Trolling with a 1978 50hp

[tgpfloat]

I am new to boating and have acquired a 1972 starcraft with a 50hp mercury.
I plan to do some salmon/trout fishing with the boat and will be spending time trolling. I also have a spot for a kicker motor and happen to have a 1984 mercury 2.2 hp. Should I troll with the 50? is this possible? or with the 2.2 and use the 50 for long hauls.

Trolling speed varies from 1-2.5 mph I am told.


Thanks

 

[Laddies]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

The 50HP Mercury is one of the best trolling engines ever built, I have a freind that is a lake trout fisherman and he will troll 8 to 10 hours a day with his, it's on a 16' Starcraft boat

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

While that motor will troll just fine, I doubt it will troll down to 1 MPH. That puts you into the speed range where the 2.2 motor would do a better job. 1 MPH is barely moving.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

Before you invest in another engine, and go to the trouble of fooling with 2 engines on the boat, might try some slow down mechanisms like a flip down hootus that mounts on the mid section and flips down behind the prop, or maybe just tilt the engine up as high as you can without the prop/lower unit being out of the water when you troll. This would also help to relieve any fuel puddling in the cylinders that you might get. If you don't have PTT on your engine, get a piece of 2x4 wood, or other suitable "shim". Raise the engine and put it between the engine and the clamp bracket top while trolling.

Then go and get some Sea Foam and keep it in your fuel.

Mark

 

[tgpfloat]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

I am new to owning a boat but not new to going boating and fishing.
I always got to just show up and fish. I had always heard the rumor that a two stroke is hard to troll with because the engine will foul plugs. It sounds like from what i have been reading on iboats that this is only the case if your motor is not tuned properly.

To slow a boat up even more i had a friend tie 5 gallon bucket off the stern and the bucket acts as a brake.

It seemed to works on the cheap

What is sea foam?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

SeaFoam is a fuel system treatment that is added to the fuel. It is also used as an agent for decarboning an engine. It is a liquid and its spray can version is called Deep Creep.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trolling with a 1978 50hp

Forgot to mention that the hinged trolling plates that drop down over the prop to slow down the boat work great but they have one serious flaw. Should you forget it's down and back up in a hurry, they tend to fold into the prop. If you remember that it's down and pull it up before reversing they are great for the slow troller. They are sort of like the drain plug. You only forget it once.