Trolling question/second attempt

So I tried trolling cranks seriously for the second time this past weekend. My first attempt was at grayson lake. That only got me 1 striper. My second attempt got me 1 big bluegill. But no crappie. The first time I tried trolling cranks I used my trolling motor but I quickly learned that it won't get me above 1 mph. And this weekend as I was by myself, I learned that even with a "trolling plate" my gas motor only gets down between 2.5-2 mph.
Correct me if I'm wrong but so far what I've learned is that 1.6-1.8 is ideal for trolling cranks for crappie?
My question is what can I do to make the motor slower? With it being 2-stroke I don't want it to idle too slow and start fouling the plugs but I also would like to be able to go slower. Maybe my trolling plate isn't on correctly. (It was on there when I got the boat so I honestly don't know)
My second question is this. Somehow I managed to take a chunk out of one of my prop blades so I guess I'll be looking for a new prop. Is there a certine type of prop that maybe has bigger blades or a different pitch that makes them more ideal for trolling?
Any and all help is appreciated as I really want to learn to troll. I quite enjoy it.


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Talk with someone knowledgeable about props.. Changing the pitch will slow you down but will also cut your top speed.

troll backwards

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Originally Posted by Bassing_53

troll backwards

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I honestly never though of that....


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Tow a couple by buckets it'll slow you down

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Originally Posted by REDBOAT

Tow a couple by buckets it'll slow you down

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Another great idea


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Buckets or wind socks will slow you down. If you are going to do a lot of trolling upgrading the trolling motor will help. Or just pick days with 15-20 mph wind and troll into the wind, that will slow that motor down. rotfl

Drift sock could slow you down

All good suggestions here. However, what is the HP of your engine? How large of a boat is it pushing? What does the idle speed suppose to be for that engine? (Check online or call a marina.) I don't see how slow trolling a 2 stroke is going to be that detrimental to the plugs. All you need to do is get up on plane for a minute or so to blow it out before pulling off. Never been a problem for me.

Push comes to shove, back trolling could be a solution, depending on the depth of your transom. And if it's not too windy. Otherwise you'll probably take water over the transom, so be careful about that. Trolling a bucket or drift sock is your next best option. But I would definitely have that motor looked at. I have a 9.9 Evinrude with which I troll frequently. No problems, no worries.

You could add a transom mount trolling motor to get the speed up.
Fin

The motor is a 25 hp Johnson


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I like the drift sock option for to reasons... cost and time. Sounds like a lot of time would be consumed with the other options. Buy the drift sock(s) for your boat size, use it when running the big motor or when trolling with the wind (high winds). You'll have to decide which combination works for you. One drift sock latched to one side of the boat will drift you sideways. Two socks or a harness (purchased or homemade) will keep you straight. Also, if you don't have one already get a backup battery just for trolling... A CDC member and friend loaned me a sock one day on the water during high winds. It put us at the perfect speed and we started catching fish!! Thanks again Al!

I have a Minn Kota Power drive mounted on the front of my Alumacrft 165 competitor, simply aim the trolling motor straight ahead and bring the foot pedal back to me at the drivers seat. I set the foot pedal on the gunnel, flip the switch to constant on, and only adjust the sped control. Then with the engine off, I use the steering wheel to steer the outboard the boat where I want to go. You can troll like that a what ever speed you want to go.
No drift sock needed.

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Originally Posted by Specklocker

I like the drift sock option for to reasons... cost and time. Sounds like a lot of time would be consumed with the other options. Buy the drift sock(s) for your boat size, use it when running the big motor or when trolling with the wind (high winds). You'll have to decide which combination works for you. One drift sock latched to one side of the boat will drift you sideways. Two socks or a harness (purchased or homemade) will keep you straight. Also, if you don't have one already get a backup battery just for trolling... A CDC member and friend loaned me a sock one day on the water during high winds. It put us at the perfect speed and we started catching fish!! Thanks again Al!

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Can you explain the harness and battery back up ideas? I'm not sure I understand what you mean


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Try adjusting the idle screw on the motor. Often just a slight turn will drop the rpms at idle speed and slow the motor down a bit. I did that on a new Yamaha 25 hp last yr.

I would suggest a small 2h.p to 6 hp kicker outboard. or a happy troller.

I had the same problem as you Jman, only I have a 14.5' runabout with a VRO 70hp, and the same set up as Dave with the Minnkota, only my foot pedal set up is modified and in the dash
My problem was when I fished slower river water I couldn't get below 3 to 3.5 mph after leaning down the Idle circuit, and turning the Idle down, I have 4 different props for it, (13,15,19,and a 21)so I went to the 13" pitch it only came down to 2.8 mph...Being poor I took 2 - 5 gallon buckets and drilled 1" holes in them(Just on the bottom to start) with a hole saw they slowed it to .7 mph up stream so. I just kept adding holes to the sides till I got my .9 to1.4 mph...Bring your cordless drill its not as bad as it sounds
Just remember to pull them out of the water before you take off......something Else, you'll want good rope and clips and don't trust the bucket handles take the handles off and drill holes to mount 3 points

With the harness you can clip two ends to where the trailer straps hook to your boat and the remaining end clips to the sock. These harnesses are normally made for pulling tubes for recreation. I made my own by measuring enough rope to go around my motor and end to end of my boat, tied a knot with a clip in the middle and attached a clip to each end. $15 cost.
I do a lot of trolling and will usually drain a battery before the day is over so I have a back up battery just for trolling. It's usually the one I've had for a year and has started to get weak but will take a charge. I have a trolling motor that will get me to my desired speed so I never use the big motor for trolling. Windy days will burn thru a battery for sure. Most new boats come from the factory with 3 batteries installed. I hope this helps.

My old 2 stroke hated slow trolling. I switched to a 24v Terrova trolling motor and it trolled easily at 1.5 - 2.0. On my new boat I have an Ultrex and it does well like the Terrova. There are some pretty good deals out there on used Terrovas if you watch closely for a while.

You can also use log chains 2 at about 8 ft long to start just remember to pull them in before running down the lake don't ask me how I knowrotfl

What trolling motor is only pulling you at 1mph?

I'd just upgrade the trolling motor. Quiet and easy to steer.

It's a 2011 motorguide


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I was thinking about putting one of them troll plates on my motor. Slowest I can get mine going is 2.88. I dont want to upgrade my trolly motor because then you have to worry about battery issue. So not sure what to do.

I tried the bucket idea today. Worked pretty well. Got me down to 1.5. I managed to catch 2 crappie today while trolling. The rest came off jigs and minnows
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