trolling plate questions??????????????????

I have a new Alumacraft 165cs navigator with a 90 etec. I would like to be able to troll down to 1.5 mph with the 90. I hate to get a kicker for the few times I troll, especially since I’d have to get a 4-stroke to run off the same fuel tank. I have seen these plates that flip down behind the propeller, do they work??? Where does the cable and switch/handle mount??? I don’t mind mounting the stuff on the lower unit but I don’t want any cables and brackets on the cowling. Any input much appreciated, thanks!

I have a Lund Angler SS 17ft. I did the trolling plate thing and had problems flipping it up and down (memory problem) and ended up shearing pins too many times. I found this site on Walleye Central 2 years ago, and went to this guy’s drift socks. http://www.amishoutfitters.com/. I purchased two 18′ socks, and put one on each side of the boat. They slow me down to .5 mph gps, with a 115 Johnson 4 stroke. As far as I am concerned, this system is the best. These socks are the best available, they hold up! At the time, the 2 socks cost about the same as a trolling plate. Good Luck.

I do not see the link for the drift socks?

Try clicking on “buggy bag sea anchors”.

those look pretty sturdy… also, having lived in “Amish Country” for a few years (Lancaster, PA area), you can bet the quality is top-notch…

Ok here is the deal. I can’t use a drift sock as I will often troll a spot under 100′ long and quick swing the boat 180 degress and pass thru the area again. This happens a lot on backwaters on the Mississippi. For this reason a kicker would be a pain too. Plus the added $$$$ to do it right. Also a lot of spots we troll upriver then speed down river on plane and go thru the area again, about 100 yds or so. A plate behind the prop would be ideal but I have no idea on how well they work and I don’t want to be jumping off the wheel all the time to pull strings like its a puppet!!! Any help would be much appreciated. I have looked at the pricey electric motors that mount to an outboard but who knows about those and plus how many batteries is too many???? Someone please tell me there is an auto trolling plate that works great with no puppet strings!!!

Do you not have a bow mount trolling motor? at 1.5 mph you could run that stretch all day with the proper motor and be able to turn on a dime.

People have also been known to have to trolling motor point backwards slowing the boat down too.

This might be a idea

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat21370&id=0000915012282a&navCount=1&podId=0000915&parentId=cat21370&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat21370&hasJS=true

I agree with Nick. Sounds like a good bow mount will satisfy your needs!

I have a nice bow mount but when I troll 10 different areas in a couple hours its a real pain to stow and deploy all the time. I have found an automatic troll plate that cabelas has, thanks guys and I also found one on ebay that has a hole in the middle for reverse called a hussle troll plate. I talked with the maker and they claim its the best one out there. it is twice the price of the trol-a-matic.