Slowing Troll with Driftsock

[captpierre]

After puttin a 4 blade prop on my Yammy 115 to improve hole shot and fuel efficiency at cruising speed, been frustrated at higher min trolling speed. Jumped from 2.2 to 2.5 mph @ 700 rpm.

 

Been using the bowmount MinnKota and steering with the Yammy. Works but boat control is lacking.

Today hung out a MinnKota drift sock I've had for years.

Took a bit of adjusting.

Added about 3 ft of rope and hung it off a midship cleat.

Had to be long enough for the sock to stay fully in the water.

Too long and risk getting into the prop.

BuddaBoom

Works great. I'm down to 1.5 mph

Boat pulls a bit to that side.

Anybody know if there is a downside to the motor with the extra drag at that RPM?

Hope I put more eyes in the boat now ?

[Tom McCutcheon]

I don't see a downside going this route. The motor is still at 700 RPM's and it was happy there in the past.

 

If it does create a problem, there is always the old standby of backtrolling in order to get slowed down. You may need to install wave protectors off the back transom though.

 

The other option is changing the prop out for a smaller pitch.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Tom McCutcheon

[kickingfrog]

The cleat the drift sock is tied to is the only thing getting more stress and that's not likely more then what it would get if you use it to moor the boat.

[Steve]

another option to use is to have your bowmount down, but in reverse, slowing down your outboard troll...

 

likely 15%-20% speed will do what you need.

 

most think to use their electric motors to troll forward...actually more efficient to use them in reverse to slow down your main motor.

 

drift bags work for trolling however, as you have noted. they don't like waves very much...causing for big surging....(at least they did that for me on Quinte in the fall).

[esoxansteel]

With the warmer water temps, and metabolism sped up 2.2 to 2.5 sounds fine for me trolling for eyes, in fact ill do that on opener, when water temps are just on the north side of 60 degrees, right now im even close to 3mph, with cranks, with harnesses im slower and use my Terrova, and bounce around the 1.3 to 1.8 depending on wind etc

[fishhard]

I have a yammy 115 as well, do you find a big improvement with 4 blade prop?

[DRIFTER_016]

When I went from 3 blade 17" pitch to 4 blade 17" pitch on my Merc 115 my trolling speeds stayed the same. 1.9-2.2 MPH @ 700 RPM.

I can get down to about 1.5 MPH by cutting back my RPMs to 550 using Merc's troll control system on my smart craft guages.

Yesterday I needed to drop down even slower as I was power jigging in 70' for lakers and just used my 80# Minnkota with copilot.

Was trolling between .6 and 1.5 MPH depending on what I wanted to do (highest speed I used on the TM was 3 yesterday). Steering was done with the remote and auto pilot.

 

Smacked a bunch of good fish too!!!!

 

PS. I also have a drift sock in the boat for those times it's needed.

[DRIFTER_016]

 

I have a yammy 115 as well, do you find a big improvement with 4 blade prop?

 

 

My Merc really works much better with the 4 blade than 3 blade prop.

Get up on plane in a boat length and it grips more water so I'm able to trim it up higher raising the nose more and running on the pad.

I gained about 4MPH on the top end.

 

Unfortunately I dinged it on a rock last week so I'm back to the 3 blade until late in the year when I can get it repaired.

Going to have to get me a second 4 blade me thinks.

[captpierre]

 

 

I have a yammy 115 as well, do you find a big improvement with 4 blade prop?

Had a sluggish hole shot with 3 or more people in my 17.5 Lund.

Kawarthas Prop suggested a 4 blade

Better hole shot and gained 5mph at 4000 rpm. Went from 20 to 25 mph.

I think I lost a bit at the top end. Not sure.

But lowest trolling speed increased.

All in all was a good move. I think.

[Old Ironmaker]

The only time we will troll below 2.5 is if pulling wormharneses. To slow down the troll kick her into neutral from time to time I have found it often triggers strikes when they see a change like a wounded bait fish would. Trolling into the wind will slow you too. I wouldn't sweat .3 MPH. GPS speed or transducer speed .3 MPH isn't much. I did much diving just a few years back, I have never seen any fish or bait fish swim at the same pace or direction ever for much distance.

[Sinker]

What Steve said. I do it that way almost every time on the water. I can stop the boat if I want.

 

S.

[Oggie]

I paid a lot of money for a Happy Troller plate and quite frankly I was happier with the drift socks technique. I find the plate very limiting. It`s too slow at times (like going into the wind) and it makes maneuvering very difficult. For $200 installed I wouldn`t buy one again.