Trim/Tabs

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Looking for auto trim tabs, to help getting on plane and staying there at slow speeds, and also help slowing down my boat for trolling. I have a 2002 Lund Fisherman 1800 with 115 HP Mercury. I have looked at Lenco, Bennet not enough information on their descriptions about boat size or installation.

Tabman · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

nam71,

Both Bennett and Lenco have sizing information and installation instructions available at their websites. A Bennett 8" x 10" M80 system would be a good choice for your boat. If you had a picture of the transom that would be helpful.

Chris1956 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Hydraulic Trim Tabs do not usually slow a boat down for trolling. Those spring loaded models may, but they are not adjustable, so they will not help you level the boat or allow adjustment of tab angle (and bow height).

Bennet does have a table of recommend sizes for boats. I would recommend you buy a size larger as it is only a few dollars more and you should get a bit better performance. When you install them, make sure they retract all the way, so they point a bit up. There will be times when you do not want any tab action at all.

Ernest T · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Check out Nauticus Smart Tabs (Protroller series). They are automatic, and the Protroller bracket lets you drop the tab into a near vertical position for slow trolling. Check out this site and video: http://www.nauticusinc.com/nauticus_pro_troller.html

Bondo · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Chris1956 said:
Hydraulic Trim Tabs do not usually slow a boat down for trolling. Those spring loaded models may, but they are not adjustable, so they will not help you level the boat or allow adjustment of tab angle (and bow height).

Bennet does have a table of recommend sizes for boats. I would recommend you buy a size larger as it is only a few dollars more and you should get a bit better performance. When you install them, make sure they retract all the way, so they point a bit up. There will be times when you do not want any tab action at all.

Ayuh,... Hi Chris,... I beg to differ 'bout that....

That's the ace, #1 reason I tabbed my barge, to scrub off speed, trollin'...
I've got extremely Over-sized Bennett's on mine...
When I deploy to Full down, idle trollin' speeds go from 'bout 2.5 mph to 1 mph...

I used to have a regular aluminum prop, 'n used drift socks to control boat speed...
Now, I've got the Torque-shift prop, at 11" at idle, 'n those Huge tabs...
I rarely to never need the drift socks anymore...

As fer the Op's application,... I'd think the Smart Tabs, protrollers would be the ticket,...
Mostly due to the request for "Automatic" tabs...

While Bennett has that feature, the price premium is large...

Sorry Tom,.... How's the new Palace comin',..??

Tabman · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Bond-O,

Good points!

We are in a holding pattern with the new place, waiting for a closing date. Hope to have it first thing this week. You will be seeing more of me at the DIY site soon!

Tom

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Tabman said:
nam71,

Both Bennett and Lenco have sizing information and installation instructions available at their websites. A Bennett 8" x 10" M80 system would be a good choice for your boat. If you had a picture of the transom that would be helpful.

Hi Tom,

here is the pictures, appreciate the help, I said auto, but I don't really know what I am looking for. The biggest trouble I'm having is getting to plane with people in the jump seats, and staying on plane at lower speeds. I can always troll with my minnkota, the 8 HP Mercury goes to fast. The best I can get with either mercury motors is 2 MPH GPS.

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Ernest T said:
Check out Nauticus Smart Tabs (Protroller series). They are automatic, and the Protroller bracket lets you drop the tab into a near vertical position for slow trolling. Check out this site and video: http://www.nauticusinc.com/nauticus_pro_troller.html

Interesting, they actually have a nice idea, I would like to get under 1 MPH GPS though, and for a heavier boat with a larger motor than 40 HP, I wonder how well they would work

Bondo · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

nam71 said:
Interesting, they actually have a nice idea, I would like to get under 1 MPH GPS though, and for a heavier boat with a larger motor than 40 HP, I wonder how well they would work

Ayuh,.... I think they're exactly what you said you wanted....

Yer kicker motor, 'n electronics are gonna be problems for the Idea installation, of any of the choices,...

When ya move the tabs further out, you'll need to raise 'em abit to deal with the outside chine...
Raisin' 'em up, limits their down...

Tabman · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Nam,

Can you tell me the distance from the chine flat to the center line of the kicker (red line) and the distance from the center line of the kicker to the start of the keel flat (blue line)?

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Tabman said:
Nam,

Can you tell me the distance from the chine flat to the center line of the kicker (red line) and the distance from the center line of the kicker to the start of the keel flat (blue line)?

Tom,

the blue line is 11" and the red line is 20". It is possible to move my transducers as the 1 nearest the motor will be removed anyhow, I bought a new Lowrance HDS 8 & structerscan, so the old fish finder has been removed

Tabman · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

nam71 said:
Tom,

the blue line is 11" and the red line is 20". It is possible to move my transducers as the 1 nearest the motor will be removed anyhow, I bought a new Lowrance HDS 8 & structerscan, so the old fish finder has been removed

Nam,

Are you sure? It looks like the blue line should be 20" and the red line 11".

Tom

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Tabman said:
Nam,

Are you sure? It looks like the blue line should be 20" and the red line 11".

Tom

your right, blue line is 20" and the red is 11", had to walk from the garage to the computer,

nam71 · Jan 8, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Tabman said:
nam71,

Both Bennett and Lenco have sizing information and installation instructions available at their websites. A Bennett 8" x 10" M80 system would be a good choice for your boat. If you had a picture of the transom that would be helpful.

Tom,

Checked out the websites for Lenco & Bennet, exactly what I was looking for, really like the bennet with the auto. Hope you can see a way to fit on my boat.

Tabman · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

That's a tough layout to fit Tabs on! Stand by while I put on my thinking cap and run it by some guys at the factory too.

Tabman · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Nam,

After consulting with the factory we would suggest 8" (side to side) x 10" (fore to aft) M80s mounted between the outboard and the kicker. We would recommend making a cardboard mockup of the Trim Tab and making sure that both motors can swing and not strike it.

While having the Trim Tabs further outboard near the chine is the recommended placement we feel the the results with the M80s placed in that location will be very good and achieve the performance that you are seeking.

Let me know what you think!

Chris1956 · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Bondo, So you have installed hughly oversize Hydraulic trim tabs and installed a fairly rare and expensive prop, just to drop your idle speed 1.5MPH. That does not sound like a "normal" set up to me. Why not just get a small kicker for trolling?

Do your tabs still retract above horizontal so they will have no influence on the boat's attitude?

Bondo · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Chris1956 said:
Bondo, So you have installed hughly oversize Hydraulic trim tabs and installed a fairly rare and expensive prop, just to drop your idle speed 1.5MPH. That does not sound like a "normal" set up to me. Why not just get a small kicker for trolling?

Do your tabs still retract above horizontal so they will have no influence on the boat's attitude?

Ayuh,... Hi Chris,... I ain't sayin' it's Normal,...
'ell I've owned it for Years, 'n it's pretty much completely Bondoized at this point,...
Only the bare hull is even close to original,... key word is close...

I bought this barge to fish Lake Ontario, 'n it's now outfitted to do just that, nicely, comfortably, 'n reasonably safely...
A kicker is just more trash at the transom, gettin' in the way of fishin', to me...
I've moved most of my other junk forward to clear the transom from debris...
Don't wanta add more....

'n, Yes, the tabs are mounted just as they should be, 'n are slightly above even, when Up...
They're just overly Large..

In the Op's case,... Drift socks tied off to the forward cleats will give 'im what he wants, as cheaply as possible....
I learned early in my fishin', that movin' 'em forward, keeps 'em outa yer way, 'n still Very effective...

nam71 · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Tabman said:
Nam,

After consulting with the factory we would suggest 8" (side to side) x 10" (fore to aft) M80s mounted between the outboard and the kicker. We would recommend making a cardboard mockup of the Trim Tab and making sure that both motors can swing and not strike it.

While having the Trim Tabs further outboard near the chine is the recommended placement we feel the the results with the M80s placed in that location will be very good and achieve the performance that you are seeking.

Let me know what you think!

Tom,

I cut a squared piece of cardboard 8" span & 10" cord, and positioned it at midpoint of the 20" length, centered the cardboard on that point. It misses my kicker by 3" and the prop by 4" in a hard starboard, and will clear the 115 HP with more clearance than that. I swung the motors full port and moved the cardboard on an arc it will clear. on the starboard side of my 115 HP, to mount the tab in the same spot I will have to move my HDS transducer thats no problem.

Do you feel this will work well, I'm having a very rough time trying to keep my boat on plane at slower speeds, other than wide open, and impossible when I have 2 guys in the jump seats. The 115 HP is a little small for my boat 150 or 175 HP would have been better.

I have been considering taking off my kicker and just using the minnkota for trolling below 2 MPH GPS. That would give me a lot more room. But when your fishing on lake Michigan for lake trout I would be more comfortable having a motor I can troll all day with.

I see Bennet has a Sport tab & a tournamet tab, would one of those be good or the high performance?

nam71 · Jan 9, 2012

Re: Trim/Tabs

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,... Hi Chris,... I ain't sayin' it's Normal,...
'ell I've owned it for Years, 'n it's pretty much completely Bondoized at this point,...
Only the bare hull is even close to original,... key word is close...

I bought this barge to fish Lake Ontario, 'n it's now outfitted to do just that, nicely, comfortably, 'n reasonably safely...
A kicker is just more trash at the transom, gettin' in the way of fishin', to me...
I've moved most of my other junk forward to clear the transom from debris...
Don't wanta add more....

'n, Yes, the tabs are mounted just as they should be, 'n are slightly above even, when Up...
They're just overly Large..

In the Op's case,... Drift socks tied off to the forward cleats will give 'im what he wants, as cheaply as possible....
I learned early in my fishin', that movin' 'em forward, keeps 'em outa yer way, 'n still Very effective...

Thanks I will get drift socks and give it a try, they might work well on windy days trying to drift fish for steelhead, on Mullet Lake gets a little windy at times, I think the fishing is better with 2' waves

Trim/Tabs

Cadet

iboats.com Partner

Supreme Mariner

Petty Officer 1st Class

Moderator

iboats.com Partner

Cadet

Cadet

Moderator

iboats.com Partner

Cadet

iboats.com Partner

Cadet

Cadet

iboats.com Partner

iboats.com Partner

Supreme Mariner

Moderator

Cadet

Cadet