trolling speeds and motors

[kokaddict]

I have an 18 foot Ranger with a very large outboard that I don't want to use for trolling.

Couple of general questions.

1. What is generally the best recommended trolling speeds for Koks?

2. What power of Minn Kota should I look into getting?

Thanks in advance

 

[lowe1648mt]

trolling motor speeds for kokanee

First a couple of questions. Do you presently have a bow mount electric trolling motor? If yes, what size is it and how fast does it pull your boat? Most of my trolling for koks is done at 1.2 to 1.5 mph. I prefera bow mount motor, as it is easier to control the boat in a wind. Also if you already have one, give it a try.
Welcome aboard

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

1.7 - 2.2 mph GPS Is what I generally run depending on wind direction. If your Ranger is a bass boat then you probably have enough trolling power on the bow already. Give it a try, but you'll need downriggers or some other method to reach consistent depths to 60'.

 

[kokaddict]

answers

First off, thanks for the response. Wasn't sure how many frequent this forum but I was thrilled to find it!

I have a 35 ft/lb trolling motor on the bow of the ranger currently. I moves the boat easily enough from side to side, but not really very fast in a single direction...maybe at best 1/3-1/2 MPH.

The 150 HP Johnson "idles" the boat at about 4.5 MPH which is way too fast...so looking for other options.

As for downriggers...cannon 10HS recommended or other?

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

If you have room for a kicker (~8hp), that would be perfect otherwise you'll need to find a bow-mount motor with much more thrust. That usually demands a 24 volt system.

 

[kokaddict]

kicker?

I have a 4-pack 24 volt system already in place on the boat so I was thinking that a 70+ ft-pull trolling motor could be easily doable but in researching I now have two concerns.

1. will the 70 lbs of pull trolling motor move the boat fast enough for trolling?

2. How long will I be able to troll with the trolling motor running at full speed? IE how long will my batter pack last? 2 hours...4??

 

[Kokaholic]

Another thought is this, are you going to be able to charge these batteries back up each night on multy day trips?

 

[kokaddict]

Good point

I do have a Honda generator that I take camping that will easily charge them...although I'm not sure how long a full charge will take...again, that's presuming that going with a 70+ ft/lb pull trolling motor is the best option.

 

[lowe1648mt]

trolling motor

I suggest you find an owner of a similar sized bass boat and ask him/her about their bow mount and batt system. I have a 55 lb thrust motor guide bow mount on a 16 ft jon boat. I get 3 days of fishing with no loss of power to to batt system. The batteries( 2 group 24 deep cycles) are wired in parallel. The only charger I use on trips is the charging system of the main motor. A battery isolater is a good addition. My main motor puts out only 6 amps. I'd bet your main motor puts out at least 50 amps. My trolling motor will move my boat about 5 mph ( checked with my gps). You will need at least the 70 lbs your thinking about. A larger motor will not use more electicity at the same speed, but will use the elec. more efficiently. Also pushing a too small motor to iits limits will cause it to wear faster.

 

[kokaddict]

Cool, thanks!

That's great information to know and think about...thank you! I will dig into that, but appreciate the input!