Transom Mount Trolling Motor versus Kicker

So I am thinking I would really like to have a transom engine for trolling. (Do I need it, no. Do I want it, yes). I have a 17ft. Alumicraft Trophy with a 140hp on back. My outboard can troll down to 3.0-3.5 mph. My bow mount Minnkota 80 trolling motor can get me to about any trolling speed I want but it eats up battery power and I want something on the back. For instance, I was trolling against current for about three hours at 2.5 on my bow mount trolling motor at an “8” setting before it ran out of battery power. That limits my fishing time.

So, I have been thinking about a kicker motor or a Minnkota Vantage 101 transom mount trolling motor: http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/trolling_motors/freshwater_transom_mount/vantage.aspx

Kickers cost more and take gas. Transom mount motors cost less but eat up batteries and would require me to get some more batteries and put them somewhere.

Just wondering if anybody has experienced this issue and had comments one way or the other.

I have the same boat and I use a cabala’s med size drift sock off the cleat just in front of my windshield with about 6 feet of rope. can get down to 1.5 ish. I bet I have 400 hours on that thing.

I took the time to find a used kicker for the back, and love having it. Still use the bow mount for steering and fine tuning the speed a little, leaving the kicker alone most of the time. I wanted a non power trim, least expensive decent T8 or something, got a power trim electric start model… never would I want anything less now.

The kickers can be taken off with ease, and hold good value if bought used.

I think it is cheeper to run a small kicker, burning a small amount of gas (my T9 runs for ever on nothing) than the expense of added batteries.

I didn’t want the extra hours on my main motor, just off idle, and pulling a couple boards by myself, at times over shallow areas, I surely didn’t want the added concern of a drift sock in the water. I can make a mess of things as it is in the wind. Just my input.

I also say to spend the money on a kicker. The hours you save on the big motor will help pay for the price of the kicker over time.

3 times my kicker has gotten me home when my main outboard failed. An electric would not have. I would now have a gas kicker for that reason alone but use it regulary for trolling. Gets me down to speed and is much quieter than the main. If you fish big water or big current a lot and you dont want to count on others for help (IF they are available) then a gas kicker is the way to go.

Quote:

---

So I am thinking I would really like to have a transom engine for trolling. (Do I need it, no. Do I want it, yes). I have a 17ft. Alumicraft Trophy with a 140hp on back. My outboard can troll down to 3.0-3.5 mph. My bow mount Minnkota 80 trolling motor can get me to about any trolling speed I want but it eats up battery power and I want something on the back. For instance, I was trolling against current for about three hours at 2.5 on my bow mount trolling motor at an “8” setting before it ran out of battery power. That limits my fishing time.

So, I have been thinking about a kicker motor or a Minnkota Vantage 101 transom mount trolling motor: http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/trolling_motors/freshwater_transom_mount/vantage.aspx

Kickers cost more and take gas. Transom mount motors cost less but eat up batteries and would require me to get some more batteries and put them somewhere.

Just wondering if anybody has experienced this issue and had comments one way or the other.

---

Kicker. No doubt about it.

The drift sock thing works but it sucks. A complete pain in the rear. Plus you’ll have more dynamic range with the kicker.

I’d say kicker also. Ive barely owned my pro sport for a year and pretty much already filled up just about every spot I could with gear, so from a storage space alone (and weight) it would be tough to find room for more batteries. I’d be curious if anyone here has any experience with those small outboards that run on propane (Lehr I think). If they work and last a fair amount of time they seem like a nice compact unit and no need to tie in another gas line, but none of the amenities like PPT or electric start. But if you have to lug a 20 lb cylinder around to get any kind of range, well then another gas line connection isn’t such a hassle.

Id say kicker i just got a 04 alumacraft tournament with a kicker and troll pro and rod attached to big motor, im in love ran it all day on pepin sat used maybe 2 gal of gas in 7 hrs.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. There were several things said that I had not considered – so most appreciated. I am trying to talk myself out of a kicker motor but I should probably trust my gut that, when I pull the trigger, that is the route to go.