trolling plate worth getting?

[fish/n/chics]

Ok I have a 21 ft pontoon.with a 60 hp mercury 4 stroke.. I was thinking of trying to troll. The boat is set up well with its design..I have trolled some with it ,with some success.. but I'm thinking I need to slow it down a bit more.. I can get it down to about 1.5 ..I was wondering if those trolling plates that mount onto the lower unit would help? Thanks in advace,I'm learning a lot on this site..any input would be greatly appreciated

[rsfrail]

You may try the 5 gallon bucket trick Ive heard about. That maybe enough to get you down to speed, without spending money on plate and labor to install. Just a thought- Ron

[fish/n/chics]

I kinda was thinking of. Something like that.. since I am a bit frugal...ok wife says I'm cheap..lol got a new boat last year and she don't want me to make it look like a red neck boat..I'm like why not? As long as it works..

[pap]

I had two kinds of plates on my boat, the first one was called the happy troller, that was junk!! I had that one on a 140HP I/O mercuiser, than one day I was bitching about this plate and two guys pulled into the docks and they had a different style on their boats so I asked them all kinds of questions about there's and they said these are the only troll plates to buy, a little expensive but you get what you pay for, so I got what is called the easy troller, the bottom third of the plate is hinged, so if you forget to raise the plate that folds down over the prop and gun the motor to leave it gives a little instead of bending the plate or shearing off the pin that lockes the plate in place, plus they make two different sizes 30-50 hp & 50-150 I put the bigger one on it bolts to the anti-cavitation plate. At 1000 rpms my boat speed was 2.5-2.8 mph on the gps, with the plate down I was at .8mph on the gps, 1100rpm depending on the wind & waves I was at 1.25-1.50 or less. I really like it, they cost around $150.00, and you can put it on in a hour, hope this helps (I have one on my 22ft,at 900 rpm .08 on gps/355-260hp hope this helps PAP.

[wakina]

This is the best plate that I have ever seen, it is a totally hands free plate with nothing to do but operate the boat, and you will not be disappointed in it.

http://www.johnsonmarinesupply.com/trolling_plates.htm

[jigsup]

i run 2 amish outfitters drift bags on each side of my boat and it is perfect to get you to that slower speed. just my 2 cents

[BAD KARMA]

hey wakina do you use this plate. the web site dosent give a good pic and i dont understand how it works. will it affect my handeling of the boat at the dock or at slower speeds. need to slow boat down have 150 mec. outboard on 22 ft. center console any ones comments welcome. dont want to use buckets or bags been there done that.

[dmax2]

Have Easy Troller plate on my 20ft. Starcraft. Works like a charm.

[wakina]

hey wakina do you use this plate. the web site dosent give a good pic and i dont understand how it works. will it affect my handeling of the boat at the dock or at slower speeds. need to slow boat down have 150 mec. outboard on 22 ft. center console any ones comments welcome. dont want to use buckets or bags been there done that.

I used one on a 5.7L 260hp mercruiser alpha 1 generation one I/O, I had the largest one and never had a problem with it. Sold it with the boat and it is still in use after 5 years. It bolts to the top of the cavitation plate like most of the other plates do with 4 bolts. The 2 bolts closest to the boat are eye bolts with the eye bolt going up through the cavitation plate and then through the trolling plate with the eye down. There are 2 large springs that go from the donut hole plate and fasten /hook to the eye bolts, that is how it operates automaticly. As you move forward and at about 5 mph water pushes the plate out and the springs stretch allowing the donut hole plate to swing up out of the way with the water pressure then back down to the vertical position when you slow down to about 5mph. The hole in the plate allows water to pass through the plate when backing down and that keeps it out of the prop and allows better control as more water flow is allowed into the prop. These plates are heavy, and thick and to me very well made! Sounds complicated but it is an easy straight forward and very simple install.
The other plate that I had was hindged and from a different manufacturer destroyed a prop and itself when I had to do a hard reverse while trolling one day because I got to close to some debris floating in the water. The water pressure pushing on the plate shoved the plate into the prop and then it was history.

[BAD KARMA]

Thanks for the explination and posts. I think i might get one how slow did it get you down to.