I've had customers come in and complain that they can't get the trolling motor to release when it is in the down position, or it doesn't latch when they lower it. What I have found is when you bolt the mount down and the top deck of your boat is not flat (most decks have a slight curve) you may cause a twist in the mount, which then causes a bind on the latch pin. To correct this problem loosen the bolts on the mount, measure the space between the boat deck and the mount bottom. Then make spacers for your mounting bolts which when added between the deck and your mount bottom create a level mounting to your boat deck. This application will contribute to a true and straight mount allowing proper latch pin alignment.