Ultimate Utah fishing boat.

[Paddler]

I chose the 115HP because it was the highest state of tune for the block.

Please explain further what you mean by this statement?  Thanks.

Most outboard powerhead blocks are shared with at least 2 or sometimes 3 horsepower ratings.
The changes in horsepower ratings are determined by carburetors/injectors, fuel mapping/timing,and exhaust system tuning.
Jon’s 115 is probably the same block as a Mercury 90 hp, just ‘tuned’ to put out more hp than the 90.
No different than how Mercury, Yamaha, and Suzuki 9.9 and 15 hp kickers share the same block ( per manufacturer) but the 15 hp engines get tuned to the higher hp.

Thanks

Yep, as I said before, Mercury's 2.1L I4 is available in 75HP and 90HP versions.  To get more than 115HP one needs to go up to the 3L block, which puts out 150HP.  The redesigned 150HP came out in about 2013, and it's a helluva engine.  Larger displacement than the previous engine, 2 valve instead of 4, no valve maintenance ever, lighter weight and more fuel efficient.  That same design philosophy trickled down to the 115HP a year or two later.  Awesome engine.  On a typical 135 mile tuna trip, with 2-3 guys, full fuel (52 gallons), all the gear, a 150qt plus a 100qt cooler full of ice, I'd get 4MPG with the old engine.  The new one consistently does 4.5MPG, which gives me a range of well over 200 miles.  Typically, though, as a safety precaution, the usual recommendation is 1/3 of your fuel on the way out, 1/3 on the trip back, leaving 1/3 in the tank back on the dock.  On a nice day I'd probably go out 70 miles or so, leaving enough to troll a few hours and still not have to worry about fuel.  On a side note, I've found that the fuel meter in the Smart Craft gauge is very accurate, within tenths of a gallon.

Went fishing today, fish had lockjaw due to the cold front, 8F water temperature drop and much increased turbidity.  I happened to check the USCG hull plate and discovered I'm even more underpowered than I thought.  The 20' Searunner is rated for 175HP!  What was I thinking?  The 175HP 4S is a DOHC 3.4L V6, weighs 475# and costs ~$6800 more than my 115HP.  Add in the kicker with controls and I could have spent another $10K or more without improving safety or catching more fish.  I must be crazy.

[SkunkedAgain]

I'll second Craig's thoughts on the the Tracker's, they are really nice boats.. I know they don't have the elitist reputation of the Lund's but I didn't have to spend $80K either, so I'm fishing and enjoying it and not worrying about making a payment. I go to have fun, not to be looked at.

I may throw a different angle at you, that may not apply to how you like to fish, but for me being able to run in shallow water was important, but I also wanted big water safety for when the wind kicks up on Bear Lake. I eventually decided to get a deep V so I could fish Bear Lake, what I found out was my older Tracker like Craigs only weighed in about 1300 lbs and with 115 hp, it pushes the boat about 38 mph (GPS) and on shallow Cutler, about 1.5 to 2.5' deep it actually still will run well without digging in the mud too much.. I didn't expect to be able to run in shallow water and still have big water safety, but this boat will give me both options. I love the wrap around window and Bimini top, it's not like my friends full cabins on their big boats that are heavenly in November gales, but it sure is nice for spring fishing... If budget isn't an issue, look at the Duckworth's, Thunderjets and etc... They are really nice, but if you're like me and don't have that much extra cash watch KSL, I seen a sweet Lund that was hardly used and the guy had passed away so his family sold it for like $26k.... But it didn't last long, think it sold in an hour or two... Plus you can find old used ones that need some attention and boats aren't too difficult to rework, as long as the transom, hull and engine are in good shape...

Over the years I've found that having the ability to do something is more important than having the first class option... We started out camping with a 1970 ish trailer that was in pretty shape, but we had a blast in that trailer, went everywhere and had a blast... Then we upgraded to a really nice fifth wheel, ended up having all kinds of leakage issues and rework needing to be done, hardly ever used it and when we did we had to go to developed campsites and I have to say it was a very expensive mistake, I should have stuck with the one that I had fun in... However, the fifth wheel is much nicer to stay in when we do use it... Maybe once a year these days...

To finish up my rambling, check out YouTube videos on the different boats that you're thinking about, they will show you the general layouts and you can see if you like the way the boat is organized.. I really liked the newer Targa's storage systems and wish my older one had the same stuff, but they also weigh a lot more than my 99 so they probably wouldn't work in shallow water, so I'm glad I got what I did... Good luck and if you want to try out different type boats make a post and I'll bet some BFT'ers would be willing to let you check out their boats... That can help you decide on features that you want in your boat... Later Jeff

[fast_randy]

This has been a good Post for me. After fishing with Obifishkenobi and 2nots in their boats, my 16' Lowe 40 hr. motor and 25 mph top speed seems way inadequate. Well, I do love it for Utah Lake and would have a hard time selling it. I'm thinking I need two boats. Lol

[Paddler]

This has been a good Post for me. After fishing with Obifishkenobi and 2nots in their boats, my 16' Lowe 40 hr. motor and 25 mph top speed seems way inadequate. Well, I do love it for Utah Lake and would have a hard time selling it. I'm thinking I need two boats. Lol

Every boat is a compromise.  I really liked my Alumacraft, it was a step up from my old Crestliner Fish Hawk.  But I bought that boat used for $5K, and it was long ago. Caught a lot of fish in the Alumacraft.  I had a paper graph in the back and an X85 on the bow mount up front.  Now, though, I like having a Bimini.  We're up on WB now, trolling cranks off planer boards.

You just have to decide where and how you want to fish.  I could use a bigger boat in the ocean, but you just need to choose you days.  For Utah and how I fish, it's about ideal for me.  Two boats is a great idea.

[Troutster]

I was working up in Idaho Falls so I popped in to the Crestliner dealer today. They have a Fish Hawk 1750 with Helix 7 finder, Merc 115 HP Pro XC, a cover and bimini. No battery chargers, no kicker or bow trolling motor. They want a whopping $53,000 for it. With that engine the boat will do 40 mph at 4700 ft with 1 passenger. It is a beautiful boat but…. They also had a couple of Duckworths but when he said they cost more, I didn’t even look at them. FYI they have a wake/ski boat that costs $250,000. Sorry guys, it’s already sold. This thread has been super informative and entertaining. I appreciate everyone’s comments and opinions. Looks like I’ll be float tubing for awhile longer.

[Paddler]

I was working up in Idaho Falls so I popped in to the Crestliner dealer today. They have a Fish Hawk 1750 with  Helix 7 finder,  Merc 115 HP Pro XC, a cover and bimini. No battery chargers, no kicker or bow trolling motor.  They want a whopping $53,000 for it.  With that engine the boat will do 40 mph at  4700 ft with 1 passenger.  It is a beautiful boat but…. They also had a couple of Duckworths but when he said they cost more, I didn’t even look at them.  FYI they have a wake/ski boat that costs $250,000. Sorry guys, it’s already sold. This thread has been super informative and entertaining. I appreciate everyone’s comments and opinions. Looks like I’ll be float tubing for awhile longer.

You might do better ordering one.  I ordered my Hewes pretty much the way I wanted it, and picked it up from the closest dealer in Nampa, ID.  Cost will be an issue, obviously, and availability will be tough.  Robertson's Marine here in SLC has been good to deal with.  When I repowered in 2015 they beat Marine Products by a significant amount.  Marine Products also sells Alumacraft, you might try to order one through them.  You may also save some money by installing your own accessories.  I installed my FF/chartplotter, VHF, autopilot, Scotty 1106s and radar.  Actually ended up rewiring the boat, factory wiring when I bought mine was a joke.

Again, I encourage you to explore the idea of a single main engine.  If you choose correctly you'll be able to troll at ~2.5MPH and have a WOT speed over 30MPH. We trolled 8 hours today and burned about 2.8 gallons including running around.  I burn 0.3GPH at idle.  And again, an autopilot is a real game changer.

[wiperhunter2]

Again, I encourage you to explore the idea of a single main engine.  If you choose correctly you'll be able to troll at ~2.5MPH and have a WOT speed over 30MPH. We trolled 8 hours today and burned about 2.8 gallons including running around.  I burn 0.3GPH at idle.  And again, an autopilot is a real game changer.

One thing that I'm surprised you have not considered or maybe worried about with you single engine setup, is breakdown. If you ever have an engine failiure you could be in big trouble, being that far out on the ocean for sure but even on any of our local lakes and even if it has never happened to you, it does not mean it can't or won't happen. You are taking chances being out anywhere without a backup engine and for that along it's worth having a kicker. Sure, you might say you have a two way radio but then you have to rely on others to rescue you and that is never a great policy, IMO. Self resure is a much better plan and being prepared, in case thing go bad, is the best way to do that IMO.

[Kent]

[quote pid="1134155" dateline="1654258826"]
One thing that I'm surprised you have not considered or maybe worried about with you single engine setup, is breakdown. If you ever have an engine failiure you could be in big trouble, being that far out on the ocean for sure but even on any of our local lakes and even if it has never happened to you, it does not mean it can't or won't happen. You are taking chances being out anywhere without a backup engine and for that along it's worth having a kicker. Sure, you might say you have a two way radio but then you have to rely on others to rescue you and that is never a great policy, IMO. Self resure is a much better plan and being prepared, in case thing go bad, is the best way to do that IMO.
[/quote]

I have had to use my kicker to get me back to the dock a couple times.  Once on The Snake River I would likely have had to spend the night on the river without having a kicker.  The alarm sounded that oil was not being injected into my outboard.  I would have been afraid of burning up the outboard had I ignored the alarm.  I also had to use my reserve can of gas to refuel the kicker about 3/4 of the way back to the dock.

[Paddler]

Again, I encourage you to explore the idea of a single main engine.  If you choose correctly you'll be able to troll at ~2.5MPH and have a WOT speed over 30MPH. We trolled 8 hours today and burned about 2.8 gallons including running around.  I burn 0.3GPH at idle.  And again, an autopilot is a real game changer.

One thing that I'm surprised you have not considered or maybe worried about with you single engine setup, is breakdown. If you ever have an engine failiure you could be in big trouble, being that far out on the ocean for sure but even on any of our local lakes and even if it has never happened to you, it does not mean it can't or won't happen. You are taking chances being out anywhere without a backup engine and for that along it's worth having a kicker. Sure, you might say you have a two way radio but then you have to rely on others to rescue you and that is never a great policy, IMO. Self resure is a much better plan and being prepared, in case thing go bad, is the best way to do that IMO.

I have thought a lot about the issue of a breakdown offshore.  Like everything else it's a risk assessment/judgement call.  The problem with limping back to port on a kicker is the time it takes.  At say 6MPH it would take 8 hours, which may put you in the unenviable position of coming home in the dark.  One also needs to consider the likelihood of breakdown.  Given the reliability of modern outboards, and the fact that I don't often turn my engine off during a day of fishing, I think the risk is minimal.  La Push has a CG station with two MLB47's, and Port Angeles has a helicopter, so help is available if need be.  So yes, I have considered the issue and understand the risk involved.  I will say that I'm in the minority on the kicker thing, and you are certainly in the majority.  Many guys on ifish think I'm crazy, but then they're also of the "max out your hull's HP rating" school, too.  Don't get me started on offshore brackets.

Seems to me that a lot of these hunting and fishing boards attract a predominantly conservative or even ultraconservative crowd, and posters are often intolerant of differing viewpoints.  They do things the way things have always been done because they've always been done that way.  No room for other ideas, if one chooses to not follow the crowd he or she is "stupid".  We've seen that in play on this thread.  I will say that some of the posts on this thread wouldn't be tolerated on ifish, as it's very tightly moderated.  Over there differing viewpoints are fine, but insults and personal attacks are not in the least tolerated.  I think that leads to a freer exchange of ideas and less acrimony.  We are an incredibly divided country now, and social media contributes to the division.  I'm not optimistic it will get better.

One poster said that not maxing out your HP rating is "stupid.  Full stop".  Another made a snide remark about "Utah's ocean", as if bad things don't happen here.  We all know that people get in trouble in Utah due to rapidly changing weather.  I was on WB on 4/22/2015 when the weather blew up.  I had earlier seen two guys in a little boat fishing.  When the wind came up I started in at maybe 15MPH.  The ride was bumpy, and I had lots of spray coming over the windshield.  Nothing dangerous, just bumpy.  I just slowed down, flatlined a couple of crankbaits and boated another couple of fish on my way in.

When I got back to the ramp, Parks was launching their boat.  I asked what was going on and they told me they had to rescue some people as their boat had capsized.  I found out later it was probably those two guys, a teenager and his grandpa.  The teen had his cellphone in a ziplock bag, so was able to call for help.  I had no idea or would have helped, and don't know what would have happened but for that ziplock.  They had headed to the south marina, I was out of the north.  Clearly, their boat was too small for the conditions.  But even if it wasn't, going faster than my top speed of 37MPH would have been impossible.  This is a photo of that boat.  The wind waves got much worse, and I took some video but cannot post it here.



The takehome is that I think a lot about what I do and how I do it.  Those who have been critical of me and my approach have never been in my boat and really don't know what they're talking about.  If they had ever fished with me I think they'd understand better.

[hunt4bigbucks32]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

[Paddler]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

I've heard that argument before, too, and it's certainly one way to look at it.  The other is that you're not getting much use out of your $20,000 main.  Using something that costs so much so little doesn't make much sense, IMO.  When I repowered in 2015 the hours on my engine didn't affect the trade-in value at all, so you don't increase depreciation by trolling with your main.  Also, I've fished on boats with kickers.  They are much noisier, and I find it irritating.  My Mercury is very quiet at idle and I much prefer it.  Now, one could argue that a kicker may burn less fuel than my 0.3GPH.  That's a big maybe, and I can buy a lot fuel for the cost of a kicker.

[wiperhunter2]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

Welcome to the site H4BB32, you make a good point about putting so many hours on your main motor. when there is no reason to do it. I just came back from fishing with a friend, he claimed to use less than a gallon of gas in trolling with his kicker for 4 to 5 hours, I have never checked the hours per gallon on my boats kicker but I know it is way less than what my main motor uses. 

WH2

[wiperhunter2]

I have thought a lot about the issue of a breakdown offshore.  Like everything else it's a risk assessment/judgement call.  The problem with limping back to port on a kicker is the time it takes.  At say 6MPH it would take 8 hours, which may put you in the unenviable position of coming home in the dark.  One also needs to consider the likelihood of breakdown.  Given the reliability of modern outboards, and the fact that I don't often turn my engine off during a day of fishing, I think the risk is minimal.  La Push has a CG station with two MLB47's, and Port Angeles has a helicopter, so help is available if need be.  So yes, I have considered the issue and understand the risk involved.  I will say that I'm in the minority on the kicker thing, and you are certainly in the majority.  Many guys on ifish think I'm crazy, but then they're also of the "max out your hull's HP rating" school, too.  Don't get me started on offshore brackets. Seems to me that a lot of these hunting and fishing boards attract a predominantly conservative or even ultraconservative crowd, and posters are often intolerant of differing viewpoints.  They do things the way things have always been done because they've always been done that way.  No room for other ideas, if one chooses to not follow the crowd he or she is "stupid".  We've seen that in play on this thread.  I will say that some of the posts on this thread wouldn't be tolerated on ifish, as it's very tightly moderated.  Over there differing viewpoints are fine, but insults and personal attacks are not in the least tolerated.  I think that leads to a freer exchange of ideas and less acrimony.  We are an incredibly divided country now, and social media contributes to the division.  I'm not optimistic it will get better. One poster said that not maxing out your HP rating is "stupid.  Full stop".  Another made a snide remark about "Utah's ocean", as if bad things don't happen here.  We all know that people get in trouble in Utah due to rapidly changing weather.  I was on WB on 4/22/2015 when the weather blew up.  I had earlier seen two guys in a little boat fishing.  When the wind came up I started in at maybe 15MPH.  The ride was bumpy, and I had lots of spray coming over the windshield.  Nothing dangerous, just bumpy.  I just slowed down, flatlined a couple of crankbaits and boated another couple of fish on my way in.
When I got back to the ramp, Parks was launching their boat.  I asked what was going on and they told me they had to rescue some people as their boat had capsized.  I found out later it was probably those two guys, a teenager and his grandpa.  The teen had his cellphone in a ziplock bag, so was able to call for help.  I had no idea or would have helped, and don't know what would have happened but for that ziplock.  They had headed to the south marina, I was out of the north.  Clearly, their boat was too small for the conditions.  But even if it wasn't, going faster than my top speed of 37MPH would have been impossible.  This is a photo of that boat.  The wind waves got much worse, and I took some video but cannot post it here. The take home is that I think a lot about what I do and how I do it.  Those who have been critical of me and my approach have never been in my boat and really don't know what they're talking about.  If they had ever fished with me I think they'd understand better.

The original poster (OP) was asking for recommendations, everyone was telling him their thoughts but for some reason you felt compelled to state your feeling more than once, not sure if you felt the OP did not read your reply or maybe you felt you were being drowned out by other members different thoughts but that was why I felt the need to reply to you. 
 We see no problem with different opinions here and I would hope all members would feel that way but as in life we all have disagreements, no one is perfect. If you feel other members have posted a personal attack or insulted you, you are welcome to hit the report post button below that members negative reply and the post will be edited or deleted, if need be and a PM will be sent to that member explaining why the action was taken. I don't read every reply on a long thread like this but now that you have brought it up I will look closer.

[Lundboy54]

[quote pid="1134155" dateline="1654258826"]
One thing that I'm surprised you have not considered or maybe worried about with you single engine setup, is breakdown. If you ever have an engine failiure you could be in big trouble, being that far out on the ocean for sure but even on any of our local lakes and even if it has never happened to you, it does not mean it can't or won't happen. You are taking chances being out anywhere without a backup engine and for that along it's worth having a kicker. Sure, you might say you have a two way radio but then you have to rely on others to rescue you and that is never a great policy, IMO. Self resure is a much better plan and being prepared, in case thing go bad, is the best way to do that IMO.

I have had to use my kicker to get me back to the dock a couple times.  Once on The Snake River I would likely have had to spend the night on the river without having a kicker.  The alarm sounded that oil was not being injected into my outboard.  I would have been afraid of burning up the outboard had I ignored the alarm.  I also had to use my reserve can of gas to refuel the kicker about 3/4 of the way back to the dock.
[/quote]
[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]Quite the opposite. You'll have to forgive DU and Rocky, they mean well but lack critical thinking skills. Ask them who won the last election.[/font]
Not sure why you think you are being picked on looks to me that you shot the first arrow. You turn it into a political thing and then cry that there isn't enough diversity of opinion. Fish in the boat you want who cares. This is why we are devided because no one has any respect for each other this is a fishing site shut up about politics

[BYUHunter]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

Agree 100%. I would have 2000 hours on my main motor, if not for my kicker. The resale value would be $0. Using a main as a kicker is hard on it, especially a 2-stroker. It carbons things up.

I replace my kicker every year, and sell off the old one for about a $200 depreciation. In this market, I've been trading up for free. Not to mention, I can troll all day on a gallon or two.

Lastly, using a main motor as a kicker does nothing well. It doesn't idle down slow enough for Kokes (under 1.5), it burns more gas, makes more noise, and costs more depreciation.

Anyways, funny to see the guy that's been stirring the pot crying in the comments for the mods to step in. The irony.

[Paddler]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

Agree 100%. I would have 2000 hours on my main motor, if not for my kicker. The resale value would be $0. Using a main as a kicker is hard on it, especially a 2-stroker. It carbons things up.

I replace my kicker every year, and sell off the old one for about a $200 depreciation. In this market, I've been trading up for free. Not to mention, I can troll all day on a gallon or two.

Lastly, using a main motor as a kicker does nothing well. It doesn't idle down slow enough for Kokes (under 1.5), it burns more gas, makes more noise, and costs more depreciation.

Anyways, funny to see the guy that's been stirring the pot crying in the comments for the mods to step in. The irony.

Incorrect on all counts.  My main will troll down to 550RPM (~2.0MPH) with the Troll Control option, but needs about 660RPM to keep the battery fully charged.  My drift sock system gets me down to 1.4MPH or less.  It's quieter than a kicker, sips gas, and didn't depreciate my last engine one iota.  I've covered all this above.  

I don't care so much if the moderators let things roll a bit, I can talk trash with the best.  I don't think it improves the exchange of information, though.  The only whining I've seen is the the thin-skinned dude who wanted to take a poll to see if I should be banned, despite not violating forum rules.

Boats are expensive, cost is typically an issue for many.  I think the OP should have the benefit of hearing multiple opinions before putting down his cold, hard cash.  Mine is just one, admittedly contrary to common wisdom.  But I've found that wisdom really isn't all that common.

[BYUHunter]

One thing to consider as far as number of motors go. Look at the cost of your main motor, that main outboard will be a large percentage of the overall boat cost. Depending on size of outboard you are looking at 12,000 to 30,000 for just the outboard. If you troll a lot you will put a ton of hours on your expensive main outboard. Why do that? I am on my fifth season with my boat and have only 60 hours on my main outboard(175hp). I would bet my 9.9 kicker motor easily has over 1000 hours. No reason to put thousands of hours on a 20,000 dollar motor when you can put those hours on a 3500 dollar motor. Id rather replace the kicker motor when that time comes, much cheaper. Also, max hp is the only way to go. Especially with our high elevation waters.

Agree 100%. I would have 2000 hours on my main motor, if not for my kicker. The resale value would be $0. Using a main as a kicker is hard on it, especially a 2-stroker. It carbons things up.

I replace my kicker every year, and sell off the old one for about a $200 depreciation. In this market, I've been trading up for free. Not to mention, I can troll all day on a gallon or two.

Lastly, using a main motor as a kicker does nothing well. It doesn't idle down slow enough for Kokes (under 1.5), it burns more gas, makes more noise, and costs more depreciation.

Anyways, funny to see the guy that's been stirring the pot crying in the comments for the mods to step in. The irony.

Incorrect on all counts.  My main will troll down to 550RPM (~2.0MPH) with the Troll Control option, but needs about 660RPM to keep the battery fully charged.  My drift sock system gets me down to 1.4MPH or less.  It's quieter than a kicker, sips gas, and didn't depreciate my last engine one iota.  I've covered all this above.  

I don't care so much if the moderators let things roll a bit, I can talk trash with the best.  I don't think it improves the exchange of information, though.  The only whining I've seen is the the thin-skinned dude who wanted to take a poll to see if I should be banned, despite not violating forum rules.

Boats are expensive, cost is typically an issue for many.  I think the OP should have the benefit of hearing multiple opinions before putting down his cold, hard cash.  Mine is just one, admittedly contrary to common wisdom.  But I've found that wisdom really isn't all that common.

"Incorrect on all accounts"

There's just no room for opinion in your world is there, oh keeper of truth? Grace us with your presence!!!

Hours do affect resale value. Significantly. Main motors do struggle to idle down to trolling speed, hence trolling plates and drift socks. Kicker motors will get you back to the dock when things go sideways, and eventually they will.

If I ever see a Hewes with a 115 paddling back to shore, I'll be sure to wave on my way by, whether I'm using the main, the kicker, or the minn kota. Redundancy wins.

[obifishkenobi]

I am going to do some moderation on this string with the idea that we do not talk about politics or religion in polite society and I consider this forum polite society, we are members here to talk about fishing. People are free to give their opinion on any topic but they can not call anybody out by name or say that their opinion is stupid. Please be civil and refrain from bringing politics into this forum, we all love to fish and can come to common ground on sharing our experience with each other. I am going to delete some responses from this string, but some good points are in those post. First and for most is if their is a member whose post give you heart burn you can block them from your interface, and if you have an issue with a member please flag their post and let the moderators deal with it.

[wiperhunter2]

I am going to do some moderation on this string with the idea that we do not talk about politics or religion in polite society and I consider this forum polite society, we are members here to talk about fishing. People are free to give their opinion on any topic but they can not call anybody out by name or say that their opinion is stupid. Please be civil and refrain from bringing politics into this forum, we all love to fish and can come to common ground on sharing our experience with each other. I am going to delete some responses from this string, but some good points are in those post. First and for most is if their is a member whose post give you heart burn you can block them from your interface, and if you have an issue with a member please flag their post and let the moderators deal with it.

Plus 1 Shawn, thanks.