Back Trolling

[john mi]

I have a back trolling question for all you experts. I go to Canada 2-3 times a year,we forward trolling with my Pinpoint and it work awesome(hope it never breaks). Only on the roughest days does the PP fail us. We have "turned around" and back trolled with the 9.9 and its tough to say the least to stay on the break line we want.(With or without a drift sock) I have a 18 ft boat and only really back troll in Canada, don't do it in my home waters. I'm thinking about getting a new boat and not getting a 9.9. Am I doing something wrong when I back troll that i have a tough time staying on the breakline when its rough? I assume everyone does but don't really know. Thanks

[Reels]

When it is rough and windy, it can be a bear. Turning to the right is tough for me in my 1900, so I turn the main motor all the way to the right to help a bit. Once that fails, I put the auto pilot down and use that to control the front while I use the kicker. Now with the co-pilot, it is just a bit easier.


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[T-Mac]

Shouldn't be hard to stay on the break, fairly well. But, you need to have a feeling for the physical forces, and geometry involved.
This may help...hopefully?

Use a big enough drift sock. (I even use more than one at a time now and then).
Use it on a short rope (4'...or just enough so the sock is in and open).
Always work into to the wind, when backtrolling.
Use cleats up near the front of the boat. 1 on each side. (I use gripper cleats). , because to run a breakline,..what side you cleat the sock line and what angle the wind is, make a big difference in the atitude or angle of the boat.
PS.. a "high-thrust" kicker like a Yamaha T-8 or T-9.9 or Merc bigfoot does way better in this application that "just" a kicker.

It takes practice...like all boat positioning techniques. Plus, you have to understand, this just keeps the boat in position, the guys in it may have to adjust some. (How they were facing, fishing under the boat a little, etc.)