Electric vs gas kicker....the debate continues

[Bobby Winds]

I use my 70# Minn Kota for trolling worm harness on Lake Erie for 4+ hours this past year and when I pulled up the TM I checked the battery power left and it always says 3/4 left. I only have two 27 group batteries for my 24 volt system.

I love trolling this way with NO noise whatsoever.

For trolling the gear (boards, dipsey's and cannon balls) I have so far only used my main 90 hp motor. But I do intend to try the TM for this kind of trolling if it's dead calm out.

[Northland]

Get both

[jalichty@bresnan.net]

I have both a 24-volt trolling motor and a 9.9 Pro Kicker and would point out a problem that I have. When we go to Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park, we go for a week at a time. Our 24-volt trolling motor will work fine for most of one day, but then is useless for the next day without recharging which I cannot do in a "dry" campground with a late time of 8:00 for using a generator. Therefore, for me, a gas kicker is fine. Use it all day, use it all the next day and the next day and the next day and so on. My kicker is slaved to the large tank in the boat and will not run out of gas, unless the boat does. Certainly uses less gas than the big motor and is quieter as well. We can troll down to about .7-.9 mph all day long but can also troll around 3-4 mph if we wish. Most of our trolling is around 1.7-1.8 mph for trout in the lake where we love to fish and enjoy life. So, for us the gas kicker is a much better alternative.

[K Gonefishin]

If you plan on doing any trolling for longer than 4 hours at over 1.5 mph you need a kicker, I troll for eyes, steel/salmon, musky and I would never own a boat without a kicker.

I wouldn't be without my terrova either but if I had to pick one, I would go kicker without question.