Hi there,
I'm looking to purchase a new Mercury outboard, either a 9.9 or a 20hp one. I've tried to talk to my local dealer about which one to get but I can't really get a good answer from them. So I thought I'd try it on here...
I have a 12' zodiac with an aluminum floor. transom is rated for a 20hp motor or 368lbs. I use my boat for fishing mainly and taking my small family out on the lake. I troll when I fish, not too slow tho, I am not super picky about the speed, just need it slow enough to attract Northern Pike (very aggressive species). The weight of the boat is approximately 200lbs and when loaded up the total weight is about 700lbs.
I fish fairly large lakes, anywhere from 12-20 mile distance to get to the good spots. I have a Tohatsu 4-stroke 2.5 and its about walking speed at best. I need something that'll get me there fast and let me troll all day long.
The price difference between the 9.9 to the 20hp is pretty small.. about $250US difference. The weight is about 30lbs difference.
I would like to get the 20hp obviously, but would it troll slow enough compared to the 9.9? I would rather go without having to change the prop or use drift socks or a trolling plate...
What I've been told is that the 20 would troll fine because the idle rpm between the 9.9 and 20 are similar, but do these guys really know or are they just spitting out words to upsell me?
Any experiences or advice is greatly appreciated. The 15hp is also an option, but I figured why bother with the 15 if the 20 is pennies more.
I'm looking to purchase a new Mercury outboard, either a 9.9 or a 20hp one. I've tried to talk to my local dealer about which one to get but I can't really get a good answer from them. So I thought I'd try it on here...
I have a 12' zodiac with an aluminum floor. transom is rated for a 20hp motor or 368lbs. I use my boat for fishing mainly and taking my small family out on the lake. I troll when I fish, not too slow tho, I am not super picky about the speed, just need it slow enough to attract Northern Pike (very aggressive species). The weight of the boat is approximately 200lbs and when loaded up the total weight is about 700lbs.
I fish fairly large lakes, anywhere from 12-20 mile distance to get to the good spots. I have a Tohatsu 4-stroke 2.5 and its about walking speed at best. I need something that'll get me there fast and let me troll all day long.
The price difference between the 9.9 to the 20hp is pretty small.. about $250US difference. The weight is about 30lbs difference.
I would like to get the 20hp obviously, but would it troll slow enough compared to the 9.9? I would rather go without having to change the prop or use drift socks or a trolling plate...
What I've been told is that the 20 would troll fine because the idle rpm between the 9.9 and 20 are similar, but do these guys really know or are they just spitting out words to upsell me?
Any experiences or advice is greatly appreciated. The 15hp is also an option, but I figured why bother with the 15 if the 20 is pennies more.