kicker size

[Tips Up]

I'm fishing from a 16' Double Eagle and my old 9.9 johnson kicker has kicked it in.
Being an older style Double Eagle it has a bracket for mounting the kicker. There is no room on the transom. The 9.9 seemed a bit heavy to be bouncing around off the bracket.

I am looking for a new (new to me) kicker and concidering a 6 horse. I think it would be enough. Anyone running a similar size boat and what are you running?

Thanks
Tips

 

[dog]

I put a 1994 8hp Johnson on my 1980 16 foot Double Eagle this year. I worry about the bracket too. 8 hp power seems fine for emergency use to me. I dont have any experience with less power, but less weight is appealing. I plan to reinforce my bracket with plates, probably inside and out, when I get time.

 

[Bob W]

I had a 6 hp Johnson 2 stroke kicker on a 17' lifetimer welded aluminum boat (with cabin) . It pushed it along just fine. The trick is to make sure you get a high-thrust prop and a long shaft. The high Thrust has three very wide blades and low rake, so a lot more revolutions are needed to take it a given distance - than a regular prop.

It means a smaller hp motor can move a heavy boat - but at the expense of speed.

If speed is important to you, then you need a bigger hp motor and a regular prop. I found that on the 6 hp I could move along about 5-6 knots, so getting home was slow but safe. If you fish a long way from shore, then you will want more power. But for general trolling and inside the strait, 6 hp will do you fine.

Bob

 

[scott craven]

there's a 6 hp 4 stroke yamaha
in the tims colonist (victoria) today
believe the phone # is 658-1868
he wants $1300

 

[Still Learnin]

Tips, I have a 19ft bow rider with a 5 horse kicker that seems to work just fine. I spend most of the fall fishing in the currents north of Campbell River and the 5 horse moves my boat around just fine. A 6 horse on your boat should be ok.

 

[cowieslabslayer]

here is a very good tip I learned a few years back by a great mechanic!
take a piece of square hollow metal and cut out the appropriate fitting for under the kicker moter. Then drill two holes at each end of the metal bar. Tie a bungycord or some string to the bar and enough material so you can tie it off to something like the kicker clamps. This will prevent you from losing your bracket bar. Now when everything is finished lift the kicker and place the bar underneath the leg, sortof jams up under there. and your go to go- you can now go out and as much pounding as you and your boat takes the kicker will be fine.
cs out

 

[baddogg]

Hey CS

I've been sipping a few red wine tonight, no Lucky's , and I'm having a bit of a time trying to visualize what you are describing. Maybe sometime you can post a pic of it.
Sounds like something that could be very useful in rough seas.

thanks

 

[TheRock]

I had a 18 1/2 Campion with a kicker bracket with a 9.9 and then a 8 hp. motors on it.. I hate kicker brackets! they bounce around, in time the get loose and corrode and moving parts cease up... JUNK!! My boat I have now came with a kicker bracket.. first thing I did was I ripped the thing off and got a custom made kicker pod, powder coated for less than the price of useless new kicker bracket.! I Absolutely hate them... As for motor selection... my choice is 9.9 hp. smaller kickers you have to rev the Rpms so much higher to get the same amount of power from a quieter running lower rpm 9.9 that will provide you with more thrust in the end... I rather have to much power and power to spare on hand.. than to little..

 

[Tips Up]

Thanks for the feed back.
I am looking for a 2 stroke so that I don't have to worry about seperate gas and to save a few $$
I guess I will see what comes up. A high thrust 6 sounds good. Motor sizes seem to vary from year to year and by manufacturer.

Tips

 

[The Penguin]

i have 15 hp honda weighs same as 9.9 worked good on 17.5 kand c aluminium bracket sucked though

got solid bracket on bayliner now

 

[Tanglefoot]

I've a 9.9 long shaft 4-stroke on a bracket on my 18.5 Malabu. The bracket is a pita!!The motor bounces in any kind of chop and, although I have plates behind the mouning bolts, I fear it will eventually take the transome off. When it comes out of the water I'm getting rid of the bracket and going to a fixed mount. Should have done it this year

Tom

 

[Tailspin]

With the Garelick 25hp rated 4 stroke bracket i find it will bounce around some with a 9.9 4s Yammy but overal it works great, even offshore! I could not get away with no adjustment on a fixed mount as weather changes on a deep boat you need to move it up and or down to keep it from drowning or cavitating.

Hey tips, a four stroke is so nice to troll with, wisper quiet and no rattling smoke induced headaches.[8D]

8 hp Yammy with the elec start and charging system would be slick. I dont think the 6hp comes with elec start.

 

[reel easy]

Tried them all, have a 21" aluminum, the best setup is a 8 or 9.9 hp 4 stroke, extra long shaft which rides high out of the water, electric start, which gives you a good charging system which you MUST have, and a power lift is worth every penny. The bracket, a fixed mount, no bouncing, no more vibration, and with the extra long shaft no need for adjusting. This setup may cost a little more but don't skimp on something you are always using and relying on, trust me I'm talking from experience, good luck.

 

[Tips Up]

Agreed Reel Easy.
My father inlaws 18' Double Eagle is set up with a Yammy 4 stroke 9.9, electric start, seperate throttle, charging system and mounted directly to the transom. The seperate throttle located at the back of the boat is a huge bonus!

Unfortunately I don't plan to have this boat for a long time and no matter how much $$ I put into the boat it will still always be a late 70's boat and it's value won't change much. I have it well decked out for fishing. The bracket is decent so I think I will have another look at 9.9's and possibly put a support strap on the motor to help stablize it.

Tips

 

[finaddict]

quote:Originally posted by reel easy

Tried them all, have a 21" aluminum, the best setup is a 8 or 9.9 hp 4 stroke, extra long shaft which rides high out of the water, electric start, which gives you a good charging system which you MUST have, and a power lift is worth every penny. The bracket, a fixed mount, no bouncing, no more vibration, and with the extra long shaft no need for adjusting. This setup may cost a little more but don't skimp on something you are always using and relying on, trust me I'm talking from experience, good luck.

Same for me 9.9 Yamaha long shaft 4 stroke electric start with a high thrust propellor and attached to my 26' Campion Toba by solid bracket, (not the flimsy plastic swim grid). Pushes my 7000 lb boat along at over 5 1/2 knots at full throttle and keeps the batteries charged atall the time.

Great set up, just need to spend another $3000 on the auto helm for it