Options/opinions for slowing troll speed

[kickingfrog]

For spring eyes my boat trolls a little faster then I'd like sometimes. I then use a drift sock. Wondering if what experiences others have had with trolling plates that mount behind the prop?

 

16 foot Princecraft with 4-stroke 50hp.

 

 

[Gerritt]

They work...... Just make sure, it is up before you take off! Seen a couple of folks forget.... Not nice.

 

G

[lew]

Back when I had a 16'er with a 90 Merc I used a Happy Troller and it was excellent and slowed my boat down to a crawl. I no longer need to troll slow but if I ever decided to get back into that kind of fishing I'd buy another without hesitation.

 

Nice being able to troll without having drag buckets or socks behind the boat.

 

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.davisnet.com%2Fmarine%2Fproducts%2Flist_marine.asp%3Fgrp%3Dmo2&ei=2GkyVfGQMtDHsQSc94CYBQ&usg=AFQjCNH1xBJtThHCsiMkAJN5_xL7r9o2hA

Edited April 18, 2015 by lew

[Gnote]

To get my chaparral to troll slower for salmon fishing we set the idle a touch lower and now it works mint, i can go as slow as 2 mph with a v8 305

[kickingfrog]

They work...... Just make sure, it is up before you take off! Seen a couple of folks forget.... Not nice.

 

G

 

That could never happen cause I've never done that with a drift sock.

[Fisherman]

I've experienced both in use, for me it's a drift sock. Trolling plates are good if you're only trolling forward, a drift sock can be used in both directions, especially good when back trolling. If you're drift fishing for walleye, then the trolling plate is useless, the sock on the other hand can be hung off the side of the boat. I made my own from the top 3 inches of a 5 gallon bucket leaving the rim edges on. Then out with the sewing machine and made a long tapered cone from nylon with about a 4 inch hole. The upper edge doubled over with a 550 cord drawsting tight around the top of the bucket. It can 't collapse. I use it mostly for slow salmon trolling in the spring or when I'm alone in the boat downrigging, keeps me in a straight line.

[Bondar]

http://www.nauticusinc.com/nauticus_pro_troller.html

 

These work great and actual do everything they say they do

Edited April 18, 2015 by Bondar

[irishfield]

Two pool chlorine buckets, drill a hole through each side.. 15 feet of rope, with each end through a hole and knotted. Then about 3 feet from bucket a knot to make a "Y". Throw one over each front cleat on the boat and bob's your uncle. Slows you down, helps with boat control and you can store stuff in them when not in use. Make a good bailing bucket and with the rope already on them you can simply throw it over to get water to wash down the floor.

[Fisherman]

http://www.nauticusinc.com/nauticus_pro_troller.html

 

These work great and actual do everything they say they do

You can buy a whole lot of buckets and socks for that price.

[Steve]

I toiled with this question for many years...until I simply came up with my solution. 80lbs thrust stern mount trolling motor. Obviously you think to use the trolling motor to propel forward....I rarely use it for that (unless the water if completely flat, with no wind). I generally use it in reverse, to slow down my outboard....often this means the trolling motor is at 15% or so. That way you don't kill your batteries.

 

You can see it in this photo. On this day the lake was completely flat, so I was using it as my main propulsion forward...

 

 

.I also use it to help with incremental speed increases as well. Sometimes the motors get finicky, and you want to increase by 0.2mph or similar...I use this motor to get me moving ever so slightly faster. If I'm not bass fishing, I'm usually trolling. I won't go without my electric after learning how beneficial they can be.

[moxie]

Pick up a used one for half the price or less. Had a local rigging shop crimp some aircraft cable to use as a release. Steering control, especially in a bit of a chop can be quite the challenge so before i mounted it I made sure to add a third notch between the two existing ones allowing the plate to stay at 45 degrees. I can get speeds down to under a mile and hour and steering is greatly improved.

[Sinker]

I use my bowmount similar to steve, but just turn it so its pushing against my main motor. My main motor trolls at 2.5mph, but with the bowmount down and slightly going backward I can dial that speed down to whatever I want. Works like a charm.

 

S.

[DRIFTER_016]

If I need to really slow things down like I did last summer laker fishing I troll using my bow mount electric.

It enables me to slow right down (slowest I could get on a flat calm lake with the big motor was 2MPH) I dropped down to just over 1MPH with the electric @ about 35%-40% speed.

Caught me a bunch of fish using this technique. T'was nice and quiet too.

[Joeytier]

Have you played around with your idle screw at all? Something to consider if your motor is carbureted. Not sure how it works on EFI

[Moosebunk]

50HP 4-stroke Rob... what is the slowest you get and how slow are you looking for? Have a 60 that dials down to 1.4 mph, any slower and the electric does it easy.

[kickingfrog]

50HP 4-stroke Rob... what is the slowest you get and how slow are you looking for? Have a 60 that dials down to 1.4 mph, any slower and the electric does it easy.

 

 

About 4kph (2.5 mph). It's a light boat and in the first 3-4 weeks I like to go 2.5kph. The drift sock knocks that down but I was wondering about other options because I hate pulling the sock. I may see what I can do with the idle but I'm not sure I want to fiddle much with what I've got.

[Bondar]

You can buy a whole lot of buckets and socks for that price.

I don't think $200 is that bad considering you don't have to deal with all the clutter and storing anything extra in the boat plus they are used for more than just slowing the boat down

[Sinker]

I wouldnt mess with the idle. Try the bowmount trick. It works mint.....as long as its a power drive or similar. Cable drive wont work.

 

S.

[Blue Lk]

The average walleye fisherman in NWO has more hours running their outboards in reverse backtrolling than going forward at all speeds.

[kickingfrog]

I like these, completely impractical for my current situation.

 

http://www.thenextbite.tv/articles/paddle-your-way-better-boat-control

[moxie]

Affordable and effective ideas rendered here. More fishing, less analysis. Unless its simply to prompt a discussion

Edited April 20, 2015 by moxie

[BillM]

Rob, we had a trolling plate on our 40hp Honda that slowed us down just fine.

[fishindevil]

Happy troller trolling plate !! Works awesome and have used it for years put another notch between the 2 already there and it improves it 90% and gives perfect steering & boat control and can still troll right down slooooow

[Fisherman]

i like your left rear stickers, don't suppose there's any more available anywhere.

[manjo39]

There's a Happy Troller plate in the classifieds now in Sebastien's ad.

Edited April 21, 2015 by manjo39