07-14-2009, 09:23 PM
A lot of us (myself included) can't really afford the 4 stroke motors. There are a lot of used 2 strokes out there that are a LOT less than the 4's. Because of this, and the fact that I have no experience with 4 stroke trollers, I will only touch on the 2 strokes.
What motor is best could really depend on the boat you are using it on. I know you mentioned it's on a 17' boat. However, you didn't mention if it is a deep V, a tri-hull, or what. Also, how tall is the transom? You should also measure the distance between where the troller will clamp on and the waterline on the boat. This can make a big difference in deciding between a long or short shaft. If you have any doubt, go with the long shaft. Remember that a tri-hull boat, while more stable in calm water, has a tendency to climb waves and can bring the motor further out of the water as it goes down the back side of a wave. The deep v boats tend to keep a more consistent depth, though they do have some climb.
As for the horsepower rating, that can also depend on the boat. How heavy is the boat? How susceptible is it to wind, etc. You may have a bit of struggle with a 4 hp in the wind, but a 6 hp should do well on a 17' boat. My old 17.5' boat had a 6 hp short-shaft troller I bought from the Strawberry Marina when they were retiring their old wooden rental boats. It did a great job on that boat and is still out there trolling along (saw my old boat on KSL a couple of weeks ago).
My current boat is a 19' deep V with a 9.9 hp short shaft troller. I have it on a Remote Troll set up (not adjustable) and wish I had a long shaft troller for this boat.
One last pointer is that your trolling speed can depend as much on how well the motor is tuned as it does the hp rating of the motor. A well-tuned motor, tuned for the elevation you are fishing at, can troll down to a lot lower speed than one that hasn't been tuned up in a while.
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What motor is best could really depend on the boat you are using it on. I know you mentioned it's on a 17' boat. However, you didn't mention if it is a deep V, a tri-hull, or what. Also, how tall is the transom? You should also measure the distance between where the troller will clamp on and the waterline on the boat. This can make a big difference in deciding between a long or short shaft. If you have any doubt, go with the long shaft. Remember that a tri-hull boat, while more stable in calm water, has a tendency to climb waves and can bring the motor further out of the water as it goes down the back side of a wave. The deep v boats tend to keep a more consistent depth, though they do have some climb.
As for the horsepower rating, that can also depend on the boat. How heavy is the boat? How susceptible is it to wind, etc. You may have a bit of struggle with a 4 hp in the wind, but a 6 hp should do well on a 17' boat. My old 17.5' boat had a 6 hp short-shaft troller I bought from the Strawberry Marina when they were retiring their old wooden rental boats. It did a great job on that boat and is still out there trolling along (saw my old boat on KSL a couple of weeks ago).
My current boat is a 19' deep V with a 9.9 hp short shaft troller. I have it on a Remote Troll set up (not adjustable) and wish I had a long shaft troller for this boat.
One last pointer is that your trolling speed can depend as much on how well the motor is tuned as it does the hp rating of the motor. A well-tuned motor, tuned for the elevation you are fishing at, can troll down to a lot lower speed than one that hasn't been tuned up in a while.
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