Trolling motor and method for controlling a trolling motor

A trolling motor comprising:

• an electric motor coupled to and configured to rotate a propeller;
• a motor controller electrically connected to the electric motor, the motor controller including a pulse width modulator generating a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal;
• a high-side transistor between a high-side gate driver output of the pulse width modulator and the electric motor and a low-side transistor between a low-side gate driver output of the pulse width modulator and the electric motor;
• a resistor and a diode in parallel between each of the high-side gate driver output and the high-side transistor and the low-side gate driver output and the low-side transistor, respectively;
• and
• a user input device in signal communication with the motor controller and configured to input a trolling motor speed command to the pulse width modulator;
• wherein the pulse width modulator generates the PWM signal in response to the trolling motor speed command, and the motor controller provides current to the electric motor via one of the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor in response to the PWM signal to control a speed of the electric motor.