trolling with big motor

[grizzerdog]

I am looking at a 185 Tournament Sport Alumaccaft the max motor is a 200. Can a person motor troll slow with a 200 4 stroke or 200/175 optimax/v max I have a 115 Merc.4 stroke on my Smokercraft and it trolled great. Or would I be better off buying a kicker motor. Any info. will be apperated. Thank grizzerdog

[JLINN]

I have a175 Tournament Sport. I have a 135 Optimax and a 9.9 Bigfoot Merc 4 stroke. I do not use the big motor as it trolls to fast for slower presentations such as spinners/crawlers long-lined. i also prefer to be at the transom when trolling as I am closer to the rods when in holders

[Walizz1]

While some big motors may idle low enough for trolling you have to consider what's happening to the motor. IMHO, idling for hours at a time can't be good. While I'm no expert mechanic I would think that carbon buildup would occur and be detrimental to the engine. If you troll alot you could easily put 2-300 hours on an engine in a years time. Those 4-stroke kickers are made for trolling with, as a rule, only lower unit oil changes and a set of plugs. My T-8 just keeps hummin' along. My advice is to buy your favorite brand and save the big motor for getting to your favorite spot.

[Walizz1]

OOPS!!! Forgot to mention crankcase and filter change for 4-strokes. I did mine once already this year.
Good Luck Fishin'