I have had mine for about 2 years now and have never had a issue, these trolling motors are a real good buy. I was real skeptical when I bought it, but I real happy with it, I wanna sell it soon to get the bow mount foot control one though, the reason why I bought the transom mount is because I have an inflatable before I got my big boat.
As for the live well, Im waiting for summerset sports to get air raters in, then Im gonne build in my live well, and for the flat deck at the back, I might buil something there, maybe get like a aluminium table and fibre glass round the frame and then carpet it.
Good luck