what size trolling motor?

[dondi]

i am new to this. what size trolling motor would i need i have a 16 ft thundercraft with 140 hp merc like to have a way to get home if it dont start lol

 

[5150abf]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

The short answer is, as big as you can afford, I have a 16' aluminum with a 55 lb Motorguide and it will do 3 mph on the troller.

It depends if you want a transom mounted hand steer or a bow mounted foot steer, the transom ones are a bit cheaper so you could go bigger for less money but a good troller is still going to set you back $400+ so figure out what you ahve to spend then go find a troller to fit your budget.

 

[dondi]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

thanks for info,i love this site, you guys are great

 

[Silvertip]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Using a troller solely for emergency power may not be the best choice. If you are on big water and "home" is more than a few miles from where you are broke down, it will be a slow trip and you might not make it on a single battery. If you boat on a smaller lake or resevoir then it would be a workable solution. The best bet is to spend the $400 on a tune-up so that issue has a far less chance of happening in the first place.

 

[JB]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Let's get the terminology straight first, Dondi.

A small outboard motor for emergency use and some trolling is called a kicker or aux.

An electric for trolling, which is near useless as emergency power is called a troller.

Originally you asked for aux power to get you home in emergency, but you called it a troller.

Which are you actually seeking??

 

[nwcove]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

in an ideal situation, a 9.9 omc is what you should have as a kicker, it will troll as slow as you ever should need to, and get you home with a bit of speed if your main power lets you down. but like jb says....an electric has only one purpose.....trolling.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Yes, gas outboard is the way to get home. If your main motor is 4 cycle or 2 cycle w/oil injection, get 4 cycle kicker. if the main motor is premix 2 cycle, get two cycle outboard. That way you can share fuel supply.

 

[pscrabber59]

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

Re: what sizt trolling motor?

I would think any 8-15hp motor would do as a kicker/backup. If you have the $$ remote controls on that kicker will be nice or get a E-Z-Steer system which attaches the kicker to the main motor so you can steer the kicker from your steering wheel.