Trolling with optimax

I have a Lund predator 1810 with a 115 optimal pro xs. When I first got the boat I was mostly a muskie guy and ran wot most of the time spot to spot. This past year I started walleye fishing on the river more and have been doing a lot of trolling. I’ve noticed that the optimax starts to run rough with prolonged low speed trips. Any tips to keep an opti healthy when trolling? I run quickleen and use dfi oil. Put fresh plugs in but first trip out this year still seemed a little rough. Hopefully I can buy a kicker soon.

A Opti likes to be run hard. Hammer down and let her go for a while. You don’t mention the year but I know my Opti was real touchy when it came to spark plugs. The gaping needed to be perfect for it to run right.

I agree for the most part with Dutchboy,however,if most of what you are going to do on the river is troll,try stepping down a size or two with the props,this will let you run the engine at a higher rpm without the dreaded loading up.

just remember not to over rev it with the smaller props.

I have an Opti luv the growl for trolling I have kicker but have spent hours and hours and hours idling using side imaging searching for fish and nary a problem. I do use a straight synthetic oil Amsoil HP. Mine has never been touchy about any thing stingy on fuel to boot.

On Lake Erie we have all but given up on trolling with the main engine. It would be a wise investment to switch to a 9.9 kicker. The 36V terrova will give you a solid 6 hrs of trolling if that would get you by. A 115hp outboard is a $15k investment. A 9.9 is around $3k for a pro kicker. Big 2 strokes really hate idling all day. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but there is a reason you almost always see a kicker on a serious walleye rig.

I troll muskies in the fall with mine (2006 ? 135 hp opti ) I had a scare late last fall when my motor suddenly stalled and would not start . Finally I checked the gas hose and noticed the primer bulb was empty . I pumped the ball and the motor started and ran fine . I asked my mechanic about it and was told the electronic fuel pump may be getting weak or a gasket leak , either way an easy fix if needed . He said the electrical fuel pump doesn’t get enough demand at slow speed and over a few hours the difference in consumption from the engine vs what the pump produces is slightly less and results in a dry fuel line . I was trolling slow all day when it happened.