Trolling motor, gas vs electric

[boonedocks]

I’m looking for advice for a trolling motor for my 16’ Lund, it’s an older pro angler with flooring/ casting deck etc. I’m looking for a motor to troll real slow with and was wondering what everyone’s experience is with the real small 4 stroke out boards ( 2-4 horse) vs electric motors? I currently have an 8 horse, four stroke kicker but I believe that between it and my 45 horse main prop that I’m loaded down pretty heavy on the transom. I will not be using this boat on any “ electric motors only” waters so that not a concern. I’m just not overly thrilled with the idea of more batteries for an electric when it would be so easy to just refill a small gas jobber? Am I crazy?

[darrell f]

Gas kicker is nice but a remote control bow mount is the gift from the fishing gods. No noise and can go all day with a decent charge.
I have a 24v ipilot with an on board 3bank charger. Fish all day, plug in t night and ready to go in the am. Love it and don’t miss the constant drone from a gas kicker.

[curtz]

I love my electric with the i-pilot, it's quite, you can troll very slow if want, and I love being able to set a way point and it keeps you going in that direction. I set it and forget it, go in the back of the boat and fish.

[RavYak]

As others have said the main advantage of an electric would be if you go with a bow mount. You can get an i-pilot version so you can control it with remote allowing you to move around boat instead of being tied to a tiller. Also it is quieter, gives you spot lock anchor, troll in a set direction or along a track etc.

If you don't feel you need that and just want a tiller kicker or electric then the difference probably isn't that significant and it is more personal choice.

[bobalong]

Unless you are intending on backtrolling (which many do) a bow mount will give you way more control than a kicker on the back. Controlling the boat with a kicker on the back (going ahead) in any kind of a cross wind usually results in having to speed up the boat to much to control it. Pulling the boat (electric) has much more control for direction and speed.

[cube]

Originally Posted by boonedocks

I’m looking for advice for a trolling motor for my 16’ Lund, it’s an older pro angler with flooring/ casting deck etc. I’m looking for a motor to troll real slow with and was wondering what everyone’s experience is with the real small 4 stroke out boards ( 2-4 horse) vs electric motors? I currently have an 8 horse, four stroke kicker but I believe that between it and my 45 horse main prop that I’m loaded down pretty heavy on the transom. I will not be using this boat on any “ electric motors only” waters so that not a concern. I’m just not overly thrilled with the idea of more batteries for an electric when it would be so easy to just refill a small gas jobber? Am I crazy?

I think you are absolutely correct that a small gas would be better in allot of situations.
I personally think that electrics should not be called trolling motors. They are more of a positioning motor and should be called such.

I have both a gas kicker and electric on my boat and if I was getting rid of one it would be the electric with out question.

Some of the advantages for the small gas kicker that I have found.

First gas motors are much lighter than electrics. Small gas motor 40-50 pounds. 24 volt electric (for your size boat you would want the 24 volt) motor= 80 pounds plus 2X55 lbs for the batteries = 190 lbs. With possible on board charger now your over 200 lbs And as you know weight is everything in a boat. That much extra weight will be seen in lower top speed and reduced gas mileage.

Second. You are way more likely to be able to get home if your main engine fails with the gas than you are after fishing for the day with the electric. I have purposely tried my gas kicker out on the far side of Cold lake during some very bad conditions just to see how it would make out and it had no problems going against the wind and waves. There is no way my electric would have gotten me home from the east end after a day of trolling. As a mater of fact I would not have had a full day of trolling with the electric.

3rd gas can be probably cheaper. Gas is quite cheap for a kicker and is reasonably available. If your like me where I go to lakes that do not have hook ups I have no problem going for weeks with the gas with no fuss no muss. While if your with an electric your having to run a generator which is burning more gas charging your batteries than if you had just put that gas into a small engine. It also takes a very long time to fully charge those batteries. after a "day" of trolling it can take 6-11 hours to get them fully charged. And if you want your batteries to last you should charge them right away. This means having to carry a generator down to the boat or having to pull the boat early because you can only run the generator till 10 pm. So kind of puts a damper on your plans for an evening troll. If you don't charge your batteries fully and right away the batteries will not last so you are paying effectively over $100 per year ($300 for batteries every 3 years). I can tell you I use my gas kicker allot and never have used $100 worth of gas in a year for it. Of course if your at a place that has hookups you don't have to worry about the generator but that extra $10-15 dollars a day is certainly more than the gas for the kicker would cost.

4th. Sometimes it's nice to have the extra power. a 24v electric has between 1.3 and 1.9 Hp with fully charged new batteries. a 4 Hp kicker has twice as much and like I indicated earlier can easily go for days and probably weeks with your boats gas tank.

5th. Depending on which motor you go with some kickers have small alternators on them which you can use to charge you main battery if it ever goes flat because you left the toys, radio. bilge pump etc on. It can also maintain your battery while trolling if you run sonars etc. Again if your away from electrical hook ups this can be a nice advantage.

Just to let you know I have 3 motors on my boat. I have a gas main that I use to get to my fishing area ( about 0.5-9% of my motoring day). I have a gas kicker whch is used about 90-99% of the time on the water. and I have an electric which I use some times and again mostly for spot lock or fine positioning. I will use it also to help steer when the kicker is doing the pushing which can be useful in side wind situations etc. I use the electric at most 1-2% of the motoring year. Again I like to fish lakes off the beaten path with no hookups available but even when I go to local lakes it's mostly the kicker doing the work

As far as slow speed goes the electrics are certainly better here but given that a small gas kicker can easily troll you down at half a mile and hour and even less if you want to back troll or put a drift sock in I'm not sure it's all that big of a deal. I have rarly found that I needed to go slower than 0.5 MPH for anything and then I would probably just drift.

Again for fine positioning the electrics rule but if you get the small kickers that have 360 degree turning they might be even better than the electrics. We had a 360 degree turning kicker on our old boat and because you could turn it so fast it was much better for positioning than any bow mount electric and would be close to a manual stern electric.

One disadvantage with the gas kicker is one can get a sore butt after sitting for 14 hours on the back corner of the boat steering and controlling speed. We mounted a removable folding seat in the back corner and made the 14 hour days no problem. Or if you want you can hook the steering up to your big motor via a linkage but the turning is slower and not as precise. From here though you have to run to the back to change speed etc. which is a bit of a pain. I have a pro-kicker so I can steer and change speeds and gears from the comfort of my comfy chair. I have seen some remote controls for gas kickers lately but am not sure they are compatible with small gas kickers.

We had our old kicker on an plate that could be moved up and down and when it was up we only need a couple of inches of water below the boat for it to go. This came in very handy when having to traverse shallow sandbars or when pulling up to shore. We never dinged our expensive main prop again because we would just use the kicker in the shallows.

One last point. Our gas kicker saved our holidays once. We were up north and we blew a gear in the lower leg of our main motor. It would take over 2 weeks for the new gear to arrive but we never lost a day of fishing because, while it was not fast, the kicker always got us to the good fishing areas and home every day.

I would suggest you might want to borrow or rent a small gas kicker and give it a try.

[cube]

As far as sound goes I don't think it makes much difference. If you think your electric motors whirling prop blades are not detected by the fishes lateral line I think you would be in denial or delusional. Claudio Ongaro, a local tournament fisherman and rep for Shimano, even wrote an article in Alberta Outdoorsmen a couple of years ago stating that the gas kicker does not scare off walleye. Alex Keszler, who I consider a great Canadian tournament fisherman, also swears by his gas kicker. So I think the sound is over rated and if your really concerned about being detected you'll probably just drift over the spot anyway.

[Walleyedude]

Interesting points Cube.

The total weight comparison in particular is a factor that a lot of people probably don't consider.

The safety factor of a gas kicker is also huge, there's no denying that.

As for cost, unless you're fishing "off the grid", the points about fuel costs and battery life are non factors. The low cost and ease of use of the electric are pretty hard to beat.

I've never felt I had a lack of power with the electric, and if the OP goes with a 24V system, he'll have all the power he needs and plenty of battery life.

If I spent 90% of my time trolling at speeds of about 2-3 mph, then I'd go with a gas kicker over electric no question. The only time I'm using my kicker is in that particular application, and even then, if I'm not doing a long run and conditions are good, I'd still rather just drop down the bow mount electric and troll with that. It's just easier and more precise.

For any and all other types of fishing, I don't think there's any argument that the electric motor is superior. The electric provides much better boat control - speed, direction, and actual control/comfort (ie wireless remote vs hand tiller) and can even been connected to your sonar unit to take it to the next level. Everything from pulling bottom bouncers to lindy rigging to spot lock and casting or pitching is just infinitely easier and more enjoyable with an electric. If you spend your time primarily fishing those types of applications with some trolling mixed in, you will love having a bow mount electric. I'd be willing to bet you'll find that you rarely if ever fire up your 8HP kicker anymore.

The last thing, and for me, maybe the most important, is the peace and quiet. Electric motors are silent and odor free. I'm never smelling exhaust. I can fish all day and hear nothing but the water and the nature around me, I can escape from the noise of the world. That "zen" time is pretty much priceless to me, I simply would not be able to tolerate the sound of a kicker motor running all day long, the electric is a godsend in that respect.

In the case of the OP, who has a main motor that is more than capable of trolling, plus an 8HP kicker already, the choice to me would be crystal clear - get a bow mount electric. A 24V unit with IPilot or Xi5 would be ideal, but even a less expensive 12V motor will get the job done and improve your fishing success and your enjoyment of your time on the water.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by cube

As far as sound goes I don't think it makes much difference. If you think your electric motors whirling prop blades are not detected by the fishes lateral line I think you would be in denial or delusional. Claudio Ongaro, a local tournament fisherman and rep for Shimano, even wrote an article in Alberta Outdoorsmen a couple of years ago stating that the gas kicker does not scare off walleye. Alex Keszler, who I consider a great Canadian tournament fisherman, also swears by his gas kicker. So I think the sound is over rated and if your really concerned about being detected you'll probably just drift over the spot anyway.

I'd say that depends a lot on speed and water depth.

At 2-3 mph, there's a fair bit of noise from both, as speeds decrease it probably gets closer, but the kicker will always be louder due to exhaust and the engine noise/vibration itself.

I think to use your terms you'd have to be "in denial or delusional" to think that running a gas kicker over a school of walleye doesn't affect them or scare them off in a lot of situations. I'm sure there's more than a few "pros" out there who'd agree.

The ability to fish at low speeds in total silence with a prop that's barely turning, or at trolling speeds with only a whirling prop, is a big advantage in my opinion.

[catnthehat]

Fir the amount that I troll I find an electric far more convenient and portable than a small gas kicker .
I use mine on both my 18 foot jet and 12' tinner with no issues, stern mount #35 thrust .
I don't fish with it in big water however .
Cat

[cube]

Originally Posted by Walleyedude

I'd say that depends a lot on speed and water depth.

At 2-3 mph, there's a fair bit of noise from both, as speeds decrease it probably gets closer, but the kicker will always be louder due to exhaust and the engine noise/vibration itself.

I think to use your terms you'd have to be "in denial or delusional" to think that running a gas kicker over a school of walleye doesn't affect them or scare them off in a lot of situations. I'm sure there's more than a few "pros" out there who'd agree.

The ability to fish at low speeds in total silence with a prop that's barely turning, or at trolling speeds with only a whirling prop, is a big advantage in my opinion.

Yes the gas kicker with a barely turning prop will be louder than an electric. I however, am not sure that is any more scary to the walleye than the turning prop from the electric that they are also picking up. When I think that stealth is truly required I just drift with all motors off or anchor with all motors off.

I can tell you I have both motor types and my catch rate is no different with either of them going, so I can say that one does not scare them off more at least not in " a lot of Situations" than the other. I will give you that there are times when stealth seems to be an issue but again then I have the motors off.

I also don't believe I am in denial as I have tried both in a lot of situations and came to the conclusion from this experimentation that the difference in most cases is minimal or non existent. This is not to say that your experience is not different or you may fish much more shallow than I do etc so have come up with a different opinion than mine. I would of course be interested if you gave this experiment a try this summer and let me know the results you got. I am always willing to learn.

[lds]

I have a 2.5hp mercury from bass pro. $750 brand new after taxes. Love it. I like that I don’t have to charge batteries on a weekend trip or even if I’m running all day I can just bring spare fuel.

[Fishwhere]

With a 16ft which is what i have i would not go with anything but my 12v 55lb thrust electric trolling motor with ipilot. The fellows earlier on this thread have brought up some really great points about the gas motors but i think its killing a fly with a sledgehammer for what you will most likely be using it for personally. The other major factor is the options that the electric motors with ipilot will give you.

If you have fished with the recorded routes, speed control, wind compensation, and spot lock of the ipilot before and you still want to proceed with the gas then go for it. But i would not make a choice until you have seen the options it can provide for you regarding a lot more hands off motor and boat control. You no longer have to pay a ton of attention to your motor. For those reasons alone i would go with the electric with ipilot.

Downsides to the electric - if you a troll a ton in bad wind you are going to get pushed around a decent amount with this, where as a gas i dont think you would quite as much(but once again you have to be hands on with gas motor). And if you get the 12v model which i have dropping it in can suck a tiny bit, but not horrible, because of the launching system on it. If you have a heavy/deep 16.5 or 18 i would def consider the gas a little more perhaps or 24v electric. But if you have a lighter 16ft rebel/fury style boat i wouldnt hesitate to do the 12v electric.

I have yet to have a problem with my electric and the high majority of cases it has worked really well. I would focus my research not just on which motor performs better - but associated features and options that it lets you do now. Gas motor Has way less features then electric.

My 2 cents

Either way you go good luck!

[dodgeboy1979]

i would go with a 55# bow mount electric, with either ipilot or copilot. this will give you nicer hands free fishing. If you want to have a kicker then why not just put a trolling plate on your main motor to get you down a bit slower and invest the money you were going to spend on a kicker to the electric motor.

[thumper]

I prefer electric because:

It's easier to store during the off-season. It can freeze in the shed or sit in my basement - no issues with gas fumes or stale gas in the spring.

You can store it in any position.

During the season, no handling jerry cans or worrying about them flopping over in the truck and fouling other gear.

For the not-so-mechanically-inclined, does not require expensive servicing and you're never faced with yanking on that rope forever in the middle of the lake to get it to start.

On some models you can program them to automatically follow a depth contour.
If I had the bucks, I'd get one of those new GPS models that automatically hold your position - and do away with using my anchor!

Plus, I fish a number of lakes that don't permit gas motors.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by cube

I also don't believe I am in denial as I have tried both in a lot of situations and came to the conclusion from this experimentation that the difference in most cases is minimal or non existent. This is not to say that your experience is not different or you may fish much more shallow than I do etc so have come up with a different opinion than mine. I would of course be interested if you gave this experiment a try this summer and let me know the results you got. I am always willing to learn.

I have found that difference is most noticeable when water depths are shallower - 10ft or less, and for slower speeds where you're relying on fish to bite and not just react to a bait - pulling spinner blades or a lindy rig for example. I also think the "background noise" is a factor, if you're out fishing in a big wind with large rolling waves that are cresting and breaking the sound and current seem to minimize the effect vs a flat calm day. This could be in my head, but experience seems to tell me otherwise.

If you're pulling cranks in 15-30+' of water, then I'd agree, there's very little difference if any between the two.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by Fishwhere

Downsides to the electric - if you a troll a ton in bad wind you are going to get pushed around a decent amount with this, where as a gas i dont think you would quite as much(but once again you have to be hands on with gas motor).

The opposite is actually true in my experience. Using the bow mount results in far easier boat control in windy conditions.

Drop the bow mount in and keep your big motor in the water pointed straight to use as a rudder. Doing that has two main advantages for the bow mount, #1 you're pulling/controlling the boat from the bow so it's "anchored" already and there's no delay in how it reacts, and #2, the steering speed of the electric allows for much faster and more precise steering adjustments. Keeping the boat pointed in the direction you want it while the wind gusts using a bow mount and wireless remote is far easier than trying to steer the boat from the back corner using a tiller handle. That becomes especially true as your desired speed gets lower, because it takes a lot of power to control the bow from the back of the boat.

You'll actually see a lot of guys use their bow mount AND their kicker when trolling, especially in the wind. The kicker provides the thrust, but it's just locked in pointed straight, the bow mount does the steering and boat control.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by lds

I have a 2.5hp mercury from bass pro. $750 brand new after taxes. Love it. I like that I don’t have to charge batteries on a weekend trip or even if I’m running all day I can just bring spare fuel.

And if the big motor conks out in the middle of no where the little gas kicker will get you home. seen that a few times 20 miles out and the kicker saved the day.

[67ZL1]

I’ve been told by a very high ranking Walleye Pro from the U.S. that a gas kicker is actually quieter than a bow mount trolling motor. He told me that he scuba spears fish and said that he can hear a electric trolling motor coming before he can see the boat.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by 67ZL1

I’ve been told by a very high ranking Walleye Pro from the U.S. that a gas kicker is actually quieter than a bow mount trolling motor. He told me that he scuba spears fish and said that he can hear a electric trolling motor coming before he can see the boat.

Huh, that's really interesting.

If you just turn on an electric trolling motor on dry land, they're pretty much silent. The only thing you hear is the whirring of the prop, much like hearing fan running, as the speed goes up.

[muzzy]

Originally Posted by Walleyedude

I have found that difference is most noticeable when water depths are shallower - 10ft or less, and for slower speeds where you're relying on fish to bite and not just react to a bait - pulling spinner blades or a lindy rig for example. I also think the "background noise" is a factor, if you're out fishing in a big wind with large rolling waves that are cresting and breaking the sound and current seem to minimize the effect vs a flat calm day. This could be in my head, but experience seems to tell me otherwise.

If you're pulling cranks in 15-30+' of water, then I'd agree, there's very little difference if any between the two.

WD I have fished for over 60 years with the vast majority of that time in northern locations with prime walleye habitat as a result of my job. Atikokan Thunder bay ,Lynn lake, Thompson, Yellowknife to name a few spots I lived at.At many of these locations where I lived I'd fish over 200 days a year. My main walleye fishing method is a slow troll with jig/spinner and minnow and when I hit school turn and do a figure eight troll back and forth over them. This is all done with either my 3 hp gas johnson or my 15 hp and 14 ft aluminu,. I have caught thousands of walleye and never had an issue with the motor spooking them and I typically fish 10 to 14 ft depth bouncing bottom.

[huntsfurfish]

Best of both worlds(well sort of). Your main is a 45, mine is a 40 on a 16 foot. You can use the Main motor if needed to troll and make use of an electric bow mount for slow trolling which you said you want. If you need to troll fast you can use your main motor with or without a drift sock.

I have 80 pound thrust 24 volt on my boat. Had 12 volt would not go back to 12 on this boat.

Now that said, if you dont want anymore batteries than that rules out electric.

But you are missing the boat with all that an electric can do for you.

Edit: I have 4 - 27 or larger series batteries in the boat. 2 for trolling motor, starting, and 1 battery only for electronics(fish finders).

2-4hp can work for you, depends on how you fish or want to fish.

[67ZL1]

Originally Posted by Walleyedude

Huh, that's really interesting.

If you just turn on an electric trolling motor on dry land, they're pretty much silent. The only thing you hear is the whirring of the prop, much like hearing fan running, as the speed goes up.

He said you can hear the trolling motor’s prop thumping away. Apparently the gas kicker has to be just about ontop of you before you can hear it. He said it’s nothing more than a marketing ploy with the manufacturers. He doesn’t even use SI or DI on his sonars. Just uses 2d. With several PWT, NWT wins and a few AOY’s under his belt, who am I to second guess?🤔 Just makes a guy think twice about buying all the hype of the latest and greatest.

[dodger]

I have the newer version iPilot and love it. I plotted in a track that does a grid over my fishing hole. It will run the grid for 2 hours at .5/mph. I can even have a snooze until a fish hits.

Dodger.

[boonedocks]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

And if the big motor conks out in the middle of no where the little gas kicker will get you home. seen that a few times 20 miles out and the kicker saved the day.

This is a big reason why I’m leaning towards a smaller gas motor!

[bobalong]

I am not sure what motor puts out more noise or if it scares fish but when you go into water less than 10-15 ft on a reasonably calm day your boats water displacement is probably what is scaring them.
They aren't smart enough to what a boat is but they do know by the amount of water your displacing that your big enough to eat them.

[Tom Pullings]

I have a 16 foot as well with an 80 pound ipilot link bow mount. It’s a game changer. With the 24v I have trolled all day and never been below 3/4 charge. I suspect I could easily do two full days but haven’t tried it. The control is amazing. I’ll use the remote when I’m trolling so that I can sit back and watch the rods and use the foot control on the deck when I’m moving around casting. I love using it to nose into little spots and move around weed beds casting for pike. I can never go back to a gas kicker.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Sled Dog]

I have a 24V MinnKota on the bow and a 4 strike kicker on the transom. While the electric is definitely best for boat control while fishing i’m not confident it would get me home if the big motor quit. And invariably motors don’t quit on quiet days or close to the launch. Depending on how big water you frequent I would lean toward the gas kicker

[Coiloil37]

For trolling I’ve got both a four stroke 9.9 and a 24v 80lb thrust ipilot. If I had to choose just one I would take the four stroke 9.9 as it’ll get me off the lake, unless I run out of fuel but that’s hard to do if your paying attention. If I only fished small lakes I may change my mind as I use the electric a lot but truth be told the 9.9 is what keeps me feeling confident when I’m 20km from the boat ramp.
As for noise, I don’t think I’ve noticed a difference. I typically troll structure and don’t troll a straight line but I’ve never had a problem picking up fish with the electric or the gas kicker.

[Saskieboy]

I have a trolling plate on my 40 hp 2 stroke Mercury. My boat is 16ft5" with a deep v & narrow 75" beam with 2-3 people & gear it trolls a perfect 1.1-1.3 for bottom bouncing in calm water.Typically in the first 6 weeks of the season I will be in 3-6 ft of water & the Walleye don't seem to be afraid to bite. Even later as well.That said I have a 55lb bow mount Minkota that I don't use enough but works great when I do use it. I always thought the noisey 2 stroke would scare them away but I always bring them in.I fish highly used waters in S AB where they see & hear it all & no problem catching.But I would think if a guy has a 4 stroke it might be even better fishing than a loud 20 year old 2 stroke.