An apparatus for mounting a trolling motor to a watercraft includes a bracket, a coupling hinge, a lift arm, a cam mechanism, a collet, a resistance knob, a first bias spring and a second bias spring. The bracket is adapted to mount on a transom or a gunnel of the watercraft. The coupling hinge receives a shaft of the trolling motor therethrough and retains the trolling motor via the collet and resistance knob mounted thereon. The collet and knob can be selectively tightened or loosened about the shaft of the trolling motor. The bracket defines detents and an arcuate track in which a track follower portion of the coupling hinge can move. The movement of the coupling hinge along the bracket tilts the trolling motor between a stowed position and a deployed position. The lift arm is pivotally coupled to the coupling hinge and carries a locking pin. The lift arm is biased by the first bias spring such that the locking pin engages the detents. The cam mechanism is pivotally coupled to the bracket and is biased by the second bias spring to disengage the locking pin from a lower portion of the detents.