Kicker motor?

[musky666]

I am considering adding a kicker motor to my rig- save hours on big motor, and better speed control for trolling. What do folks with kickers say- is it a worthwhile investment? Do you actually use the kickers to troll instead of the big motor?

[Sinker]

What size is your main, and how big is your boat? How much do you troll?

 

Lots of variables, but in most cases a kicker has more pros than cons.

 

S.

[Freshtrax]

I have a 2 stoke , and wish every outing it was a 4 stroke.

[BillM]

I like knowing that I've got another way back home if the main dies. Plus it keeps the hours off the big motor when trolling the big lake...

[wormdunker]

Most bigger motors (not all) will not slow down enough to troll. That's one of the reasons guys use a kicker. My 20 hp Yammy 4 stroke on my 14' Lund will only slow down to 2.4 mph. For walleye on Erie ideal trolling speed is 1.5 - 2 mph. Also I have been advised trolling with a bigger motor is hard on the engine. As stated above it's nice to know you have a back up engine to get you back to the launch if your big motor should fail.

[G.mech]

I put a 4HP 4 Stroke on my Princecraft 176 for backup and to save hours on the 115. I didn't want to go too big to keep the weight down so I thought this was the answer. Although it works fine and will push the boat at 6 mph, I wish I had gone larger just to keep the RPM's down since it is actually noisier and vibrates more than the 115 when trolling so I often end up running the 115 anyway. A speed control (such as trollmaster or iTroll) is very nice to fine tune the speed and a high thrust prop is essential to push a larger boat at low speeds.

Edited August 5, 2015 by G.mech

[2 tone z71]

I troll with my 60 tiller ..use a happy troller plate ,works great..motor alone at idle in gear is around 3 mph plate down its less than half that ..the min Kota will take up some of the trolling duties

Edited August 5, 2015 by North East Shark

[doubleheader]

A kicker is a good investment if your style of fishing is trolling at 1 mph and above, or, if you fish waters where a 2nd motor is simply a good idea from a safety perspective. I typically use my electric motor up to 1.2 mph, then my kicker to troll above those speeds. Consider a 2 cylinder 4 stroke, it will run with much less vibration than a single.

[KraTToR]

I am considering adding a kicker motor to my rig- save hours on big motor, and better speed control for trolling. What do folks with kickers say- is it a worthwhile investment? Do you actually use the kickers to troll instead of the big motor?

I went through the entire kicker process this year. Except for Muskie trolling, my main is too fast and I don't really like the idea of idling a 150 for hours on end.

 

I wanted a remote setup but went with the tiller handle because of the cost to rig the remote.

Installed it myself, there's a vid on U-Tube that shows the best placement.

Bought a cheap tiller ext. handle, upgraded it to the longer helmsmate with the U-Joint which works very well.

Still found it hard to control so I started using my bow mount minn kota to steer and I locked in the kicker steering - this works very well but it does deplete the batteries which may not be desirable depending on your situation.

Recently added a steering rod (Panther) between the main and the kicker and this works very well. I still leave the minn kota deployed in case I need it and I use it for the built in sonar - I use a split screen between the bow and stern sonar which helps with steering if you're following a weed line or drop off.

 

With that being said, I use the kicker a lot. It sips fuel and as others said, its a backup to get your a$$ home if the main fails. I plan on adding a planer board mast this fall for further benefit and of course it you have or plan to have down riggers, its a no brain-er.

 

It would be nice to know what you're boat setup is.

 

Good luck and PM me if you have any specific questions.

[JoePa]

Kicker motor - by all means - reasons include having a backup motor in case you have trouble with the main motor - uses less gas - a lot quieter - slower trolling speed - I have a 5 hp Merc 4 stroke and really like it - I have a 12 gal gas container just for the kicker and the extra gas often comes in handy - I have the extra hoses so I can use the gas container for my main motor if needed - I would never feel safe going out onto a big lake without a backup motor - I have a '91 Bass Tracker 17 ft deep V with a 40 hp main motor -

[musky666]

Good points, new rig this season- 2025 kingfisher Flex SPT XP with 225 Suzuki 4 stroke. I mainly fish for Ski so actually run motor at about 850/900 rpm when trolling for them ( which is often) Considering a 20 hp 4 stroke Zuke for the kicker- should troll down enough ( pushing big boat after all) for 'Eyes, but still crank it up for Ski speeds and if I needed her to get back to ramp in emergency. That being said- I ran my 115 Yamaha 4 stroke for 14 years on my 17' Starcraft with no issues- probably had 3000 hours on motor with no issues.

[Rizzo]

Have debated the same thing and decided against the kicker. I get out maybe 10 times a year, and troll about 6 hours each time out. Thats only 60 hours a year, pretty sure the Yamaha (90 hp)can handle that. Speed not a factor as I am fishing for musky. When I looked at the costs to get a kicker, get it installed etc etc it just wasn't worth it. I

[2 tone z71]

Good points, new rig this season- 2025 kingfisher Flex SPT XP with 225 Suzuki 4 stroke. I mainly fish for Ski so actually run motor at about 850/900 rpm when trolling for them ( which is often) Considering a 20 hp 4 stroke Zuke for the kicker- should troll down enough ( pushing big boat after all) for 'Eyes, but still crank it up for Ski speeds and if I needed her to get back to ramp in emergency. That being said- I ran my 115 Yamaha 4 stroke for 14 years on my 17' Starcraft with no issues- probably had 3000 hours on motor with no issues.

....what a sweet rig ..kicker on that monster for sure

[musky666]

Can get the kicker, w/ power tilt/trim, remote shift next to main control for a decent price from Marsh's, where I bought the rig.. probably gonna do it

[2 tone z71]

Can get the kicker, w/ power tilt/trim, remote shift next to main control for a decent price from Marsh's, where I bought the rig.. probably gonna do it

...a friend has that setup on his Lund ..makes fishing simple

[Sinker]

Can get the kicker, w/ power tilt/trim, remote shift next to main control for a decent price from Marsh's, where I bought the rig.. probably gonna do it

 

Do it for sure!

[davew3]

A 9.9- 4 stroke would be the way to go if your boat can take it. 6 hp if you have to. As said to keep you big engine from running at slow speeds which I believe can lead to carb and spark plug issues.

 

It is also a safety issue when out on the big lakes. It is nice to no that if your main goes down you still can get home. May take longer, but better then floating to where ever.

 

I use mine all the time saves on fuel and hrs on my main.

 

regards

[musky666]

Marshes offers the 9.9 and 20 hp Suzukis- gonna mount the 20 I think.

[scugpg]

20 might be lumpier while than the 9.9 as bigger twin cylinders.

 

9.9 would also be lighter.

[fishnsled]

I'd say the 9.9 will be more than enough for that boat. If guys are pushing much larger boats on the big water with them, you'll be fine. The weight of the 20 maybe a concern for that transom, but maybe not.

 

A few other things to consider I found on a Google search.

 

There is a great deal to consider when selecting an auxiliary motor. The horsepower of the motor is just one element. Other factors to consider:

--weight of motor
--size of motor
--shaft length
--battery charging capability
--compatibility with steering gear and linkage to main motor
--compatibility with remote control system in place on boat
--compatibility with fuel system and type of fuel needed, particularly if pre-mixed oil-fuel is used on main motor.

[misfish]

Being out on Terrys lund. His 9,9 4 stroke has plenty of power and great for trolling. A 20 is huge IMO

 

I still drool when I see that ride of yours. It,s sweet

Edited August 7, 2015 by Brian B

[leaf4]

A 20 would be overkill IMO girlfriends dad has a 9.9 on his 1850 tyee and it moves it along with ease

[Old Ironmaker]

I concur a 20 horse is overkill. A 9.9 is plenty for a 20 foot aluminum. I nabbed a 15 in January 2014 that matched my main by year and make, same graphic and elec. start and throttle/shifter for a steal of a price. The very first time I used it last year the battery died on my boat but there was just enough to crank the 15. It brought us back to the dock from 10 miles out in Erie from the Long Point Elbow to Nanticoke Creek if anyone is familiar. I use it to troll now exclusively and watch my amp meter on the combo closely. I will not leave the slip without it now, or my booster pack. I figure it saves me around 20, 25 bucks in fuel and oil in a day trolling. I used the big motor to troll for 6 years but would have to pull all the lines and give it a run every 45 minutes to cool the 115 and decarbonize it. That was a pain, a good pain because fishing isn't painful really, no complaints here.

 

I have been out trolling for around 100 hours this year and last and have used maybe 10 litres or so of gas including that 10 mile creep along last year. A kicker is a no brainer on big water.

 

A side note, we do complain about fishing, no fish, bad weather, snags, cost, all sorts of complaints. But there are worse things, many worse things in life, we have to keep it real, right?

[jdm66]

I have an 8hp on a 21ft heavy welded northwest jetboat and it pushes that boat easily.I agree with the others a 20hp is overkill.

[musky666]

Lol, the 20 and 9.9 weigh the same, so hanging the 20 on the back, will report how I like it after this weekend.