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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | I know lots of people like to troll fast and don't like slow but i have had my best success in late fall at around 2.4 mph.
In my old boat this was no problem but now I have a new lund fisherman with a 115 merc I cant get down that slow.
Any suggestions?
I can't afford a kicker.
Thanks,
Steve |
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Posts: 140
| Steve,
Trim up the motor, use a drift sock or in a pinch a 5 gallon bucket with a GOOD handle work well. Taking the boat in and out of gear is another option, but gets old within 5 minutes. |
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Posts: 941
Location: Freedom, WI | Try changing props, but you may have to be careful not to over speed your motor. Also try trimming your motor up or down. Even trimming very high, I have had that help when prop wash trolling. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | different pitch prop. |
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| if you have a bow mount trolling motor, drop it down. it will help slow you down as well. |
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Posts: 311
Location: Ontario | The trolling motor tip is a good one. I'd suggest a $0.75 5gal pail or two over buying and installing a whole new prop. |
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Lots of great tips! Thank you very much.
If I was to go with a different prop, what kind of pitch should I be looking for?
Steve |
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Posts: 1086
| If you do go the route of the bucket, which does work great, make sure you drill a nice sized hole in the bottom to allow some water to flow through. Same concept as a drift sock....
Props can get expensive. |
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Posts: 550
Location: So. Illinois | I would think something with less pitch so you are traveling less distance with each revolution |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | Can the dealer you got the rig from set the idle speed down on the motor? |
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | Putting the trolling motor down helps, great advice! You can also try TM trolling when slower speeds are desired. |
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | I am a complete dummy when it comes to the prop pitch thing. I don't have a clue.
I have a good quality drift sock but have never used it trolling. Actually kind of shied away from doing so because everything seems to freeze solid when I pull it out of the water.
I will trolling in below freezing temps most likely.
Steve
Edited by Phoenix 10/8/2009 1:49 PM
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Phoenix, go to your dealer to help you find the right prop. I would buy a cheap one since you are likely going to be around the rocks... I have two props in my boat for the same reason. There's a guy in brainerd who fixed me up. If you want, i can dig up his info.
Do you know what your current prop is? |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Ex-wives I hear work as well as a bucket. |
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Posts: 3511
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
With that motor and gear ratio, I would suggest NOT getting a different prop...you won't see a significant enough change in speed to make it worth your money. You'll spend more money for a prop than you would for a good drift sock. The sock only needs to be back far enough so it doesn't interfere with the motor itself. If you get one, I would suggest getting one that has the float on it, so if you catch a fish, you can unhook the sock and play the fish without the sock getting caught up in it.
Prop changes really will not have all that much influence on overall speed at idle. At 800 or so RPM's on the motor at idle, and a gear ratio of 1.85 or so, a 13 pitch prop would get you something around 4 or so (theoretically higher, but slip is different under idle than at speed).
With a little "guesstimating" and using a 10% slip factor, you would need to find a prop that is right around 6 or 8 pitch. Probably not going to happen.
If your motor has a 2:1 ratio An 8 pitch prop with a 10% slip would put you right around 2.7mph.
Even if the slip ratio was higher, you would still be looking at a prop with a pitch in the single digits. If you had to get going with the motor, I'd bet you'd be over your max RPMs before you even reach half-throttle...which also means your boat will not even get out of the water...
The sock is your best bet for what you are looking to do, and it packs away into tight locations and out of the way.
Steve
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Posts: 6
| 2.8 is better than 2.4 dont worry about speed unless you are over 3......14 over 50 in 13 days..results speak for themselves..... if you do better at 2.4 party on...... |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | How does the bucket trick work? Drill holes tie and toss it out?
S.Killips |
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Posts: 3511
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hi Esox,
That is about it...not much to it, and why it is considered a "crude" method of slowing down a boat... It is not pretty, but it works.
Steve |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Thanks Steve how far do I have it out? Or does it matter? I want to do some fall trolling but I have a 125(no money for kicker) and I don't think I can get a good slow speed. So I might have to try this. TM down I could do that to.
S.Killips |
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| I know my boat trolls faster with more weight in the front of the boat. It must plane out better and troll quicker. Try moving some weight (tackle boxes\coolers\tools to the back of the boat and see if your speed slows down bit. This helps for about .2 mph on the GPS. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I just thought of another one... my buddy has a "happy troller
http://www.cabelas.com/p-0000918010961a.shtml |
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Posts: 1430
Location: Eastern Ontario |
I was wondering how come no one mentioned a trolling plate. Buckets and drift socks can and will get in the way. |
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Posts: 144
Location: Loves Park, IL | I've haven't done much trolling but if your talking about moving weight to the back of the boat to create more drag and slow it down, maybe try filling the livewell with water. That would add a lot of weight to the boat and maybe help a little??? |
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Posts: 8863
| So would a full tank of gas. But then you probably don't want to end the season with 30 gallons of gas in the boat... |
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Posts: 3511
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | The only drawback with the trolling plates is you lose turning capability with them. They do slow the boat down well, though...my brother in law has one, but hates it if he has to back up....
That definitely was a thought of mine as well, but I am also one who hates to drill holes in the anti-ventilation plate...or for that matter in any part of the motor...
With the sock, it wouldn't need to go out very far behind the boat. I could see one off each side at the rear, or centered behind the boat somehow....this assuming you are not prop-wash trolling.
If you get a fish on, the drift socks usually have a rope to pull toward the boat which will collapse the bag. Quickly out of the way so you can fight the fish without issue of tangles... If you were by yourself, it may take a little planning to get it done right, but I think it can be done...
Steve |
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | RWolf..........At what surface water temps do you begin trolling at 2.4 to 2.9 mph? Just curious, I havent trolled that slow in the past.
Thanks for info.
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Posts: 6
| I troll (slow roll) from 60 degrees down to 53 at 1.5 .... then speed back up to 2.4 to 2.8 from 53 to 40....may change bait wobble based on fish preference. ...still throw topwater down to 50 degrees. |
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Posts: 295
Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair | Trophymuskie - 10/10/2009 10:18 AM
I was wondering how come no one mentioned a trolling plate. Buckets and drift socks can and will get in the way.
Richard is right on......my boat trolls down to 2.9-3.1 mph at an idle with the correct prop. Tossing buckets or socks over the side or off the stern is nothing but a HUGE pain especially in below freezing temps, you always end up getting wet putting them in or taking them out. I use a Happy Troller trolling plate which will get me down to 1.25 mph with ease. I've found no problems with handling either, in fact the one I have actually helped the boat get on plane quicker and stopped a bit porposing it did because of extra weight I have in the stern They sell for around $150, install by drilling 4 holes in the anti-cavatation plate on your motor and can be taken off/put on in about 5 minutes once the holes have been drilled. They are a waaaaaaaay better solution than going about things half a$$ed.
Good Fishin'
Tim
Edited by Roughneck1860 10/11/2009 2:32 PM
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| If you really have to go that slow, use your electric motor instead of your gas motor. |
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Posts: 6
| 4 hp. Yamaha 2 stroke longshaft........ just another tool...... |
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Posts: 529
Location: Not Where I Want To Be | I 2nd or 3rd or 4th the Happy troller Idea. I use to run one on my Javelin With a 115 fast strike and it worked great. Just remember to flip it up when you go on plane |
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Posts: 529
Location: Not Where I Want To Be | edit
Edited by bridgeman 10/12/2009 4:36 PM
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | Have your marina show you how to adjust your idle speed down. |
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Posts: 43
Location: Roch NY | VMS - 10/10/2009 6:22 PM
With the sock, it wouldn't need to go out very far behind the boat. I could see one off each side at the rear, or centered behind the boat somehow....
Steve
I don't use my drift sock to troll, just trim the motor up but I keep 2 mooring ropes tied to my sock so that I can use the loops to easily tie it to the cleats at the back of the boat. those equal length ropes are perfect to keep it centered behind the motor (or off the front or side of the boat for that matter) depending on how I want to drift. |
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Just ordered the EasyTroller Trolling Plate from Cabelas.
Going to try it out in 2 weeks. I'll let you all know my impressions.
All the reviews of it were very positive.
Steve |
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Posts: 295
Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair | Phoenix - 10/22/2009 3:34 PM
Just ordered the EasyTroller Trolling Plate from Cabelas.
Going to try it out in 2 weeks. I'll let you all know my impressions.
All the reviews of it were very positive.
Steve
You wont regret it. If you Walleye fish at all it will get you do to speed for that as well.
Good Fishin'
Tim
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | I have read a lot about people putting an extra notch in the bracket so you can put it down at a 45 degree angle instead of 90. Supposed to handle better and let you run at lower rpms. Mostly for when you don't need super slow i guess.
Steve |
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Slowing down trolling speed