Kicker Motor vs Terrova

[gdog]

I fish a fair amount on the St.Croix and would like to start trolling with crankbaits for walleyes more. I have a Crestliner SF 1850 and my big motor (Optimax 150) will troll down to about 2.5 mph, which is not really slow enough all the time. I have a Terrova 80 on the bow that works great, but am not sure about using this alone to troll with cranks. Soooo, what do you think? Would you put a kicker on or just go with the trolling motor? If you would go with the kicker, would you go with a tiller steer or tie it into the console?

[gregg52]

you should be albe to get a kicker that use can use either way tiller

or hook it up to your big motor

[goose89]

Kicker for sure has put alot more fish in my boat (and most back into the water).

Panther makes an "auxillary motor steering kit" that works great. I've had one on my last two rigs. Nice to be able to use it like a kicker, or steer from the console.

To pull this off, you'll need a Trollmaster as well, though. Also, well worth the money. Very fine speed control (more than by hand either on the handle, or with remote throttle control).

[BoxMN]

We have 74# autopilot model on our 18' alum boat, with 150 merc efi. Unless we were going to troll all day, every day, the electric motor is fine. Charge up batts every day and you should get a pretty good day out of it. Granted the rivers have current and may run down your batts on higher speeds, but our 74# can go faster than our big motor will troll (similar to your speed) so once you need faster, just troll with big motor.

Another thing we do sometimes is drop the troll motor sideways and troll with big motor - sort of like a bag but up front Or sometime we will also troll with electric motor, but steer with big motor down using the wheel. Works good on the river where you need to keep the stern "behind" the bow in current.

Even getting better or more batts is cheaper than a kicker, if you would end up wearing them out quicker. I was set on a kicker about 6 years ago, but we never got it, and now I don't miss it. If all I did was troll, then that might be different, and I'd get the ProKicker. Good luck either way!

[goose89]

I was set on a kicker about 6 years ago, but we never got it, and now I don't miss it.

Not sure how you can miss something you've never had.

I'm not sayin anyone NEEDS a kicker. If you got the $$, they help catch more fish. Again, you can do without, but they are nice, coming from someone who's fished without one and with one.

An electric will do the job if you don't fish more than 6-8 hours, I suppose. On the river, or windy conditions, I'd want more instant, powerful and consistent performance. Electrics, if you slowed down / stopped by a wave, or current change, are slow to get back to speed.

And I don't troll all day, everyday. I don't even troll 1/2 the time, but if that's what's going, and I'm on Mille Lacs or other wind swept lake, or Pool 4 in the spring, a kicker is more than a luxury, IMO. I've got a T9.9, but the ProKicker would be a nice match to your Merc main, and is a great kicker too. Good luck......

[fishwater]

on the St.Croix

Would you put a kicker on or just go with the trolling motor?

would you go with a tiller steer or tie it into the console?

I'd go with a tiller steer kicker unless you are OK with being done fishing when your batteries are dry - fishing the river when it's good, when the flow is changing is tough on even the best batteries. I have my bow-mount TM deployed all the time for steering and most minor speed adjustments, having both motors down helps keep the boat rock solid in wind and waves.

[BoxMN]

Goose, I never said I"never had one".... just that I don't miss one or maybe should have said I feel I don't now need one, ha! Either way you can get by without one just fine, and that is not to say they aren't nice. Good luck.

[Northlander]

I would also get a 8 -9.9 horse 4 stroke kicker.

[gregg52]

i agree with getting a trolmaster to thats a good idea if you have the $$

i made mention of this on another thread

last yr my batteries were just bout shot late in the fall

so rather than buy new ones that late in the yr i started using my kicker with the bow mount to and it worked greatand those sick batteries would run all day the only draw back was some one had to bump that kicker out of gear when a fish was on...hence the troll master would have been nice.. so i think the benfits of a kicker are well worth it and also safety if that big motors decides it doesnt want to run! specially on the river hate to go over the water falls...lol

[Dale Rueber]

Personally I would go with the kicker (you can't have too many motors can you?). Tiller or console controls wouldn't make a difference to me because I use the electric trolling motor to do the steering. Currently I have a 115 that will troll down just under 2MPH so I use that to troll and the electric to steer. If we need to go slower the electric works just fine and will run a long time at the slower speeds. It would be my guess that you would get about 3 to 5 hours on your electric running around 1.5 to 2MPH. That might be enough, depending on your fishing style.

[gdog]

Hey Dale-

Do you run a 24V trolling motor? Which one is it? Thanks!

-Gary

[Dale Rueber]

I'm running a 24v Terrova with the iPilot. I really like to run with just the trolling motor because it is so quiet. It would be great to have a 36v motor but my boat only has room for 2 batteries up front.