Trolling off your main engine

[BigBadBrad]

Hey guys,

I have a 17.5ft double eagle with a 2016 merc 115hp and a 1994 merc 9.9.

I don’t have a throttle controller for my kicker and I hate having to walk back and adjust the throttle always so last year I trolled off my main engine during most of my fishing trips. Besides putting more hours on your main engine does trolling at low RPM for extended periods of time have any adverse affects?

Cheers

 

[scott craven]

I have done it for years, assume your motors are 4 -stroke?

 

[kingblazer84]

why not buy remote throttle control from troll master?

 

[Prfisher]

+1 on the Trollmaster. Precise throttle control, lower fuel burn & far fewer hours on your main engine.
I average at least 4 - 1 kicker to main engine hours. If I'm fishing close to home that ratio goes way up from there.
Just on the basis of fluid & filter costs, you'd save the price of the Trollmaster fairly quickly if you use your boat regularly. Not to mention depreciation on your main.
I also have a long held prejudice against running engines at very low power settings for extended periods.

 

[scott craven]

If you are trolling on your main, make sure you give it a good rip at the end of the day.
The down side is that the motor might not heat up enough to burn off condensation
and starts making oil.
(another discussion)

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

I've got twin 225 Merc Verados which have a 'troll' setting on them; allowing you to troll at very low speeds. I don't have any other kicker. I swap back and forth on my motors trolling one day on one then switching to the other the next fishing day in order to keep the engine hours the same. I do regular maintenance/tune ups on my motors and knock on wood they have been serving me well. They were new the beginning of 2015

 

[ILHG]

I found last season my yamaha f-150 was starting to use oil when left to long at low rpm (trolling). Brown gross smelling smoke at times. The Tech who services it warned me of it and he was right.

I'm going to be getting a kicker for this season and I'm chewing on options how I set it up. I like to back troll when going for bottom fish, so it needs to make that simpler.

 

[BearCove]

I’ve had zero problems with any of my outboards using them for trolling. I have anywhere from 1500 to over 3000 hours on different sets of twins

Still all going strong.

Do regular maintenance and take care of them you should have no problems

 

[Sea.P.P.]

We troll on the trolling setting on the 250 and it is wonderfull the real benifit it is so quiet I can hear everything the wife says

 

[Stizzla]

the real benifit it is so quiet I can hear everything the wife says

I think you meant to say detriment.

 

[ILHG]

I think you meant to say detriment.

I have a troll setting on mine, it haven't figured out how to use it. That would be handy, and make it easier to stay above idol rpm

 

[macro]

I think you meant to say detriment.

LOL - Stizzla - Is your mode currently set to troll?

I troll a lot on my 06 merc efi 75, but it uses way more fuel then the little 8hp yammy I have. Just so much easier...

 

[Chero]

I have over 1300 hours trolling on my 115 4 stroke over the last four years it is quieter than my 6 hp 4 stroke and burns only 0.4 gallons an hour trolling and I have better control of boat in rough water. Use small motor rarely.