Kicker Vs Bag

[adipose69]

I have a 22" trophy with a 3liter in it. I can't get it down to trolling speed so is a bag a better way to go or a kicker?

My buddy is giving me a 9hp mercy but needs a lot of tlc.

What's your guys thought?

[bout time]

Personally I would go with the kicker. I have trolled without one and with bags and it works but it's nice to have the extra motor and it saves hours on your main

A bag will work but after time you will get build up on your plugs. I know on my dads boat even with a bag out its tough to get down to speed. You can change the pitch of your prop to achieve the results you are looking for too. You can also also use a trolling plate as well vs a bag.

All will work it just comes down to several factors, hours on main, buildup, deploying and running bags, low enough RPMs, and of course $

Edited March 18, 2016 by bout time

[guffins fisherman]

A couple years ago, I looked long and hard at putting a kicker on my Trophy walk around. I ended up sticking with bags. If $$ and altering your boat to that degree are no object, go with the kicker. Here is why I stuck with bags: it was a tough place to mount the kicker bracket due to the cockpit drains(and get the long shaft prop into the water far enough), I didn't have the $$ to buy a four stroke(if you run a 2 stroke you will need a separate fuel source and lots of it), add in the cost of a quality steering linkage(sitting on the back of a 22' boat to steer is no fun and dangerous). I currently run two bags on my 25' Proline and still want for that kicker sometimes. Just a pro/con game you have to play in your head. There are people that swear by a kicker, and to some degree, I agree with them, but the right bags run on both sides of your boat are very effective. I know of many pros that do it that way.

[Chas0218]

Depends on how much you could use the kicker. I mainly troll so for me I have a kicker. The big motor will no matter what use more fuel than a kicker unless your main motor is small (less than 25hp). This is where you need to figure out how much fuel you burn and how much fuel a kicker would burn.

 

In my case this was obvious. My 2 stroke '88 johnson 150 burns around 1 gallon an hour trolling 2-2.5mph. My 8hp johnson 2 stroke burns about .3 gallons an hour. So here is the math, I troll around 200 hours in a season that is 200 gallons ($400) of gas with my big motor and kicker uses  63 gallons ($120) so there is a big difference for me. If I bought a newer 4 stroke I could spend even less in gas for my kicker. 

 

On Lake O there are days where my kicker won't push me fast enough into the waves and I am forced to use my big motor but I use that little guy for almost all trolling up to 4' waves then the big motor has to help out.

[Firechief48]

I fully agree with bout time. I have a kicker and carry bags but the big thing is if your main goes down you have the kicker. It may take awhile but it will get you in.

[ram]

I tried the bag method just to awkward for my needs, I have a swim platform so I custom fabbed a bracket and now run a kicker all the time, plus its nice to have the 2nd motor, my main engine lost ignition last year, Boy was I glad I had a kicker. And my ignition was replaced  year ago. Go figure

[Buckmaster7600]

Last year I put 21hrs on my main and 317hrs on the kicker my 4stroke uses around a 1/4-1/5 of a gallon an hr. Between fuel savings wear and tear on the big motor and safety to me it's a no brainer.

[henrybud]

This is a great thread.  I have noticed that on very rough days that some of the best captains run bags regardless of speed.  Is this a boat control thing?  Do the bags offer a more consistent bait offering?

[Rich D]

I have ran a kicker on my last 2 boats, will never have one without it!!! Like what has already been stated: wear and tear on main engine, fuel savings, and I your case, a way to get back in if main breaks down.

With my current rig, 29' Aquasport, I also have a bag out and handy, just incase it gets snotty. The bag will settle the boat right into the waves, and prevent the bad rocking motion. Good luck with which ever way you go, any questions shoot me a pm.

Capt Rich

[salmonboy41]

I put a kicker on boat just to have extra engine, but the fuel savings are huge just like Chas0218 if you troll a lot.

[bout time]

As Rich said the bags are used to control the rocking motion of the boat that get most sick as well as slow you down. With the bags out it makes fishing in rough seas more pleasurable

[rolmops]

I use a kicker as well,that is mostly for the extra security in having a second engine. You can also install a smaller propeller which will allow to go slower on the main engine.

[ifishy]

if you can afford a kicker its the way to go I got lucky and was given a 7.5 honda 4 stroke on long term loan.  i can run about 3 trips on 4 gallons of gas. its quite and the security of an extra motor is worth its weight in gold. as for recomended types I would kill before giving up my honda simple and solid when I got it it had sat in a garage for 10 years.  I cleaned the carb changed the oil and it fired right up.  it runs steady all the time.  those small hondas are worth a look even the older ones if they were cared for at all let alone well.

[adipose69]

I have a kicker, but it's a 2stroke and I really don't have a spot for another fuel cell so that seems to be an issue too. I may buy a bag and experiment on what works best in this or that condition.

[Jakob5pennies]

I also am thinking of the troll motor, I have a starcraft 19' but has a lot of bow rise so i added 200lbs. of weight to the front that worked but now the weight of an trolling motor i get worried about that. but like the idea of an extra motor

[Todd in NY]

I use a 15hp 2 stroke kicker on my 19ft aluminum center console boat. I use a 3 gal tank on the deck at the back of the boat and I made a "box" to cover it and keep it out of the direct sunlight. I have never used more than roughly half that tank of gas in a single fishing trip. The kicker is quiet and uses much less fuel, and like many other have mentioned, I like the security of having a 2nd motor on my boat.

 

Forgot to mention that I had to add a pre-set throttle assembly, Evinrude part # 174741. Without it, my motor wouldn't hold its speed above idle. It would fall from 2.5 mph back down to idle speed. Now it works like a champ and stays at whatever speed I set it at. Its a 1992 Evinrude.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Todd in NY

[lineman49]

I fully agree with bout time. I have a kicker and carry bags but the big thing is if your main goes down you have the kicker. It may take awhile but it will get you in.

  Been there done that, last year. My kicker got us in. I say go with the kicker.

[longbow]

I use Amish bags currently on my Avenger.  Looking for kickers now and am shopping around.  Love the bags when it is rough out as it keeps the boat right on the water and calms the ride down a good bit.  The boat has over size trim tabs on it too so I can angle them fully down and get the boat slowed down pretty good and the bags really get it slowed down and I can keep the rpm's up a bit at the same time.  

 

All that being said I owned a Pro Line that I truly loved but blew up two motors on it and frankly the kicker I had on it, an old 2 stroke Mercury brought us back in several times when the big motor quit.  I must have had the two most unreliable outboards on Lake O on that boat.  The thing I have to consider is that unloaded the Penn Yan Avenger weighs in at around 4100 lbs.  It is a real heavy weight in that regards.  I think it is due to the extra foot of beam width.  So looking at 15 and 9.9 hp high thrust motors with all the goodies.  But will always keep them big mouth Amish bags on board.  Just a good comfortable ride with them.  thanks