controling trolling speed

I need some input on how to decrease the speed of my boat when trolling.

1. Bought a 1600 Lund Explorer with 50 hp Yamaha 4 stroke 7 weeks ago. Still on breakin but almost there.
2. Idle is set at 850 rpm and that is consistent with manual.
3. Dealer says they installed a prop that provides higher top end speed.
4. Present prop probably translates into a trolling speed that is a little high for me.
5. I do think the added weight of a kicker is justified for my size boat and motor combination.

Should I (a) purchase a smaller diameter prop and give up top end speed or (b) ask dealer to decrease idle speed (which may result in more difficult starts)? I may have to break down and buy a drag chute for windy days anyway. Would the drag be enough to slow the boat? If so, what size drag chute should I buy? Your advice is appreciated.

What’s your trolling speed at now and where are your trying to get to? If you’re at 2.5 mph and you want to be able to troll at 1 mph, forget the prop switch ‘cuz that’s going to fall well short of your goal and you’ll be stuck with a boat that just doesn’t haul the mail any more on the top end.

The rpm’s can likely be adjusted lower than where you’re at now. Possibly even a couple hundred lower and I doubt you’ll see a poor running motor because of it. No doubt this will drop your trolling speed but you’re not likely to have the speed control you’re looking for if you want to go in crawl mode.

Another option is back trolling with your main motor works well for live bait applications (poorly for pulling cranks) and can really slow down a boat when needed.

A small 6 – 10 hp 4 stroke kicker is the way to go if yo ureally want the best solution. I would suggest the T-8 from yamaha as the best hands down – bar none kicker motor on the market right now. And it only weighs 101 lbs so it won’t be too much motor on the transom.

Trolling bags work OK but you do sacrifice convenience and some times boat control. All the bags are rated for length of boat so when you go shopping each bag should have guidelines on the back of their packaging for the size recommended for your rig.

Hope this helps. The best solution for this is to break down and get that kicker.

I agree on the kicker. Running a 9.9 merc along side my 75hp on my 16 footer.
Drag socks are a pain in my backside.

James,
The T8 kicker you run is it with electric start and trim and tilt?

FYI – I can troll at 2.4 MPH (GPS) with my 225 Yamaha 4 stroke in dead calm conditions.

What speed are you going now?

Is it by the speedometer or GPS?

Yup… that’s the one. Sa-WEET little motor!

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James,
The T8 kicker you run is it with electric start and trim and tilt?

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Hey thanks to all for the quick responses. I do not have a speed meter on the boat, just the tack. Do not have gps either, but am thinking about that. Therefore I cannot say what my speed is, it just feels a little fast, even when I have tried to backtroll. I may have the dealer reduce idle speed as you suggested when the post breakin check up is done and try that. I can understand why the bags are a hassle. When I sail, taking down the jib and hauling out the spinnaker and pole gets to be tiresome. Anyway, thanks for the info.

Dave “ecnook” Koonce here on the website has the same boat you do I believe, powered by a 50 hp merc. He went around and round trying to get the trolling speed down with the 50 and ended up popping for the kicker. Give him a shout if you want specifics related to that boat. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help.

Yes I would try to adjust the idle as mentioned.My 100hp Yamaha idles down to 1.8 mph . I like to troll with 24V electric it works good for me and I like the silence. Wind socks I think work better on lakes. Hybes

Like James said……

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the T-8 from yamaha as the best hands down – bar none kicker motor on the market right now.

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The T-8 is the way to go, but if you are like me and can not afford one right now here is another option from the Walleye Searchers Web Site that works well for me, I can get down to 1 mph gps on the river with this system.

I wish motor manufactures would make all engines troll super slow; unfortunately they don’t, so we have to either get a kicker or slow down the boat in other ways. Although my motor trolls slow enough for pulling cranks, it is still too fast for the very slow pulling of live bait floaters on 3-ways. I could have put on a kicker but have not yet seen an easy and comfortable way to control a kicker from the driver’s seat. I also like to have the power of the big engine always available whenever it is needed. To slow down enough to pull floaters, I deploy a 2-gallon plastic feed bucket off each side of the boat. The ropes to the buckets are just long enough to keep the buckets from getting hit by the propeller. Now I can slow troll from the comfort of the driver’s seat and not have to stretch or stand to reach a kicker handle. After several years of trial and error I found that holes in the bucket, snaps, or swivels are not necessary; just replace the metal bucket handle with a longer rope.

What about a troll plate????? Does any one suggest or have any opinions on that??? I seen Cabelas Has a Hydrotroll for $99 and I believe you get a free drift sock with it???????? Any opinions on that product???

Those troll plates do slow you down but my experience regarding their affect on boat control has been horrible. Opt for the sock / bucket route instead in my opinion.

Many thanks for all the info. I may try the bucket route for now.

I run a Yami F75 and have the same issues.

If you don’t have a transom mount electric motor, you may want to look into one. Way cheaper than a kicker. I use a Minn Kota Vector. I can troll forward and backwards as slow as I want with this. When the waves get about a foot and a half, your fifty should be able to backtroll down below a mile an hour.

On calm days, using my F75 to troll, I can slow down by trimming the motor up, or turning the vector on in the opposite direction.