Trolling plate

[cjjn]

Was wondering if anyone has tried a trolling plate on a 23 ft. seacraft with a i/o? Do they work any better than dragging buckets. Do they have any disadvantages? Thank you

[bj]

My first Seacraft was a 23' Sceptre 1977. It had an OMC 235 I/O. I put a Happy Troller on it because we slow trolled live menhaden for kings almost every time we fished. There is absolutely no question that it worked great. You could idle the engine up slightly and this would allow more output from the alternator to keep the batteries charged. The only drawback was it seemed to create a slight bit more drag and thus hurt the speed slightly while cruising. Also I did forget to pull it up a couple of times over the years and bent it up. I carried it to a welder and had it fixed. If you slow troll a majority of the time it will be a big help.