4 Stroke Question - Trolling

B.K. · 04-06-2010, 07:31 AM

I'm boat/outboard shopping right now and one of the motors that comes on a boat I'm looking at is a new Mecury EFI 115hp, 4 stroke.

I was reading some of the mecury literature and it mentions that these 4 strokes work well for trolling as you can dial them back to low RPMs. My question is would I be able to actually troll slow enough with their 115 and if so, is that going to be hard on the motor?

I think odds are that I'll need to pick up a small kicker but thought I'd ask as I am trying to keep this whole thing in budget.

Thanks!
BK

Ta-Keel-La · 04-06-2010, 08:22 AM

I have a 130 I/O thats probably puching 115ish horse. I have it in gear barely in idle with 2 30" drift socks, and Im pretty dang close to all the other guys trolling. best bet would be to get out and try it, see if you're close to the same speed as everyone else out there. Also, I dont think it'll be hard on your motor. the 2 strokes are what will foul the plugs

MattPark · 04-06-2010, 10:40 AM

I have 4 stroke Merc 115 (which is the same motor as a Yamaha 115 up to 2006ish), it will not troll slow enough for springers IMO. Maybe with a smaller prop and drift socks, but that's what kickers are for. Ocean salmon or B10 it works fine.

The Merc/Yamaha 115s that you are likely talking about have a tendency to make oil when they are idled. Some don't do it, it's just a luck of the draw kind of thing. Running them hard between passes or at the end of the day seems to take care of it, and a hotter thermostat helps.

samsims · 04-06-2010, 11:37 AM

The 115 four stroke should troll fine depending on the boat and prop. It depends how you intend to use it. If your going in the ocean, get the kicker, inland you can get away without it. One thing to keep in mind, if you troll a lot, a kicker will keep the hours off your main engine, it will make a big difference at resale time and the main will last longer. I know my main engine would have at least double the hours if I didn't have a kicker.

samsims · 04-06-2010, 11:45 AM

[QUOTE=

The Merc/Yamaha 115s that you are likely talking about have a tendency to make oil when they are idled. Some don't do it, it's just a luck of the draw kind of thing. Running them hard between passes or at the end of the day seems to take care of it, and a hotter thermostat helps.[/QUOTE]

If its making a noticeable amount I would say something is very wrong. The engines life span wont be very long dumping fuel in the oil on a regular basis.

12pulls · 04-06-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattPark

I have 4 stroke Merc 115 (which is the same motor as a Yamaha 115 up to 2006ish), it will not troll slow enough for springers IMO. Maybe with a smaller prop and drift socks, but that's what kickers are for. Ocean salmon or B10 it works fine.

The Merc/Yamaha 115s that you are likely talking about have a tendency to make oil when they are idled. Some don't do it, it's just a luck of the draw kind of thing. Running them hard between passes or at the end of the day seems to take care of it, and a hotter thermostat helps.

My 2002 Honda "made" oil because of an improper thermostate for our region, it seems that since the majority of outboards are sent to tropical climates this is often the case. As far as using your 115 for trolling, I think the cost of a kicker will save you money in the long run, especially without the added use and abuse of using the 115 and piling up unneeded hard hours on it. As far as spark plugs fouling, I have had 3 2 strokes and 1 4 stroke over the years for kickers, the Honda was the one that was hard on plugs.

Jedcraft · 04-06-2010, 01:27 PM

Might work but if you're up front at the wheel you won't have as much control or be as effecient as being back at the kicker. No sustitute for being able to turn the boat, chase fish, hit reverse, slow down or speed up while getting bit, all while fighting the fish or holding the net.

Slayer · 04-06-2010, 03:57 PM

Lot of running time to putting on a motor that you have spent a lot of money on. Better to put lots of hours on a motor that does not cost as much. Much cheaper to replace or repair a 8hp vs 115hp.

B.K. · 04-07-2010, 04:45 AM

Great points everyone thanks.

I think it's clear that a kicker is the way to go. It doesn't add that much $$ and keeping the hours down on my bigger motor seems valuable enough.

retaliate · 04-07-2010, 07:03 AM

Yep! It depends what you are trolling for, & where you are trolling, I quit using my 15hp Merc 4 stroke for Ocean Salmon trolling, & started using my 115 Merc/Yama 4 stroke after the first season in 2002, cause your trolling 3 to 5 mph in the Ocean, & the kicker motor just wasn't needed, & the 115hp had better control, if slow trolling for springers in the Col. rv, you would need to put one of those trolling plates on to slow your speed, a very inefficient use of 115hp, your better off going with a kicker motor for that application, some even use electric trolling motors in the Col rv.