TOPIC:

Anyone here use a trolling plate on their main outboard? I dont have a kicker motor yet. My main outboard idles at the right speed for salmon fishing. Im looking to slow it down when i go out to Erie for walleyes. I dont troll a ton. Just looking into the trolling plate option instead of getting a kicker motor. Thanks guys.

Get the kicker. Using the main motor for trolling is going to kill it early (i was preached this by many mechanics). It is kind of expensive up front but replacing a big motor is a lot more expensive. Also if you spend time on the great lakes its always comforting to know you have a backup motor just in case the main dies miles from shore. Just my .02 but that was why I ended up spending the money on the kicker. Also an added bonus is how much less gas the kicker eats.

before the kicker I had a 5 gallon bucket with holes in the bottom I used for a drift sock and let it slow me down.

I used a trolling plate on my previous boat. It worked great and got me slowed up enough to fish for anything I wanted. Just have to make sure you raise it up before taking off.

An alternate suggestion to a trolling plate is a or a set of bags. I have run trolling plates years ago and didn't have the best of luck with them whether Automatic or Mechanical release. I am sure they may have made some improvements but the principle is the same and I would recommend the bag approach. Simple things to consider are very easy to use and easily removed. I have mine set up on independent rope systems set for each side of the boat. They are easy to throw over the cleats when I want to use them to slow down for walleye fishing or drifting and in the storage bin when I am not going to use them.

I use 2 trolling bags from Amish Outfitters, they are designed for trolling. A Lake Erie Charter that I was on also used Amish trolling bags but used 2 ropes.He tied the 1st rope on the large opening of the bag to the middle cleat and the 2nd rope on the smaller bag opening to a cleat at the back of the boat. The purpose is to pull up the rope on the back cleat which makes it a lot easier to retrieve the bag. I use to use 2 5 gallon buckets 1 one each side, the bags are a big improvement

I looked at a kicker but wanted a swim platform the width of the boat to allow a large cooler for fish and a swim ladder. When I am trolling with the 300 hp 350 Merc I burn 0.8 gallon per hour per Mercury vessel view. Most of my gas is spent on going to and from the fishing spot.
Bruce

Also use the 2 ropes for trolling, if drifting and I want to reduce speed the back rope can be released from the cleat and just trailed off the back as you drift. Amish bags are well built and had a pair of X-large for the 36ft, bought a set at BP for the 17ft and they have worked great for going on 3rd season.