Trolling speed help

[bigeye]

Do trolling plates like Trol-A-Matic really work? Need the pros and cons on using them over a kicker.

[Gunga Din]

They do work, but the disadvantages are they it's harder to steer, it's easy to forget that the plate is down when you want to go fast, and you're still accumulating hours, wear, and carbon on your big motor. If the motor wear doesn't bother you, some prefer drift bags. Still best is a dedicated kicker. But an advantage of a trolling plate is that you don't have to switch motors when you want to troll--just drop the plate and keep moving.

[SeaCat]

Another downside to the Troll-a-matic is that since it is on a spring system, it takes forward thrust of the prop to lift it. Putting the engine in reverse actually holds the plate down, and makes backing up a pain. You can do it, but most boats don't backup too well to begin with and this makes it twice as bad. At least the plates that will stay up don't cause this specific problem.

Also remember that a kicker motor will move your boat if the main engine fails. Granted it is not going to be very fast but sure beats paddling!

If you can afford it, the kicker wins hands down. Problem is that it is usually a bunch of $$$. Might want to check into a used kicker. They seem to last forever.

Ryan

[Banker]

I also have been considering going the trolling plate route, since I'm too cheap to shell out the dough for a kicker. But I can't take credit for the idea given to me by a fellow WC guy, who also has the same motor as me (Merc 125).

He recommended the "Happy Troller" trolling plate (Cabela's sells them). It's an aluminum, fixed position plate. Before he put it on his motor he cut a 5-inch hole in the center of it. He said that he can troll down far enough to fish spinners with live bait and still maintain good directional control.

I plan to try it this summer and see if it works as well as he claims. As far as I'm concerned, it's worth the $90 gamble.

[Jeff Green]

I have an 18' Crestliner sportfish w/150 hp Johnson Ficht and troll all day with it. (I doubt this would work with a 2-stroke engine though.) I tie a 5 gallon plastic pail (like the ones sheetrock mud come in) to each eye on the transom attached with about 3' of rope (I actually have a clip on them so it hooks on quickly). The pails slow me down just about right or if I really want to go slower, I'll throw out a drift sock to boot. It makes turning more difficult, but I can put up with that versus shelling out big money for a kicker. But I agree a kicker would be the best option if money were no object.

[bob]

Another consideration: you will save big time money on gas by trolling with a 10 or 15 kicker vs. your large motor. Over a period of several years you could pay for a motor with the savings. Also, think about the safety issue involved, a kicker can get you back, if the main motor quits on you. A tow by a service is very expensive. I love my kicker just for the piece of mind it brings!

[FreeByrd]

Bigeye,
I'd recommend you get TWO trolling bags. Basically a driftsock built of heavy duty material. Run one off each side of the boat. Run them from the springline cleats with just enough line so they can fully open in rough seas. Keep it short enough so they can't get in your prop. Attach a retrieve line to the back end so it's easy to bring them in the boat. Run off the middle cleats, they stay out of your way when bringing in fish and setting lines. You should be able to get trolling bags for less than $40 each. Less money than most of the plates and more versatile. They can double as driftsocks. If you can't locate them near you, try calling Den at the Sportsman's Outpost in Vermillion, OH on Lake Erie. He should be able to help you out. 888-855-9032
Good Luck,
Steve

[bigeye]

Bought the Trol-A Matic put it on my 17 Mr Pike with 125 Merc and it works great. Trolls down real slow and no problems in rev.

[Snag]

Bigeye,

Good posts on options and discussions of plates, drift socks, kickers, etc. Don't worry too much on extra wear on the main motor, I too have trolled for years with my 150 and will likely never see enough weekends to wear the thing out.

We'll look back at this time of adding kicker outboards to supplement primary outboards as one of the more desperate acts to control the speed of a boat.

It'll be equivalent to crossing the continental U.S. by stage coach or thinking CB radios were actually a form of communication.

With the technology that exists today, it's sad that we have to employ motors and technology of the 1920's and 30's to control trolling speed.

The only thing dumber from an engineering standpoint than puting two power sources on pleasure fishing boat is using an engine-drive mechanism which must be completely dismantled and drained each time the temperture drops below 32 degrees like the gazillion IO's you see on pleasure boats.

A self draining power plant for pleasure boaters capable of variable boat speed and control shouldn't be insurmountable to design and manufacture at a reasonable cost.

The fishing boat market has already demonstated it will pay the cost of smaller new car for outboard propulsion alone.

How bout that Irwin Jacobs?

[chad]

I have a 4.3liter Merc. and can winterize it in under 10 min by simply removing 2 wingbolts off the eng block and 2 off the exhaust manifold to drain and then pourin some enviromentally safe coolant down the outdrive hose. Its not only easy but very quick and dont consider it a hinderance.