View Full Version : Trolling plate suggestions.
If you chose other please reply and name.
Thanks,
BRS1
punch1
03-14-2002, 10:45 AM
Tempress Fish-On! Why? It's the only trolling plate I have ever used and it worked just fine for me and my Mariner 115HP and Honda 90. I now have a 4-stroke kicker paired up with a 125HP motor. With gas prices inching up each day here, I dodn't believe I will regret going with the kicker.
I'm not sure if Tempress still makes the trolling plate or not. I see them used along with the others mentioned above on eBay quite frequently. There is a brand new Happy Troller there right now.
Pat
CarpetBagger
03-14-2002, 01:17 PM
Happy Troller hands down
CB
Gilligan
03-14-2002, 04:35 PM
The Cabelas model Hydrotrolls are junk! The advertizment is: pull the cable and the springs will automaticaly lower unit and it will lock in place. To raise pull the cable with boat at trolling speed and thrust will lock it up. Also to protect the unit it has shear pins that won't break at trolling speed but snap if you accidentaly try to run with it down.
AFTER owning 2 of these in 2001 here is how they actualy work...Pull the cable and when it dosen't automaticaly release go hang off the back of your transom and wiggle the plate until pin pulls free. When you go to lock it up pull the cable, and if it dosent automaticaly lock in again hang over the transom and jiggle the plate until the pin drops in place. NOW.. when you are trolling at 1.8 mph and your shear pin (you only get 1 spare! I went into the machine shop and made up an extra dozen of them)pops you can again hang off the back of the boat performing your best Chineese fire drill attempting to pull the cotter pin, unscrew the shear pin and replace. Hopefully you don't have anything on the lines like a dipsie/snap weight sinking to the bottom to tangle while you are in the process. I managed to loose the cotter pin and 2 screw drivers to the bottom of Erie. This isn't simple to do on a calm day.. try it in 4'ers!
After 8 hours of trolling the plate cracked at the hinge area. Cabelas replaced it, the new one came out of the box cracked in the same place. I ran this one, waiting for delivery of my Happy Troller by then it cracked so severly that the whole unit broke and fell off except the small plastic ears that bolt to the cavitation plate.
The Happy Troller has not missed a beat. Not trying to bash Cabelas, I do alot of business with them but their plates are JUNK.
Gilligan
03-14-2002, 05:47 PM
Tempress dosent make them anymore..I think that they were actually made by Happy Troller and painted black instead of silver nad put their name to it. My friends Tempress is the same as my Happy Troller except color.
FYI
Tempress doesn't make the trolling plate anymore, but they still have 700 or so of the small (up to ~40hp) if anyone is interested. Talked to Brice (Tempress) yesterday and ordered mine. It sounds exactly the same as the Happy Troller and for $70 I had to try it.
Thanks again for the input,
BRS1