Outboard VS I/O

[paradis]

Aside from the increased fuel consumption issue with an outbard, how do you troll really, really slow for striped bass with an outboard?

My I/O idles at @ 500 rpm and I can go about 1.5-3 mph. 2-strokes usually idle much higher at @ 900-1000 rpm......How do these outboard guys do it? If the bait moves too fast it does not go deep enough and also a bass just does not seem to want it if its too fast.

[CT_V-20]

I don't troll much, but my buddies with outboards that do use kicker motors.

[Capt_K]

Try trolling with a drift sock tied off your rear cleat. I do this when I am trolling with the tide and wind. I can get my speed down to 1.5knts ( gps ) doing this
Capt K

[chumbucket]

900 - 1000 rpm is too high. Outboards should be idling at about 600. Best thing for trolling is a kicker motor. Drift socks will work, but better for..........you guessed it. Drifting. I've used drift socks quite a bit for Fluke fishing.

[paradis]

Can you turn the idle down that low on an outboard? I had an old 1984? 75 HP merc on a whaler and I could never get that thing to idle slow enough. If I did it would occasionally stall, carbon buildup, etc. The thing used to shreik like a SOB when running too. Drove me nuts. Thats why I went to an I/O. Don't have the cash for one of those new 4 stroke OB's either.

Tried the drift sock idea and got my line tangled up in it. Wind shifted and I almost cut the thing to bits w/ the prop....only good to slow a long drift like for flukin maybe.

[chumbucket]

Can you turn the idle down that low on an outboard?
Yes. They really shouldn't idle that fast. My Yammi idled at 600 rpm. Carbon buildup is a concern with older large HP motors trolling at slow speeds. Hence the justification of a smaller kicker motor.
The thing used to shreik like a SOB when running too.
Common with Mercs. Older ones anyways.

[Blue_Runner]

We socked it to the stripers trolling at 6 - 8 mph out of Oregon Inlet this time last year using diving plugs. I couldn't believe how fast those 15 - 25 lb fish dart to grab those plugs! I always thought striper should be trolled slowly....until last year ;D

But, to answer your question from one particular angle, I've got a 70hp outboard with a trolling plate attached to the lower unit. Its a trolling plate with springs on it so you don't have to raise or lower it. For anyone who doesn't know, a trolling plate blocks the thrust of the prop to slow down your speed.

The one I bought was a "Hussle Trolling Plate". I love it for flounder fishing in small creeks. It took my 17fter down from 4mph to 1 - 1.5mp. Its great for docking too! The thrust of the prop pushes it up when you gas it up. Here's a pic:
http://www.johnsonmarinesupply.com/images/medhussle.JPG
My only complaint is that it did not come with stainless hardware so its pretty rusty looking now! Just the springs and bolts of course!

Blue

[macojoe]

I run a Stingray hydrofoil on my engin.

Is there a way that these can be run toghter??

Or do you have to run one or the other??

Does the trolling plate work as a hydrofoil when under way?

[Seakindly]

What a waste. :'(

Always strikes me as being a crummy thing to do. Take a big motor and burden it so you can go slower while it labors and wastes gas and oil and carbons up.

Why not just get a kicker and save your big motor and maybe even your own *** one day. 8)

[Mac_Attack]

This what I had on my Gruman 16. There was no room for a kicker and maybe you just don't want a kicker.
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jhtml?id=0000912&navAction=push&navCount=1 &indexId=cat21370&parentId=cat21370&parentType=ind ex&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog% 2Fpod-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276

[Seakindly]

No room for a kicker on a GRUMAN 16? Mac, is that a canoe? Surely there had to have been enuf room for a 1.5hp cake mixer like CT has. I hope there was enuff room for life preservers, at least. ;)

[reelapeelin]

Slow trollin' made easy...pull one or two 5gal buckets off the rear cleats...each bucket should slow your forward speed approx 1/2mph, so 2 will drop it 1mph...we use this trolling lead-core in the hot summertime for stripers...worx great ;D...

[macojoe]

Well in my situation, I have a bracket and there is no room for a kicker. So I have to figuire *away to slow it down.
It is a real pain to keep going in and out of gear!!

Thanks Mac!! I am going to look into that one!!

But I never will rember to pull the buckets back in!! I have done this in the past with my sea anchor!

[Seakindly]

MJ, You could clamp a couple of oars to the bracket. The blades should slow you down. Then when your carboned up 175 Yamaha seizes up - you can always unclamp the oars and row home. ;D

[macojoe]

My motor may die but it will never be dead because of carbon!!
I decarb at least twice per season! That is one thing Yamaha is good for is carbon, and I won';t let it happen!

[Blue_Runner]

Are you kiddin? A kicker would've cost more than my whole rig! :o

Seriously though, this thing works great. At least on my 70hp. It serves as a hydrofoil MJ, but I have both on my 17 footer. Anything more than idle and the plate raises up. It really doesn't even affect top end like you would think. As previously noted, stainless steel hardware would make this thing ideal for the slow trolling, ocean going, fanatic.

I'm definitely going with a kicker on my V20. Both for slow trolling and for insurance.

[Blue_Runner]

Mac, I'm sure that plate works great, but there are 2 distinct advantages that the hussle plate has over one like yours.

1) First and foremost, you don't have to put it up and down (unless you want to modify it - I did mine so it would be up when I was just cruising). This is important for morons like me. You know good and well you are going to get excited and take off with that thing in the down position. That's either going to mess up your lower unit or shear a pin (if the thing has a pin). That just seems like a pain to me?!

2) The hussle plate has a hole in the middle - bet you are wondering why? Well, you'll find out when you put her in reverse. The hole lets the motor function better in reverse.

MJ, here is where I ordered mine. They have 3 sizes for different HP motors. I don't see anything about Yamaha, so you might want to call the guy on the 800 # to ask. Mine was a Johnson.

http://www.johnsonmarinesupply.com/hussle_trolling_plates.htm

[mawshj]

sounds to me like you are trying to fix a problem that does not or should not exist, I have an old 85 evenrude 175 rebuilt that
idles at 550 nicely, the biggest problem I have is trying to maintain steerage when running a crab line or trolling for rock.
Most service guys like to adjust the motor to 750 to 1000 rpm
and this may be needed on a 4 stroke to maintain oil pressure but does not bother a 2 stroke. if you tinker a little I think you could get your motor to run slower. Every one including the dealer told me my engine would carbon up at slow speed, but I run a crab lline at 550 all day and I have not had a problem in 20 years ?? I blow the engine out at high speed on the return to the start of the line for another pass./ But I have trolled for 6 hours at slow speed. I worry about carbon but I have not seen it.

[CT_V-20]

"cakemixer", I love it! If I call it that maybe my wife will let me keep it in the kitchen. LOL

[Seakindly]

CT - Jaysea was showing me one that he picked up for a song, this summer. He demonstrated it in a 5 gallon bucket. It was the cutest thing. Like a baby puppy or kitten. Almost followed me home. ;)

[Seakindly]

MAWSHJ - Welcome :) I am also a believer in the wot carbon blowout routine.

[Mac_Attack]

B-R mine had shear pins which when I forgot to release it I broke a few. *I found this type looking through Cabelas. *I liked the idea of the shear pin because I suffer from CRS. *I liked the hole idea. *I drilled three holes in mine. *Not for reverse but the plate blocked off too much thrust. *In reverse it wasn't much good but I hardly ever used reverse when it was down. *If I got a snag I would do a slow circle. Never knew about the hussle plate. *Had I known I probably would have gone that way. * SK I do like the kicker idea, it was the first thing I added to my V20. *On the Gruman I did toy with the idea of adding an electric motor off the bow. *Around here they are used mostly for bass. *I never bass fish. *For the safety side I added a radio and we always had two paddles aboard. *I might add we never ventured too far. *Good walleye fishing a mile out. *Here's a photo of the plate with holes. *Bill Mc
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/Machockey/TrollingPlate.jpg