Looking for input on kicker motor

[Jbfish]

I have a 2101 seaswirl stripper I’m looking to put a kicker motor on for trolling purposes any advice on what hp motor ,long shaft or short shaft ,  what controls to get any thing would help thanks..  

[Jeremy Goodison]

Pro kicker 9.9 xl shaft. I’ve ran mine on a 24’ trophy and now a 196 Fishmaster.

I had a panther steer which was “nice”. It suited a purpose but in rough or wind was not great. Now I have lowrance autopilot to the main engine and ez steer to kicker. Love that setup

 

 

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[FishingFool34]

9.9hp will be plenty for a 22ft boat, 20" shaft will likely also be enough (depending on how you plan to mount it). I would look for something with e-start and a charging system too. Power tilt/trim is an option to consider but not 100% necessary (again depending on how you plan to mount it). Remote throttle lever is another option but personally I would go with a tiller handle model and purchase an aftermarket throttle control unit (Trollmaster, iTroll) as it is much easier to control speeds with an aftermarket unit than the remote lever control and price difference would almost be a wash.

 

[Rookie Fisherman]

Mercury's Pro-Kicker it designed for what we do. Little pricey but worth it.

Had a 9.9HP on the last boat and 15HP on the new one.

XL shaft, Electric start, Power trim/tilt, alternator,  4 blade thrust prop & geared for trolling.

I would consider the 15HP. Only 14 pounds more than the 9.9 and the 15HP is now an EFI motor.

The 9.9 has 6 amp alternator and the 15HP has a 12 amp.

I run it with an I-troll very sweet set up!

[laker1]

I have a 8 hp Honda long shaft with 6 amp alterator to charge cranking battery.

The long shaft gives you great control while trolling compared to short shaft.

Using a 17 ft Lund. The Honda has an aftermarket tiller extension which works well. The trolling speed can be adjusted to reduce speed minutely to your taste / conditions. I like a trolling engine that starts easilly. 

[SylvanTroller]

I have a proline 231WA. I run a 9.9 Yamaha with a 20” (long) shaft. If you have the cash power trim/tilt, electric start and forward controls are all very nice to have. Someday I’ll get a power trim/tilt.


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[SamonSez]

Same question, really. (sorry about the hijack, Jbfish)

 

I am picking up my 1986 Starcarft 250 Fisherman with original 5.0 MerCruiser from Rustyhook1971 in about a month. Not totally sure about engine condition but know that it runs. What I do know is that I can't get stuck 5-10 miles out on the lake or I will never hear the end of it from my wife.

 

Questions:

Should I get an e-start Yamaha 20hp kicker with long shaft (20") for trolling to make sure I can get back in, even in rough water?

Will it troll slow enough without using bags?

Is a 9.9hp really enough motor for this set-up (getting back in, not the trolling)?

 

I plan on getting an autopilot with an Ez-Steer to main.

 

Many thanks for any advice!

[Sk8man]

Just a couple of considerations to throw in the mix:

The trim and tilt etc. is a nice option but adds weight to the motor too so your bracket needs to be able to support it too.if you use one. Many of the two stroke motor brackets don't recommend anywhere near the HP rating for 4 stroke use and the weight of  many 4 strokes exceed the weight limits of the brackets.

Although the longer shaft motors give a better propulsion in the rough water and waves you have to make sure that they don't drag in the water (e.g. the prop) when going at high speed when underway so positioning is critical (so there is clearance when motor is fully up) and in some cases the longer shaft not desirable on some boats.

The weight of some basic 15 HP motors is fairly close to that of the 9.9's (depending on what options they have) so sometimes it is a decision between whether you want the extra propulsion vs. the fancy option features.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Sk8man

[horsehunter]

If you just want to troll at 2.5 mph anything will do but if you want to get back in when the going is heavy a 15 OR MORE is probably preferable . My boat is only an 18 footer and when looking at kickers and wanting a Suzuki I discovered the weight difference between 9.9, 15, and 20 was negligible and only the 9.9 and 20 were available with trim tilt and controls . I do a lot of muskie trolling in big water at speeds to 6 mph and over the years fishing with friends discovered that when it was lumpy they had to shut down the kicker and troll on the big motor. I went with the 20 hp long shaft weight, cost, and fuel consumption are not much different than a 9.9. and it will bring me home.

 

edit: my kicker has an available fuel line from the main tank but I normally run it from a plastic portable tank in the splash well figuring if the main was down because of a fuel issue the kicker on the same tank is little help.

Edited February 25, 2020 by horsehunter