Re: Trolling 90 HP Mercury
Yo Targaboat,<br />How slow do you want to troll? Could be that the 90 will never troll that slow. That big aggessive prop that works so well at 5500 RPM will always have you moving too fast at 600 RPM even IF you do comfortably achieve it.<br /><br />I often troll for walleyes and troll speeds around .5 mph are often what's needed. I never even considered trying to get my new Merc 90 to go that slow. Heck, to get the boat ('02 Fisher Avenger 16' aluminum) to troll below 1.3 mph with its previous 40hp Merc I had to drag a sea anchor. Worse than that neither motor is really meant for that type of service. They're loop-charged, they're meant to RUN.<br /><br />The answer for me was a little 23 yr old Merc 9.8 longshaft. Whatta sweet little motor! One of the few 9.8s equipped with a thermostat. Electric start and charging capability didn't hurt either. It'll tick over at dead slow idle all day long without faltering.<br /><br />I stewed and stewed about what kind of mounting bracket to buy. Also stewed about linking it to the main motor for steering. And then there was throttle control... When I was finally all stewed out I just grabbed the 9.8, carried it out to the boat and clamped it on the transom just out of reach of the big motor. A match made in heaven! Turned that Fisher into the best trolling boat I've ever been on. You have to run at fast idle to speed UP to .5mph. Other than hooking up a fuel tank, I haven't had to do another thing. <br /><br />Yeah, I have to steer with the tiller, but it's better that way. Dead slow trolling doesn't give you the most effective steering, especially when the wind's on the bow. As a result the little 9.8 is often at its steering extremes. This is much easier to handle with a tiller than by cranking the wheel. Not only that it'll save wear & tear on the wheel steering mechanism.<br /><br />In case you (or your wife) are not convinced here are some other advantages of the kicker/trolling motor:<br />1. docking is a breeze; spares the paint<br />2. saves the big motor's lower end when you're skulking around in the shallows<br />3. you've got a backup to get you home if the 90 has problems<br />4. The 90 is less likely to have problems because you'll be running it the way it's meant to be run....fast.<br />5. The small motor will burn much less gas trolling than the 90.<br />6. If the battery goes dead, you can easily rope start the small motor. If its got an alternator, it might be able to put enough charge on the battery to get the 90 goin'<br /><br />Hope your boat can accommodate a kicker/troller as easily as mine did and that you consider one. My little 9.8 made a huge difference in my boat's ability to satisfy my fishing needs. It iced the cake for me.<br />Bob
