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Posts: 23
| I have a mr.pike 18 with a 150 fourstroke, what h.p kicker would you recommend? |
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Posts: 72
| 9.9 high thrust |
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| 8hp would work
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | Buy what matches your 150 |
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Posts: 23
| Would a mercury 15 pro kicker be a overkill for a 18 foot boat? |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | Better to have too much power then not enough |
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Posts: 23
| I have yamaha 150 four stroke
Looks like the mercury pro kicker come with power tilt , electric start and a built in pull start. |
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Posts: 483
Location: NE PA | advantage of a 9.9 over a 15 come into play if you have hp restricted lakes...otherwise, more is better IMO
Edited by lennyg3 2/5/2015 9:48 PM
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Posts: 269
Location: Oregon, WI | 9.9 especially if you want to fish on the many 10hp restricted lakes in IL. |
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Posts: 270
Location: SE WISCONSIN | I just got a Mercury 9.9 pro kicker with a tiller handel and a tie bar to the main motor so I can steer from the wheel. |
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Posts: 23
| I don't know of any lakes around me that are under 10 |
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Location: Windy City | Or buy the 15 and get a 9.9 sticker. Go Yamaha. Matches your big motor and is a great motor. |
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Location: Windy City | For what it's worth the 9.9 high thrust should push that boat around 6 mph pegged. |
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Posts: 106
| The Suzuki 9.9, 15, and 20 hp motors are all the same size and weight, so the only disadvantages to going big would be price and use on restricted lakes.
If I get a kicker, I thick I would get the Suzuki because they are the only fuel injected 4-strokes.
Also, if I get a kicker I will clamp it on instead of bolting it on. That way I could use it on a small boat. |
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Posts: 455
| If the lakes are not restricted why would you need a kicker? It will add weight rob performance from the big motor and you won`t make your money back in gas savings for about twenty years. Also steering will not be as crisp. You would have to troll a few thousand miles a year to make it worth it. Unless you want to go slow for Walleye I just don`t see the need. |
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Posts: 23
| 3 mph is the slowest my 150 will go
I'd be getting it so I don't drain my trolling motor batteries when I troll for walleyes |
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Posts: 106
| Trolling slow is the main reason for kickers. Some boats will only troll down to 3+ mph.
The other reasons are;
More precise speed control.
Allows the use of speed controller, like I-troll.
Back up in case main motor fails.
Reduce the hours put on main motor. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | muskyrat - 2/7/2015 7:58 AM
If the lakes are not restricted why would you need a kicker? It will add weight rob performance from the big motor and you won`t make your money back in gas savings for about twenty years. Also steering will not be as crisp. You would have to troll a few thousand miles a year to make it worth it. Unless you want to go slow for Walleye I just don`t see the need.
Hiya,
One thing I believe everyone should consider if they are any sizable body of water....SAFETY!! If anything, the kicker gives you peace of mind on the water if something were to happen with the main motor. Be it a rock strike, or some form of mechanical breakdown, that kicker will save you. I have had to travel 10 miles with a kicker because my main motor broke down. If I didn't have that kicker, I don't know what I would have done...
On smaller lakes of maybe 1000 acres or less, I might be able to make it off the water with a bow mount depending on where I am on the lake, but anything bigger than that...you may not make it back.
As for the original question: Your boat is not huge, so an 8hp 4 stroke would do just fine. Performance will not be hindered by any major amount for the boat...in fact, it could acutally make the boat a little more efficient in the water. The extra weight in the rear moves the center of gravity further back in the boat, which allows the main motor to more easily trim the front of the boat with less trim angle because the bow will rise easier. If you lose one MPH or two, I'd be surprised...
Steve |
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Posts: 489
| Brand doesn't matter. The small motors are all made by tohatsu. |
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Posts: 2097
| I like having my kicker to save hours on the big motor. |
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Posts: 455
| I leave mine home unless I`m fishing restricted water. I like trolling with my main tiller in the center of the boat. I feel like this gives me the best control. I`m not worried about hours on my motor or breakdowns. I can drop anchor and wave down a tow or call a buddy. If I was in the wilderness with no cell service I would leave it on. I understand you do need it for Walleye as they are hard to get at 3mph. |
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Posts: 228
| I like using a kicker motor for trolling. Saves a lot of time on the big motor and great for emergencies!
Bob |
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thinking about buying a kicker