Thread: Trolling

Originally Posted by Ringo

Happy Troller is a trolling plate. You attach it to the big motor and it allows you to slow the boat down while running at idle speed with the main engine. The plate drops down in front of the prop.
Ringo

If you don't want to buy a trolling plate, a 5 gallon bucket tied to the front of your boat will slow you down about .3 mph. I use one on my toon when I use my gas motor a 60 hp 4-stroke.

I use a 43 Lb thrust Tm on the front and pull 4 poles with crankbaits and raise the motor. Don't know how fast Im going put usually in 4 speed out of a 5 speeds. With a good new battery I could troll all morning long, carried a extra battery put mostly didn't need it. Cheaper than using gas and less wear and tear on the motor.

Creekslick splane how you do the bucket bit please.

Harold

Harold, here's how I do it.

I have a 21' pontoon boat with a 90 Yamaha 4-stroke and a 101 Minkota 36v trolling motor on the front.

I can troll (literally) all day and into the evening on that tm. I really can, with no problem. When using the tm I like to troll between .8 and 1.5.

I can engage the Yamaha and the motor will allow me to go about 2.5 and that's okay in familiar water. Yesterday I made the mistake of using the big motor in new water. Before I knew it, two bandits were caught on a submerged tree and spooled the two rods, breaking the line before I could get the boat stopped or the bails up.

Earlier that day my fine new Lowrance 520c went belly up on me (see the electronics forum for my rant) so I couldn't see the tree. I wasl in 40 fow and figured I was in the channel. Now so, evidently.

Needless to say I got a case of the red azz real quick. BTW, I did circle back and recover ONE of my Bandits. The other one is history.

So, there you have it. I wish you the best on your trolling. One thing's for sure, you will really get to know your water if you troll the same areas.

aj

Originally Posted by creekslick

If you don't want to buy a trolling plate, a 5 gallon bucket tied to the front of your boat will slow you down about .3 mph. I use one on my toon when I use my gas motor a 60 hp 4-stroke.

That seems like a good idea; but where do you tie the bucket? How long is your rope? Anything else we need to know?

I troll off a 20' pontoon so I tie a 3' to 4' piece of rope to the handle of the bucket and the other end to the center eye on the front of my toon. That slows me down to between 1.8 and 2.1 depending on the wind. Some people drill hole in the bucket but I don't. If 1 bucket does not slow you down enough you can put one on each side of the boat. Last year I had to do that to slow down enough. Hope this helps.