trolling speed.................

[finnlander]

just bought a new [used] boat and was wondering about trolling speeds.the boat is a chris craft scorpion 21 footer with  a cuddy. i think it weights in at around 3500 lbs empty. its powered by a 5.7 merc cruiser with 265 h.p. i.m sure there are lots of you out there with a similer setup and was wondering if it would troll slow enough for salmon since this is my first boat with this setup i don.t know what to exspect. if it is alittle fast what would be the best way to slow it down.  i don.t want to drag anything behind the boat so what would be my best option. kicker? trolling plate etc??????? again thanks to all....................

                                                                                                                                 finnlander

[LongLine]

First thing is to see how slow it will go.  i.e. on your shakedown, see what happens.  Tilt the outdrive all the way down as it'll tend to push the bow into the water.

 

You can purchase drift socks or trolling bags that attach towards the bow.  However if you can't get down to the 2 mph range you might want to consider getting a small outboard for use as a kicker motor.  You'll also save a bit of money on the fuel bill trolling with the smaller engine..

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[finnlander]

hate bags and socks. might be hard to mount a kicker the boat has a moulded in swim platform. anyone know anything about trolling plates? anywhy i might be getting ahead of myself but do value all of your opinions and ideas.

[TyeeTanic]

You will probably be able to go down to around 3 mph, which might be fast on some days and depending on direction of the current.

I would easily consider the following items to slow me down in this order:

- kicker, you should be able to mount it (this will save lots of gas, take hundreds of hours off your main engine)

- happy troll plate. Mounts to the drive, but should be done by a professional or you may have corrosion of the drive (stainless plate vs. light metal drive).

- drift sock. Drift sock will attach to a cleat on the side of your boat towards the bow, not in the back. You may need one on each side to make it easier to steer the boat.

I've used all red methods.

[CC25]

Bags are not a problem once you set them up correctly.  

 

Tie them to the mid ship cleat, and let them run along side the boat so that the tail end of the bag is just forward of the transom.  You want that length of line short enough so that the bag doesn't interfere with your running gear when you turn.

 

That boat will run 3mph+/-, but I'm guessing a little more on the + side depending on how you're propped.  Most boats set up like that from non fishermen are propped for speed.

 

Gonna have to do something for sure to slow it down...

Good luck!

[Mower]

You can always get a different prop for the boat, you will loose a bit on the top end but would be one of the cheapest ways initially to get down to 2 mph. You can also adjust your Rpms at idle alittle to allow for a slower troll. Tons of options, it's just whatever suits your needs with your program.

[holy mackerel]

Trolling plates suck. No steering control, and if you forget to release them when you power up you will break them. You would be better off with bags or what Mower said.

[Has Been]

Yup speaking from experience, Trolling plates suck. I pull 2 pails w/a boat similar to yours. Gets me down to 1.75 or there abouts. I like them in rough water as they seem to stabilize the rock of the boat. I  pull one or two or none & adjust my speed with them .I play with them all the time ,more so than my throttle. Hook a good one & throw them over to  slow boat & land the fish. Would not be without them. A lower pitch prop might help you  somewhat  also. You want to keep your rpms up as much as possible to keep your oil pres  up to lengthen the life of your motor.

[finnlander]

thanks guys..... all good advice . never had this type or hp before so it all helps.often wondered if  all that idling was good for the bigger motors and if it could do damage after a while. good tip about oil preasure i.ll be sure to keep

an eye on the gauge.                                       

                                                                                                   finnlander

[Chas0218]

I would make sure if you run buckets throw a threaded rod thru them and attach that way because the handle will pull out.

[Sk8man]

Rather than screwing around with all sorts of "half solutions" I'd spring for the kicker if you can do it. Not only the easiest and most efficient solution but you will save your big motors life, run much more cheaply, and have much better control over your speed which is your initial consideration. A good kicker pays for itself over the long haul and provides you with some "insurance" in case your main motor develops unexpected problems while you're out there. A different prop might be an "additional" consideration in terms of being able to troll into the wind if your kicker can't quite do it when the waves are big.

[LongLine]

Chas - Rather than use a threaded rod use a length of rope.  i.e. if the bucket is 14" across then use a rope 24" long.  Simply knot both ends thru the handle holes.  This way your tow rope won't go to one side and can't get frayed on anything.

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[finnlander]

thanks everyone gives me some things to think about.............love this forum......

                                                                                      finnlander

[BAZOOKAJOE]

Go with sea bags. They help stabilize the boat too.

[shinintimes]

I use my fat buddys to slow my 5.7 down    the slower ya need to go the more ya feed um cheaper then a new kicker