How can I slow boat down for trolling?

[Buck Horn Deer Farm]

I have a 24' SeaRay with a chevy 350 and the idle won't go lower than 650 rpms. The boat trolles at 3.2 mph.
I want to be able to slow down to as slow as 1.8 but can live with 2.2.
I know some fellas use drift socks on each side but that seems like to much work to pull out every time you want to motor up to a new spot.
Others have a plate on the lower unit. How will they work? what if I forget to lift it up before motoring up?
Is this the way to go? What are your thoughts on these options?

 

[greenbush future]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

Consider a kicker motor to accomplish your trolling needs.

Other options include your above ideas or a 5 gallon bucket with several holes drilled in the bottom, two may be required, but the kicker will give you everything and then some, nice to have back up power too.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

drift socks on a midships cleat are good b/c they don't scratch the hull like buckets.

You can also go in reverse and let the transom slow you down, a well-known technique but not a solution if you need it regularly.

Kicker is the best answer.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

Trolling plates (at least the ones I'm familiar with) will automatically raise if you forget to pull it up. Besides -- you will now (or at least shold recognize) in a heartbeat that the plate is down when you try and get on plane and the boat is a slug.

 

[Buck Horn Deer Farm]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

Do drift socks affect steering? and how much slower will they take me?
Also how much slower will a plate take me?

 

[greenbush future]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

I would guess not down to 1.xx, trolling plate either, but I may be wrong. The issue with using the big motor could include loading up the plugs, and fuel consuption too.
Drift socks are used to slow down a drifting boat, I never tried using one under power, and they will get in the way of fishing too.

 

[TyeeMan]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

I kind of have the same problem with my boat except my boat is small enough (18 1/2 feet ) that I can use a bow mount trolling motor.
I have a Volvo DuoProp so very few things help me out. Going in reverse sucks cuz IO's don't really steer that well in reverse, and if it's choppy or bigger waves you start taking water over the back. Using a drift sock under power works fairly well as long as you size them according to your boat or have multiples. You just have to get over that little uneasy feeling of, , If that drift sock for some reaon detaches from the boat it's going straigh into the prop and that will not be good. I have a freind that was using one, let loose from the boat and got in his 115 hp Yami out board, , stopped er in a second at idle. They are really not that bad to deploy and retrieve from the water. If you're going to move every 10-15 minutes then yes it be a PITA. Never used a plate, couldn't tell you.
As previously mentioned, the best way is to get a 4 stroke kicker motor, another set of controls and use the kicker.

 

[jbetzelb]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

i use a drift soc and it works well. Not sure what speed it drops me to but is it a good speed to cast or just drag a lure. You can feel it put the brakes on when the water fills in it. Easy to pull out also. Just stop your forward motion and you can pull it up easy.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

I don't really know anyone that was happy with the plates.

2 48" socks will slow you down plenty.

Don't cheap out on them though.
Get the good ones that have the retrieve line. ANd get the floats for them, just in case you have to cut one free, or it unhooks from the boat, it will float and you can go pick it up.

I was fishing with another iboats member a few years ago when his knot came loose, and there went his new $70 sock.


Some guys rig them on a line that runs from port to starboard off their bow cleats, so the sock is completely under the keel, out of the way.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

I don't really know anyone that was happy with the plates.

2 48" socks will slow you down plenty.

Don't cheap out on them though.
Get the good ones that have the retrieve line. ANd get the floats for them, just in case you have to cut one free, or it unhooks from the boat, it will float and you can go pick it up.

I was fishing with another iboats member a few years ago when his knot came loose, and there went his new $70 sock.


Some guys rig them on a line that runs from port to starboard off their bow cleats, so the sock is completely under the keel, out of the way.

Ayuh,.... Agreed,... 100%.... The Bigger the socks, the slower ya go....

I tie my custom built socks off the forward cleats, tail line to the aft-side cleats, 60"ers. 1 each side,...
Sub-1 mph is doable, with the over-sized Bennett tabs full down....

I stitched a piece of pencil sized lead into 1 side of the rim to deploy easier, 'n a strip of foam in the other side for flotation...

 

[jdlough]

Re: How can I slow boat down for trolling?

I haven't tried them, but the Nauticus Smart Tabs Pro Troller might be worth looking into...

http://www.nauticusinc.com/nauticus_pro_troller.html