Garmin Force Current vs. Force Pro vs. Force Kraken: Which Is Right for Your Boat?

August 12, 2026

Updated: August 12, 2026

Garmin makes three distinct trolling motor platforms — and they're built for three very different boats. If you're trying to decide which Garmin motor belongs on your bow, the right answer depends almost entirely on what you're fishing from and how your boat is rigged.

This guide breaks down each platform, who it's built for, and how to choose.

30-Second Answer

Fishing from a kayak? Garmin Force Current — purpose-built for fishing kayaks, 30 lb @ 12V / 50 lb @ 24V, Power Steer foot pedal control, freshwater and saltwater capable.

Rigging a conventional bass or walleye boat? Garmin Force Pro — scissor-style bow-mount with built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer, LiveScope-compatible design, 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V, available in 50" and 57" shaft lengths for standard bass-boat installations.

Rigging a high-bow center console, bay boat, or larger offshore platform? Garmin Force Kraken — the Garmin platform designed for a wider range of boat installations, with shafts from 48" to 110", 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V, and saltwater-rated construction for coastal and offshore applications.

Our dealer take: Start with the boat. Kayak → Force Current. Conventional bass/walleye bow → Force Pro. High-bow, coastal, or offshore → Force Kraken. These aren't simply different shaft lengths — they're different physical platforms designed around different boats. Boat fit and mounting architecture are what determine which motor you need.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Force Current	Force Pro	Force Kraken
Platform	Kayak motor	Bow-mount (bass/walleye)	Bow-mount (high-bow/coastal/offshore)
Thrust	30 lb @ 12V / 50 lb @ 24V	80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V	80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V
Voltage	12V / 24V	24V / 36V	24V / 36V
Motor Type	Brushless	Brushless	Brushless
Mount Style	Kayak-specific	Scissor-style	Pivot-style (broader boat fit)
Shaft Lengths	Kayak-specific	50", 57"	48", 63", 75", 90", 110"
GPS Anchoring	GPS positioning	Anchor Lock	Anchor Lock
Transducer	Garmin chartplotter integration via compatible transducer	Built-in GT56UHD-TR	GT56UHD-TR (48" models)
Control System	Power Steer pedals / remote / smartwatch	Bow-mount control system	Bow-mount control system
Garmin Integration	Yes	Yes (LiveScope-compatible)	Yes
Water Environments	Freshwater / saltwater	Freshwater	Freshwater / saltwater (saltwater-rated)
Best For	Fishing kayaks	Bass/walleye boats	High-bow, coastal, offshore boats

Garmin Force Current — The Kayak Platform

The Force Current is purpose-built for fishing kayaks — not a scaled-down bow-mount motor, but a completely different platform designed around the mounting constraints, battery capacity, and control needs of a modern fishing kayak.

What makes the Force Current a distinct platform is its control architecture. The Power Steer foot pedals provide hands-free steering and throttle control while fishing, and the system also supports a handheld remote and compatible Garmin smartwatch control. That's a fundamentally different control model from the bow-mount Force Pro and Kraken — designed for an angler who needs both hands free while seated in a kayak.

Garmin builds the Force Current's shaft and components for harsh freshwater and saltwater environments with advanced corrosion protection, making it appropriate for both freshwater and inshore saltwater kayak applications.

Thrust: 30 lb @ 12V / 50 lb @ 24V
Voltage: 12V / 24V
Control: Power Steer foot pedals, handheld remote, Garmin smartwatch compatible
Water environments: Freshwater and saltwater
GPS: GPS positioning and navigation
Best for: Tournament kayak anglers, inshore kayak fishing, freshwater kayak applications

Shop Garmin Force Current:

Garmin Force Pro — The Bass & Walleye Bow-Mount

The Force Pro is Garmin's bow-mount platform for conventional bass and walleye boat applications. Available in 50" and 57" shaft lengths, it's sized for the bow heights and mounting configurations common on tournament bass boats and similar freshwater platforms.

Force Pro isn't simply a shorter Kraken. Its scissor-style mount and 50"/57" configurations are designed around conventional bass-boat installations, while its built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer and LiveScope-compatible design make it particularly well suited to Garmin-equipped freshwater tournament boats. If you're running a Garmin fish finder and want the motor's sonar integrated at the bow, the Force Pro's built-in transducer delivers that without a separate installation. Thrust is identical to the Kraken: 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V.

Thrust: 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V
Voltage: 24V / 36V
Mount: Scissor-style
Shaft Lengths: 50", 57"
Transducer: Built-in GT56UHD-TR
GPS: Anchor Lock
Water environments: Freshwater
Best for: Tournament bass boats, walleye boats, conventional freshwater bow-mount applications

Shop Garmin Force Pro:

Garmin Force Kraken — The High-Bow & Coastal Platform

The Force Kraken is Garmin's platform for boats where the Force Pro's shaft range and mounting architecture aren't the right fit — high-bow center consoles, bay boats, larger offshore platforms, and any application requiring shafts beyond 57". With shafts from 48" to 110" and saltwater-rated construction, the Kraken extends Garmin's brushless bow-mount technology to a much wider range of boat types and fishing environments.

The Kraken's pivot-style mount accommodates the broader range of bow geometries found on center consoles and offshore boats — a different physical architecture from the Force Pro's scissor-style design. This isn't just a longer shaft; it's a different platform built around different boats. Thrust matches the Force Pro: 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V.

Thrust: 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V
Voltage: 24V / 36V
Mount: Pivot-style
Shaft Lengths: 48", 63", 75", 90", 110"
Transducer: GT56UHD-TR (48" models)
GPS: Anchor Lock
Water environments: Freshwater and saltwater (saltwater-rated)
Best for: High-bow boats, center consoles, bay boats, offshore platforms, saltwater applications

Shop Garmin Force Kraken — All Shaft Lengths:

Dealer Insight: How We Think About This Decision

The Garmin Force family decision almost always starts with the boat, not the motor.

What are you fishing from? Kayak → Force Current. Bow-mount boat → Force Pro or Kraken.
What shaft length does the installation require? Measure from the actual mounting surface to the waterline — don't guess from boat length. If you need 63" or longer, Kraken is the clear platform. For shorter-shaft applications, boat type, mounting architecture, and fishing environment determine whether Force Pro or the 48" Kraken is the better fit.
What type of boat and bow geometry? Conventional bass/walleye bow with scissor-style mount → Force Pro. High-bow center console, bay boat, or offshore platform → Kraken.
Saltwater exposure? Force Current is built for freshwater and saltwater kayak environments. For bow-mount applications: Force Pro is a freshwater motor; the Kraken is explicitly saltwater-rated and the right choice for any coastal or offshore application.
24V or 36V? This doesn't determine which platform you need, but it determines whether the bow-mount motors produce 80 or 100 lb of thrust. For larger boats or demanding conditions, 36V is generally the better choice. See our 24V vs. 36V guide.

Thrust is not a differentiator between Force Pro and Kraken — both deliver 80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V. All three platforms integrate with the Garmin ecosystem, so electronics brand isn't the primary decision point here. Boat fit and mounting architecture are.

Who Should Buy Each Motor?

Choose the Force Current if:

You fish from a kayak
You need hands-free control via Power Steer foot pedals, remote, or smartwatch
You want Garmin GPS and electronics integration on a kayak platform
You fish freshwater or saltwater from a kayak

Choose the Force Pro if:

You're rigging a conventional bass or walleye boat
Your installation requires a 50" or 57" shaft with a scissor-style mount
You want a built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer and LiveScope-compatible design
You fish freshwater and want full Anchor Lock integration on a tournament platform

Choose the Force Kraken if:

You're rigging a high-bow center console, bay boat, or offshore platform
Your installation requires a shaft of 63" or longer
You fish saltwater, nearshore, or offshore
You need the widest shaft range in the Garmin bow-mount lineup (48" to 110")

Before You Order

Confirm your platform: Kayak → Force Current. Bow-mount boat → Force Pro or Kraken based on shaft requirement, mount architecture, and boat type.

Confirm shaft length: Measure from the bow mounting surface to the waterline and select enough shaft to maintain proper propeller submersion in your typical conditions. Don't choose shaft length from boat length alone. See our shaft length guide.

Choose your voltage: Force Pro and Kraken run on 24V or 36V. 36V provides maximum rated thrust (100 lb). Confirm your battery and charging system before ordering. See our 24V vs. 36V guide.

Verify installation requirements: Check mounting footprint and bracket compatibility, breaker sizing, wiring gauge, plug and receptacle compatibility, and battery bank and charger compatibility before ordering. See our battery guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Garmin Force Pro and the Force Kraken?

Both are bow-mount brushless motors with Anchor Lock GPS, identical thrust (80 lb @ 24V / 100 lb @ 36V), and full Garmin ecosystem integration — but they're different physical platforms. The Force Pro uses a scissor-style mount with 50" and 57" shaft lengths, a built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer, and LiveScope-compatible design, sized for conventional freshwater bass and walleye boat installations. The Force Kraken uses a pivot-style mount with shafts from 48" to 110" and saltwater-rated construction, designed for high-bow, coastal, and offshore applications. Shaft requirement, mount architecture, and water type are the primary differentiators.

Is the Force Current a scaled-down version of the Force Kraken?

No. The Force Current is a purpose-built kayak motor — a completely different platform from the bow-mount Force Pro and Force Kraken. It runs on 12V or 24V, produces 30 lb @ 12V / 50 lb @ 24V, and uses a different control architecture (Power Steer foot pedals, handheld remote, smartwatch) designed around the needs of a kayak angler. Garmin builds it for both freshwater and saltwater environments.

Can I use the Force Current in saltwater?

Yes. Garmin builds the Force Current's shaft and components for harsh freshwater and saltwater environments with advanced corrosion protection. It is appropriate for both freshwater and inshore saltwater kayak applications.

Is the thrust the same on the Force Pro and Force Kraken?

Yes. Both deliver 80 lb @ 24V and 100 lb @ 36V. Thrust is not a differentiator between these two platforms — boat fit, shaft length, mount architecture, and water type are.

Which Garmin motor has the longest shaft?

The Force Kraken, available up to 110". The Force Pro tops out at 57". The Force Current is a kayak motor with kayak-specific shaft dimensions.

Does the Force Pro have a built-in transducer?

Yes. The Force Pro includes a built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer and is designed to be LiveScope-compatible, making it well suited to Garmin-equipped freshwater tournament boats that want integrated sonar at the bow.

Do all three motors integrate with Garmin chartplotters?

Yes. All three Force platform motors integrate with Garmin electronics. The bow-mount Force Pro and Force Kraken both use Anchor Lock GPS anchoring with native Garmin chartplotter integration.

How does Garmin Anchor Lock compare to Minn Kota Spot-Lock?

Both are GPS-based position-holding systems designed to hold the boat at a selected location in wind and current. The biggest practical differences are ecosystem integration and control interface. See our full comparison: Garmin Anchor Lock vs. Spot-Lock: Which GPS Anchoring System Is Better for Saltwater Fishing?

Related Guides

Back to blog

Item added to your cart