
  14. Clamp

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of the boat it pushes

All 14 parts on the diagram

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Bow mount, foot control 11

  1. Control head The top of the motor, above the water. On a hand-controlled motor the tiller comes out of it.
  2. Shaft Joins the control head to the lower unit. It slides up and down in the mount to set the depth.
  3. Depth collar Sets how deep the motor runs. Loosen its knob, slide the shaft up or down, then tighten it again.
  4. Steering tension knob Tightening or loosening it sets how easily the motor turns.
  5. Mount Bolts flat to the deck at the bow on a foot-controlled motor. The motor folds back and locks onto it when it is not in use.
  6. Pull rope Pulling it releases the lock on the mount. It is used both to lower the motor into the water and to raise it back onto the deck.
  7. Foot pedal Steers the motor and carries the on/off and speed controls. That leaves both hands free for fishing.
  8. Steering cable Carries the movement of the pedal to the motor to steer it. Other motors steer electrically and have no such cable.
  9. Power cables They connect the motor to the battery. Trolling motors are built for 12, 24 or 36 volts.
  10. Lower unit The electric motor is sealed inside it. It runs under water, which keeps it from overheating.
  11. Propeller It is fitted directly on the motor's shaft, with no gears between.

Transom mount and propeller 3

  1. Propeller nut It holds the propeller on the shaft. To change the propeller, hold the propeller still and undo the nut.
  2. Tiller You steer with it by hand. On many motors the speed control is built into it.
  3. Clamp Attaches a hand-controlled motor to the boat, usually on the transom. Its screws are tightened to hold it.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where two independent sources use it: the manuals of two trolling motor makers, read as archive.org full text (https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7450246 and https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5641925 with https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6349934: control head, shaft, depth collar, steering tension knob, mount, pull rope, lower unit, foot pedal, power cables, propeller nut), and Wikipedia, Trolling motor, text only (shaft, propeller, tiller, clamp, pedal, steering by cable, mounting bracket). A third maker's manual was read for the tiller (https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5731082). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a trolling motor in two drawings. First a bow-mount motor steered with a foot pedal, lowered over the front of the boat. Then a transom-mount motor steered by hand, with its propeller taken apart.

Read the full guide

From the control head down to the propeller

Every electric trolling motor has the same three parts in a line: the control head on top, a long shaft, and the lower unit under the water. The electric motor is sealed inside the lower unit, and the propeller is fitted straight onto its shaft. The depth collar sets how deep the lower unit runs.

Two ways to mount and steer

A bow-mount motor sits on a mount bolted to the deck and is steered with a foot pedal; a pull rope releases it to go down into the water or back onto the deck. A transom-mount motor clamps onto the back of the boat and is steered by hand with a tiller.

  • The motor is not in the head: it is sealed in the lower unit, under the water.
  • To change a propeller, hold the propeller still and undo the propeller nut.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a trolling motor called?

From the top: the control head, the shaft and the lower unit with its propeller. A bow-mount motor adds a mount, a pull rope, a foot pedal and a depth collar. A transom-mount motor has a clamp and a tiller.

What is the lower unit of a trolling motor?

The rounded body at the foot of the shaft, under the water. The electric motor is sealed inside it, and the propeller is fitted directly on its shaft. Running under water keeps the motor from overheating.

What does the depth collar on a trolling motor do?

It clamps round the shaft above the mount and sets how deep the motor runs. Loosen its knob, slide the shaft up or down, and tighten the knob again.

What is the difference between a bow mount and a transom mount trolling motor?

A bow-mount motor bolts to the deck at the front, is usually steered with a foot pedal, and is used to position the boat precisely. A transom-mount motor clamps to the back and is steered by hand with a tiller.

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