How Slow Will It Troll?

[icanfish]

Recently bought a new Lund 1625 Rebel XL SS w/60HP 4-stroke Merc, and I'm wondering how slow it will troll with the big motor. Boat has 80# bow mount w/IPilot, but still curious.

[REW]

Ican,
Remember, you as the boat owner, can prop your motor with many different propellers.
You can prop the motor for high speed, mid range, or low speed.

If you want to go fast with a poor hole shot, prop the motor with a heavier or larger number pitched prop.

If you you want a slower top speed, but better hole shot, prop it with a prop that is 2-3 inches lower pitch or lower number.

If you want to troll really slowly, then put a prop on your motor that is the lowest pitch prop that you can buy for your motor. If you do have a prop that has a very low pitch, then you will have to keep an eye on the tach so that you don't over-rev your motor.

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If you don't have a long run to your fishing ground and you want to be primarily trolling, then put on the very low pitched prop on your motor. If you normally have a top speed of 40 mph with the typical prop you may have a trolling speed of 2 1/2 mph.

But, instead of a 19 or 17 pitch prop, you put on an 11 or a 13 pitch prop you may very well have a top speed of only 30 mph, but you will likely drop your trolling speed to 3/4 or 1 mph.


Take care
REW

[Radnine]

I have the same motor on my 16' Fish Hawk. It will troll at just under 2 MPH as indicated on the GPS on a neutral day. Any wind/current with and you are over, any against and you are just under that.
I find that for walleye I tend to use the electric for propulsion and use the main motor as a rudder.
Jim

[djcoop52]

I have the same motor on my 16ft alaskan with a 13 prop top speed 32 to 33 trolling speed 1.8 to 2.2 going forward have not checked trolling backwards. Most lakes I fish for walleye don't allow trollling. With side console I usually prefer forward.

[Swmncruzer]

I have the same concern with a boat that I just bought. 20 ft boat 200 hp yam on it. The prior owner used it for skiing with the kids. The motor has a four blade stainless prop. I'm thinking that this is a hole shot type prop? Should I plan on buying a 3 blade for trolling speeds? Or should in plan on a kicker? Any answers are appreaciated!

[hiliner]

I have 50 h.p. outboard that I use to troll with, I put out a bag on each side of the boat with a line to the bow and stern this works very well to control my trolling speed.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by icanfish

Recently bought a new Lund 1625 Rebel XL SS w/60HP 4-stroke Merc, and I'm wondering how slow it will troll with the big motor. Boat has 80# bow mount w/IPilot, but still curious.

I'm not sure what the normal idle rpm is with that motor, but the use of the Troll Control feature will only bring it down to 700rpm, which might not be a reduction from normal idle. I had a 2005 Merc 60 4S which came from the factory with the idle set too high, and went back to get it corrected, which if memory serves me right was at about 650-675.
HRG

[West Newton River Rat]

By a happy troller plate if it does not slow down enough. I have used one for fishing the Mississippi for the last 7 years. After adding a notch for a 45 degree angle on the plate I will never be without.