Trolling Plate Question

[Pat Wunsch]

First off I can't afford a new kicker motor and am in the market for a trolling plate. There are several out there, but which of yous have had any and would you reccomentd them or not. I saw a posting saying the Happy Troller is a waste of money but just talked to a guy at a landing who thought it was great. Any suggestions?

[RB]

I have the Happy Troller on my 25hp. It really slows my 16' boat down. The 25hp trolls faster than I want when walleye fishing. The only thing I notice is that with wind it makes trolling a lot of work. The bow gets blown and the speed you are traveling is too slow and you have to give it gas to try and keep the boat on course. It definately will slow you down.

[eye stalk]

My father and I currently use the Hydro-Troll combination stabilizer and trolling plate on our 20 Bayliner Trophy. We run the Hydro-Troll on a 150 hp Mercury. We are pleased with its ability to slow the boat down to reasonable walleye trolling speeds for Lake Erie.

[Greg W]

I have been using a happy troller trolling plate on my 19' boat with a 120 I/O since last year. If it's windy, the boat can be difficult to control unless you are only trolling with the wind (ie. pulling lines and running back up past the fish). Alone, the plate get's my speed down to about 1.4 to 1.6 so I added a pair of bags to get between 1.0 to 1.3.
When I had the lower unit off last winter to have the scag replaced, the mechanic noticed the holes from the plate and asked if I wanted them welded shut. I said no, but asked why. He said he sees alot of lower units with the fins broken off because of the stress put on them by the trolling plates. He told me to inspect mine every trip. I have been and I haven't noticed any problems yet.
I would suggest trying a pair of trolling bags first. They do sell differrent sizes so experiment with them (try to borrow them from a friend) until you find the one that will get you down to the speed you need.

[ETT]

Not trying to sell you a thing, just my 2 cents worth; sooner or later you'll forget to raise the plate and bend (eventually break) the bracket. Trolling bags are another way to go, get a pair of them and rig them so the back of the bag is even with the transom, but can't get into the prop. mine are set up to stay attached at all times, and I just flip them over the side when needed. hope this helps. Good luck.

[Pat W]

Eye Stalk,

How's the Hydro-Troll combination work in the stronger winds as mentioned in some of the other posts?

[Pat W]

I should have mentioned in my first post that I do have a gas eating Mariner 115HP. (With gas at $1.65, anything but a 4-stroke is gas guzzlin.) As far as the kicker goes, I don't have room for one. I have a 17' Ozark tri hull that was suppose to turn into a Lund Mr. Pike this year, but after sticking $600 in the motor for repairs, I'm resigned to use this boat one more season and just need to know if I should use a trolling plate or drift socks and if the plate, what experience have any of yous had with the few brands out there. Wish I had the funds for the right set up, but that's not an option right now and after catching (and releasing) many larger fish this spring, I'm convinced trolling is another option. Thanks for the input guys, any more ideas?

[eye stalk]

Trolling with the wind does not present a problem. Trolling into the wind can present some difficulties if not paying close attention to your heading. Remember, however, that my Bayliner Trophy sits fairly high in the water and once the wind catches the bow you are somewhat at the mercy of the wind. Never-the-less, once you correct the heading, you can direct your boat with some comfort.