Thinking of getting a kicker - advice

[Fish Head]

I'm toying with the idea of getting a kicker and would like some advice. My boat is an 18'7" Alumacraft Navigator with a 140 Suzuki and console steering. I would like a kicker for safety (to get back if I wreck my lower unit on a rock), but I may also use it occasionally for trolling.

For those of you that have a kicker and use it-

Would you put your kicker on the port or starboard side?

Would you have the kicker's steering controlled by the console steering wheel or manual steering?

I have a sonar/gps setup on the console and the bow, but I don’t have one set up in the back of the boat. I might add some splash guards too.

[caughtacase73]

I have a kicker on my starcraft for the reasons you stated. I purchased the boat used with it but it was a selling point to me. Mine is on the port side. I think that helps counter the weight when I am boating solo. I had my mechanic install a fuel / water seperator when I purchased it. That way one line from the tank and 2 lines from the filter to prevent any back flow issues (at the recomendation of my mechanic). I have a tierod to connect the motors together with remote controls at the drivers seat for speed and starting. The down side I have found is that when connected to the main motor the steering is not real precise and can be difficult to control in heavy chop. If you can afford tilt and trim I would highly suggest it. It may seem trivial but it gets to be pain in the butt raising and lowering when you want to go fast from spot to spot or simply loading and unloading. I find I don't use mine as often as I thought I would but peace of mind is nice and when conditions are right it is hard to beat. Hope this helps with your decision.

[Northlander]

A good 4 stroke kicker in the 8-9.9 horse area on that boat will be golden. I like mine on opposite side I drive on. (Port) I also like how it helps balance my boat when alone. I have a 17' Lund Explorer and F115 yamaha and put a 9.9 horse Yamaha 4 stroke it.

I dont have any electric but wish I did. Electric start and tilt n trim are very nice. I also will be connecting to main motor next year and putting a trollmaster or another speed control system on my dash. I do a ton of trolling and the trollmaster would be very nice to have. As it is set up now I have it tiller style so I have to stand or sit in back and steer it. No biggy but in waves sitting down at wheel is nicer. The trollmaster also gets you more precise speed and it stays there unlike a tiller style.

I can see my graph at the wheel no problem but 1 in back would be a bonus but I find it un needed and just another expense.

Go 4 stroke for sure.

If you can find a Yamaha T-8 in good shape get it otherwise get the new 9.9 4 stroke yamaha. The Merc Pro Kicker is also a good kicker.

[PerchJerker]

I've had a kicker on my boat for the last 13-14 years.

I like having my kicker be a tiller controlled motor, not a remote-steering controlled motor. I do a lot of forward trolling on weedlines, breaklines, contours, etc. and you get much, much quicker steering response with the tiller. And I do a lot of vertical jigging and slip drifting and I use my kicker to slip in and out of gear and hover over spots, etc. and you just can't do that very effectively with a remote-controlled motor. I also do a lot of open water trolling and pulling planer boards, and for that I will often run the kicker but sit at the console and steer using my big outboard just as a rudder. I could tie my kicker to my main motor with a removable steering bar but I've never felt the need to do it.

I used to have my kickers mounted on the port side of the boat, but a few years ago I had it moved to the starboard (driver) side and am MUCH happier with it there. It keeps me closer to all the electronics and controls on the driver's console, and I like that. And the steering response and control is easier on the starboard side, because the tiller handle is closer to the middle of the boat instead of hanging out over the side of the boat.

The weight displacement is definately nicer with the kicker on the port side, but I re-arranged my batteries and anchor after moving my kicker to the driver side, and I'm happy with it.

I've always had Merc kickers but have spent many, many hours (okay, days or weeks or even months) with Yamaha kickers too. They're both excellent. I prefer Merc because of the twist-grip shifting on the tiller handle -- twist it counter-clockwise and you're in Forward, twist it farther and you go faster. Twist it back to slow down and go into Neutral, or twist it farther to go into Reverse, etc. Keep in mind that I like tiller-controlled kickers, and for that the Merc twist-grip shifting is awesome.

I have a combo unit that I run by my kicker, which I can use to display Sonar, GPS, Side Scan and Down Scan. I almost always run it just as a GPS so I can easily and clearly see the detailed contour lines on the map card, or run it in split screen mode with GPS / Side Scan. I have a large screen on my console that I usually run as Sonar, or in split screen mode as Sonar / Side Scan, and I can easily see that from my kicker.

Hope that helps.

[goose89]

Had a similar boat / rig to yours in the recent past (175 Tournament Pro) w/ a 140 Suzuki also. I put a T8 on the port and had a Minnkota Vector on the starboard. Weight displacement was my concern, as I couldn't shift batteries or other things around. I did not get the kicker for "insurance", but rather for trolling / backtrolling in big wind. Little need for insurance with a Suzuki (DF140 is a great motor).

Electric start and trim are well worth the money. I used the tiller handle and console for steering, depending on the situation. Backtrolling / following weedlines, I'd use the tiller. More open water trolling, I'd use the console along with a Trollmaster (also worth every penny, esp. the newer model). I simply hooked up a steering bar to both motors (removable Panther steering bar that can attach any type of set-up) when I wanted console steering, and took it off when I wanted kicker control and steering. Best of both worlds. Also had a Ram ball and wiring to the aft / port area for a Lowrance for easy viewing of depthfinder (overkill, but nice).

I liked the versatility of that set-up so much, I replicated it on my new glass boat (except T9.9, Trollmaster II, and Minnkota Vantage). Same set-up, just a little bit better. Still deciding what side to put the rear of the boat set-up for a Humminbird. Good luck.

[gregg52]

Goose

I dont think one can really over kill if he serious bout catching fish

My boat is fairly new and i'm in the process of rigging it

I went from tiller to a wheel boat (20yrs in a tiller) I was like a fish out of water but i'm gettin used to it slowly and need to to some additions

as in maybe the troll master i have t-8 and and extension for it but i need to add another base plate to be comfortalbe runnin it as a tiller

ithink i 'm going to look at this new e-tec kicker i'm hearing bout

that has all the trollmaster options plus more

wil be adding another locator back there to i think if i dothat i will be albe to read the gps and chip on the dash in full screen

as far as the safty i think its a good idea to have a kicker with bigger motors anything can fail at any time specially if you are fisher bigger water alot

i learned this fall that the kicker can keep and save on your eletric trollin motor batteries

mine are on their last leg and dont hold a charge for a real longtime

end of the season didnt want to buy news ones

so i used the t-8 to push the the boat and steered with my bow mount

worked slick as can be batterys lasted all day no problem

I now believe i can do this in big waves and still have good boat control

plus stretch the life of my batteries for the day plus long term

just another feature of a kicker

[PerchJerker]

wil be adding another locator back there to i think if i dothat i will be albe to read the gps and chip on the dash in full screen

Before the detailed map cards came out I used the GPS plotter on my dash -- even from a distance I could see my waypoints and trails just fine.

After the detailed map cards came out I tried to use the GPS on my dash -- but it turned out that it was too hard (sometimes impossible) to see the contour lines and colored display from a distance, especially in sunlight and with polarized glasses. I have 2 units on my console and I switched the location of the GPS and moved the RAM mount around to try to get the perfect viewing angle from the kicker, but there were too many times I couldn't see the details on the map chip from that far a distance.

That's why I put a combo unit by my kicker but mostly use it just as a GPS. For me it's much easier to see and read the sonar display and even the side scan display from a distance, but the details on the map cards were too hard to see.

Don't know if that helps or not, just wanted to point it out though.

Good luck.

[gregg52]

ya i hear on that on the actually chip

but like you say i follow the tracks and save the tracks so most spots it will be ok to follow

but i understand what you are saying

i'll hafta think bout that

i'm doing alot of thinkin on different things

going to get rid of thses 520's for sure

and research humminbird garmin etc etc

see what fits my needs the best

i am for sure going to put one of my old flaher on somewhere

its just a conifedence deal

they worked 20 yrs for me and i understand them very good

[Fish Head]

I did not get the kicker for "insurance", but rather for trolling / backtrolling in big wind. Little need for insurance with a Suzuki (DF140 is a great motor).

The Suzuki DF140 is a great dependable motor, but I'm more worried about taking out the lower unit on a rock. I fish the Canadian side of LOTW, Rainy and Lac Seul quite a bit and there are always rocks out there in the middle of nowhere that don't show up on any chip.

[Fish Head]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I think I would prefer to use the steering wheel, but I also think I would use the unit for contour trolling more than open water. I'm sure I would get better control with transom steering, but than there is the problem of not being able to see the GPS/sonar well. I guess there's no perfect way to do this.

For those who steer manually from the transom, does the big motor ever get in the way with a tight turn?

I want to get some backsplashes, but I have to make up my mind on a kicker first.

[gregg52]

ya kicker isnt the best for back trolling sometimes at least on my boat you hafta goose it to get it to turn in a good wind

i really think this new deal using the kicker and the bow mount in big water and big winds is go to be a good deal

as far as the splash gaurds get whitecaps it was discussed on a another thread but the majority were happy and $$wise hard to beat

[goose89]

Search Panther auxilary steering kit (It's take 3 seconds to connect motors and disconnect)

Whitecaps

Yes, tieing kicker to main will affect tight cornering (going forward), depending on which side you mount it. I haven't ever backtrolled from the console. Backtroll from the back w/ tiller handle / forward troll with wheel and trollmaster.

Good luck.

[PerchJerker]

I think I would prefer to use the steering wheel, but I also think I would use the unit for contour trolling more than open water. I'm sure I would get better control with transom steering, but than there is the problem of not being able to see the GPS/sonar well. I guess there's no perfect way to do this.