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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | I have a 1750 fisherman with a 115 merc. and want to be able to troll down to 2 mph but am finding that 2.6-3 mph is the best I can do. I have noticced also that my stainless 17 pitch vengeance prop from merc allows me to troll slower than the stock aluminum prop that came with the boat.
This got me to thinking. Is it possible to slow the boat down even more with another prop change? If so what would that prop be? I would like to go as cheap as possible because I will only use the prop 7 days per year.
I have already looked at trolling plates and drift socks but I don't think these will be good solutions for me unless there is no choice.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Steve |
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Posts: 4266
| I used to have that problem and did 2 different things to help.
You can throw a drift sock off of the bow and let it ride under the boat. This also helps if it's real windy, or trimming your motor up with knock your speed down but make handling a little more difficult. |
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Posts: 109
| A cheap way of doing it is with a 5 gal bucket. It should slow you down to the speed your wanting.
Changing the prop will help slightly but overall you wont be happy.
Edited by MoMuskieguy 10/12/2008 9:01 AM
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| Trimming up or down sometimes help you get down a half mph or so too, depending on your situation. The heavier stainless prop is a bit harder to turn at idle than that aluminum prop was. A heavier stainles prop(maybe one with much higher pitch) could possibly get you down a bit slower, but it might be a prop that doesn't get you on plane very well too, and would be an expensive alternative.
Not sure how much trolling a bit slower means to you, but if you are having any trouble with hole shot, list and/ or porpoising on top of your trolling speed issue, a set of trim tabs could help in all areas. I've been researching the Smart Tabs from Nautilus, and several of the Walleye guys are running them on big tillers or boats with issues like yours and more, and they really like them. The tabs(with or without added trolling system installed for vary degrees of braking) would serve as brakes while you are trolling, and as an aid in getting up on plane and staying there at slower speeds. Probably not a direction you'd want to go for trolling speeds alone, but might help if you have any of the other issues described.
http://www.nauticusinc.com/smart_tabsSX.htm |
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| ooops, sorry to restate what beav mentioned about trim... |
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Posts: 3513
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
To slow that boat down significantly, a prop change will be a hard pressed to take off a mph or so. A drop in pitch from 17 to 15 will do little to that, and even a 13 or 11 pitch would not do too much to it.
The trim tab idea that reef hawg mentions sounds like an option since the tabs would be acting as a brake in the water and would be below the bottom of the boat hull at trolling speed. While at speed, they would come up due to the pressure of the water going across them, and would keep your bow down nicely...not a bad option here...
A drift sock or bucket would work well too, although I can see where some might be a little skeptical in doing this since there is some line over the boat and potential for tangle in the motor (depending on where you place the sock or bucket)
The trolling plates do work so long as your are forward trolling. As soon as you try to back troll, handling becomes a huge issue.
My only other thought would be is how about a kicker motor? Yes..a little more money, but it can be seen as money well spent since if the big motor goes down, you have a way off the lake. Plus, you can then more accurately dial in your trolling speed, and if you wish, use a connecting rod to the big motor and steer from the console (if console equipped) or just with the tiller handle of the big motor.
A good 6hp or 8hp would do well on that rig...one with big ears. I have a Johnson 8hp with a solas 4 blade prop in 5 pitch...with it, I am able to get under 2mph with the big motor down.
Steve |
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Posts: 50
| Look at a Propulse prop check them out here http://www.propulse.se
Edited by Swede 10/14/2008 7:57 PM
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | thought about trying this last year:
http://www.lindylittlejoe.com/fishing_tips/drift_control_tips/troll... |
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Slower Prop