A Trolling Motor Upgrade You Don’t Realize You Need—Until You Do

We’re always on the lookout for the next great addition to our boat—something that doesn’t just look good on paper, but genuinely makes life on the water easier. Anyone can bolt on gear, but only a few upgrades truly improve the day-to-day experience of fishing. For me, functionality is important, but ease of use, reliability, and long-term comfort are what ultimately separate a good upgrade from a great one—especially when you’re spending sunrise to sunset on the water.

If you’re not familiar with the Avenger Custom by Marauder, it’s a custom hybrid bay boat designed to fish comfortably both inshore and offshore. It’s a versatile platform that checks a lot of boxes for anglers who want one boat that can do it all. One of the things I love most about it is the taller gunwale and expansive forward casting platform. That added height and space give you a solid, secure feeling—almost like you’re standing inside the boat rather than perched on top of it. When conditions kick up or you’re moving around with multiple anglers, that sense of security matters more than people realize.

The tradeoff, however, comes when it’s time to deploy the trolling motor. That elevated platform requires a consistent 2.5-foot step up and down every time you want to stow or deploy the motor. If you’re fishing shallow water, repositioning frequently, or spot-locking all day, that movement happens more times than you can count. At first, it’s easy to shrug it off as part of the deal.

That might not sound like a big issue if you’re in your twenties. But once you cross thirty—and especially if you’re logging ten-hour days on the water—you start to feel that unnecessary wear on your knees, feet, hips, and lower back. As a guide, those small, repetitive movements add up fast. It’s not the one big step that gets you; it’s the hundreds of little ones throughout the day. Over time, your body keeps score. That’s where Shuttle Slide completely changed the game for me.

Russ and his team recently released what I genuinely believe is a revolutionary universal trolling motor bracket—one that addresses a problem many anglers accept without question. Instead of forcing you to adapt your body to the boat, this system adapts the boat to you. Russ engineered two rotating mounts to fit a wide range of vessels and setups: the SS-7.5R, which is ideal for smaller boats and tighter bow layouts, and the larger SS-9.5R, which is the model I personally chose to install on my bay boat.

From the moment I handled it, I could tell this wasn’t an afterthought or a lightweight solution. The SS-9.5R rotates smoothly and locks into four distinct positions—0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°. That rotation allows you to pivot or swivel the trolling motor into position without ever needing to step up onto the forward platform. You simply pull the pin, rotate the mount, and lower the motor directly into the water. It’s intuitive, simple, and incredibly effective.

Compatibility was another big factor for me, and Shuttle Slide nailed it here as well. The mount works seamlessly with Minn Kota, Garmin, Rhodan, Power-Pole, MotorGuide, and other trolling motors with shafts up to 120 inches. In other words, this isn’t a niche product—it’s a true universal solution designed with real-world anglers in mind.

The first long day I fished with the Shuttle Slide installed, the difference was immediate. Ten hours on the water felt completely different. I wasn’t climbing, stretching, or bracing myself every time I needed to adjust the motor. My knees weren’t barking at me by mid-afternoon, and my lower back wasn’t tight by the end of the day. As a professional guide, that change mattered more than I expected. My body had been telling me something for years—it just took the right piece of equipment for me to finally listen. This is one of those upgrades you don’t realize you need… until you have it. And once you do, it’s hard to imagine going back.

While the functionality alone would have sold me, the build quality is what truly sealed the deal. The Shuttle Slide mount is CNC-machined from 1.0″ thick 6061-T6 aluminum. It’s built in America, engineered with precision, and backed by a lifetime warranty. Every component feels intentional—solid, overbuilt, and designed to handle the abuse that saltwater environments dish out day after day.

That aspect was huge for me. I wasn’t interested in making an investment for a temporary fix or a product that would loosen up, corrode, or fail after a season or two. After six months of heavy use—long days, rough conditions, constant deployment—the Shuttle Slide has operated flawlessly. No binding, no slop, no issues whatsoever. It works today exactly the same as the day I installed it.

Customer support deserves a mention as well. About a month into using the system, I had a question regarding the installation bolts. I reached out to Russ, and he responded promptly and professionally, walking me through everything I needed to know. That kind of support matters. When you’re investing in premium equipment, it’s reassuring to know the people behind the product stand by it and are accessible when you need them.

Even though the hardware itself is 3/8″ 316 stainless steel—already a high-grade, corrosion-resistant option—I highly recommend purchasing the optional aluminum backing plate for extra peace of mind. Trolling motors today are nothing like the ones our fathers ran in the early 2000s. Modern motors generate serious power and torque, especially when spot-locking in current or wind. If a vessel’s deck isn’t built to great standards, that force can wreak havoc over time.

Adding the backing plate helps distribute that load across a much larger area of the deck, reducing stress and increasing long-term durability. In my opinion, it’s a smart and worthwhile addition—one that aligns perfectly with the “do it right the first time” mindset.

At the end of the day, Shuttle Slide didn’t just make deploying my trolling motor easier—it made fishing more enjoyable, more comfortable, and more sustainable long term. For anglers who spend serious time on the water, that’s not a luxury. It’s an investment in your body, your boat, and the future of your time on the water.

And for me, that’s what great gear is all about. Be sure to checkout this great install video I did as well: