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Posts: 68
| Hey guys,
Im thinking of getting a kicker one of these days and have a few questions/need advice.
BOAT: 1998 Crestliner Fish hawk 1650
*What would be the smallest I could get away with(2 cylinders) trolling up to 5mph?
*My big motor is oil-injected,.but could I split the main fuel line with like a adjustable 2-way valve and feed the kicker motor(4-stroke) when in use?
*Any brands/manufactures to steer away from?(current to say 15 years old)
*Any brands/manufactures that are a cut above the rest?(current to say 15 years old)
Any other tips/set-ups/advice is much appreciated. Thanks! |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The Merc Pro Kicker 4 stroke is now the standard out there. Power tilt, light, powerful, and tough, and it's a 9.9 with will get you the speed you ask for. If you T the line, a shut off valve may be necessary to the kicker. Easy to do.
You may be able to get away with an 8 horse. Near any used kicker will work for you, but I'd search out a used Pro Kicker if I wasn't going new. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I had a 4 horse on my very light alumacraft bass boat and it went 5.5 MPH....I definitely wouldn't go smaller than an 8. |
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| I had a 6hp evenrude on my 1999 1750 fishhawk. I hated it. It was too loud. Go with an 8 or 9. |
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Check your pm |
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| Dont know about weight difference but I have 2006 18ft pro v with merc 9.9 pro kicker and only get 5.5 max wish i would have went with 15 |
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Posts: 68
| Thanks for the input guys.
* Doug,.. that really surprises me about that 9.9. |
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Posts: 5874
| The Merc ProKicker is not a speed demon. Not supposed to be. The prop and gearing is designed for maximum control and thrust when trolling slowly. Not designed to push a big boat at the higher speeds sometimes required for muskies.
Not sure if the 15HP ProKicker will get you much more speed than the 9.9.
You can put on a higher pitch prop that might get you some more speed. |
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Posts: 291
Location: New Jersey | I have a lund 1650 explorer with a johnson 9.9 4 stroke kicker. It will get me to 7 mph. One thing i would recommend is getting the bar that attaches to your main engine so you can steer from the console (provided you have a console). If you can, stay away from carbs, go with a fuel injected motor (if even available).
If you happen to get tilt/trim, run a switch up to the front casting deck so that you can raise or lower without leaving the casting deck. Dont worry about "T"ing the fuel line for the engine, i used to have that and it was fine.
I have heard very good things about the merc pro kicker, but i personally have not used it.
Also, i have heard to mount the kicker on the driver side (starboard), but mine is on the the port side. I dont know what kind of advantage you have with it directly behind you, but i have heard that a few times.
As far as the throttle goes, do some research on one that you can make very minor adjustments to. For instance, keeping your boat at a particular speed, such as 3.6 mph.
Thats about all i got for now. PM me if you have questions, Rob
Edited by muskyhunter34 1/6/2012 5:30 PM
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
In a 4 stroke motor, an 8 hp will do just fine. I have a Johnson 4 stroke and depending on the prop you choose to put on, you can get a high thrust prop from Solas (comparable to the Yamaha T8) with big fat ears or you can stick with the standard propeller. I chose to go with a solas prop in 5 pitch and at full throttle will get to just under 6 miles per hour.
I feel if you go any bigger of a motor on that rig, it is going to really make the boat list to one side and if you are sensitive to that while casting, it will be highly noticed. Also, when trying to get to around 5mph, you will be running the motor at a higher RPM which usually means a louder running engine. Although you are looking at a 4 stroke, the engine is small enough that it does not have the same sound characteristics of a larger outboard... It will be loud enough that you may not like using it for faster trolling speeds. My 8hp 4 stroke isn't bad, but I would definitely notice it if I was to use it for 5mph. I feel if you are looking to get to 5mph, you would be better served running the big motor. Get some good quality synthetic 2-stroke oil (I'd suggest amsoil HP injector) and you will rarely (if ever) run into plug fouling issues.
What I did to save space and keep things somewhat clean for my kicker is I purchased an external fuel/water separator and mounted it inside the splashwell on the transom. I ran the fuel hose from the below-deck fuel tank to the separator. Then on the separator itself, you can run two separate fuel lines to your two motors....each having it's own primer bulb.
The fuel water separator is a great piece of equipment to have since our ethanol-blended fuels have more water-attracting qualities to them. Definitely can be an added bonus for a more efficient running engine (either motor) and can help keep things running smoother if you get into a poorer batch of gas.
Steve
Edited by VMS 1/6/2012 7:02 PM
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kicker questions