Need some advice

Mike Berkson

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Joined
Jun 29, 2020
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2
Just getting into Kokanee fishing and need to troll slow. I have an older merc 6hp 2 cycle that runs good but doesnt like to troll slow for a long time. Am considering a new tahatsu 4hp 4 cycle outboard. Anyone had any experience trolling with a single cylinder 4 cycle ? Would be a kicker on a 16ft Tracker.
Thanks Mike
 

MattFL

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Oct 20, 2010
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827
I have a 6HP Tohatsu 4-stroke, it will idle fine all day. Sometimes we fish in the inlet with our jon boat and I leave it idling as we drift so we can make quick adjustments due to the current, hours at a time. Being a single cylinder 4-stroke I suspect it won't idle as slow as a 2 cylinder 2-stroke, but it will idle fine all day. If it's not your primary motor and the current isn't too strong, honestly nothing beats an electric motor for slow quiet fishing.
 

ahicks

Captain
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Sep 16, 2013
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3,957
Singles shake, and there's not much that can be done about it. Myself, I wouldn't settle for less than a twin. I love 4 strokes, but I have no pride when it comes to something like this. I would go with a nice running 2 cycle twin. It'll be easier to start than a 4 stroke anyway..... The little 4 strokes can be a bear to pull through. Some of them are like pulling a 25hp 2 stroke through.....
 

MattFL

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Oct 20, 2010
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I can't speak to other models, but the Tohatsu 6HP is not hard to pull, it might be the same block as the 4HP? But you do sometimes need to pull it like you mean it (fast). I'm not a big guy, 6' 160#, and it starts reliably for me. Also it will for sure vibrate more than your 2-stroke twin, but the trade off is no smoke or oil slick and it will run all day and most of the next day on 1-gal of gas. At idle the vibration isn't bad, it definitely shakes but not a lot of energy in the shakes. You notice it most when you give it some throttle to go somewhere, then it's probably similar to hanging on to a weed whacker, for lack of a better comparison.
 

Mike Berkson

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Jun 29, 2020
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2
Thanks for the responses. Maybe I just need to hang onto my old Merc. I'm not flushed with money anyway . I sometimes think I just get caught up in the moment. (new motor) :lol:
 

MattFL

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Oct 20, 2010
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I don't know if this is still a thing, but in around 2000 I bought a 9.9 Merc from a local store, I don't remember the store name.. but they sold used motors, supposedly used in Canada at some fresh water fish camp for a year or two, "reconditioned" which probably meant change the lower unit oil and spray paint the prop, then sold as couple-year-old used motors. It was in great shape and "looked" new (the paint did come off the prop right away lol), it ran fine and my brother still has the motor. Maybe look around and see if any stores in your area have something similar. IMHO, be sure it's a fresh water motor though. An improperly cared for motor used in salt can have corrosion issues with calendar time even though it has very few running hours on it.
 

pvanv

Admiral
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Apr 20, 2008
Messages
6,500
Singles shake, and there's not much that can be done about it. Myself, I wouldn't settle for less than a twin. I love 4 strokes, but I have no pride when it comes to something like this. I would go with a nice running 2 cycle twin. It'll be easier to start than a 4 stroke anyway..... The little 4 strokes can be a bear to pull through. Some of them are like pulling a 25hp 2 stroke through.....

Tohatsus have starting decompression, so they pull fairly easily. Still, you will have a hard time finding a new 2-cylinder 4-stroke under 8 hp in North America... of any brand Yes, the single cylinders will shake a bit at slow speeds... just like a 1-cylinder lawn mower does. That's where the lightly-used old 2-strokes really shine. But they are so smoky that the EPA has basically prevented any manufacturers from making them any more... in North America. In other parts of the world, they are still being sold new.
 

MattFL

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Oct 20, 2010
Messages
827
Having fished with both, even though the vibrations of the 1 cylinder 4T are annoying (except the Honda looks really good, I have to talk myself out of wanting one of those..), I would much prefer the shaking to choking on smoke all day and leaving an oil slick. We sometimes fish up in the mangroves in the estuaries and to see pollution like oil (and trash) there on the water where the fish that we eat are spawning is just not good at all. I'm not the tree hugger type; I enjoy power sports, have 2 boats, dirt bikes, drive a modern diesel truck, etc.. but all that 2T oil and unburned gas left behind by the older 2T motors really is bad for the environment, significantly worse than what 4T motors leave behind.
 
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