[halacheff]

I fish out of a 10 ft bass hunter ex I have a 30 lb thurst motorguide on the front and a 2.5 Suzuki on the back, I am going to trim the prop on the trolling motor to slow it down as it is to fast on low for crappie fishing, has anyone on here done this, do you trim width and length of prop or just length

 

[Neilslure]

Before you go hacking on the prop, you might look to see if you can find some kind of variable speed control.

You might give Jones trolling motor (870 773-3474) a call and talk to John, he could probably tell you a way to slow it down without risking any negative effects on the motor.

 

[sundrop]

if you don't want to spend $100+ for a speed controller like a Maximizer then trimming the prop is a cheap fix. Cut the ends off not the sides of the blades. That way the blade will stay stiff but push less water. start small, a little can make a big difference. 1/4 inch at a time and try to measure/mark your blades evenly and cut on your marks so it keeps a decent balance.

 

[204Angler]

And make sure you trim them EVENLY! A little can mean a lot for vibrations too!!

 

[trigger22]

You might also be able to find a smaller prop instead of cutting up the one you have. Then if you want to go faster just switch props. Or you could trade your motor for a smaller one.

 

[dbeam]

How about making a Lexan or aluminum plate that would drop down behind the prop similar to this one. http://www.amazon.co.uk/DAVIS-HAPPY-TROLLER-TROLLING-PLATE/dp/B00J4I1MLU

Darrell

 

[albright1695]

Just an idea but have you tried towing a 5 gallon bucket or 2 on a rope behind the boat when trolling? The extra drag may slow it down enough to make it more manageable but it may kill your run time because the trolling motor is having to work harder. Just a thought.

 

[sundrop]

I was assuming he didn't want to do a drift sock or bucket...

 

[dbeam]

We are probably over thinking it. quickest would be to trim the ends of the prop a 1/4 inch at a time as Brent suggested.

I would think that you will trim a little (maybe several times) without much of a change then all of the sudden the change per 1/4 inch would become very pronounced. I pair of dividers or a good sized compass could be used to keep things even. You may have to stick a dowel or whittled down limb in the mounting hole in order to center up the divider.

Darrell

 

[204Angler]

I fish out of a 10 ft bass hunter ex I have a 30 lb thurst motorguide on the front and a 2.5 Suzuki on the back, I am going to trim the prop on the trolling motor to slow it down as it is to fast on low for crappie fishing, has anyone on here done this, do you trim width and length of prop or just length

I know what you are talking about by the way. I've got a 9' Patriot (like a basshunter) that I use for duck hunting primarily, with a 40lbs thrust on it. When I fish out of it, it is frustrating how fast (1) goes and since it is a Bill Dance motor, it has the button so it gets annoying clicking it off and on while beating the banks on my pond

 

[halacheff]

I have cut 1 inch off the prop, it runs smooth and it slowed down a little but it is still to fast, my grandson has a 18 lb thrust minkota that I am going to borrow and try to see if this helps

 

[halacheff]

I am not giving up yet, this prop started out at 9 inches from tip to tip it is now 61/2 inches across, it has slowed down a lot but still not enough for longlining, fishing is much better now though, I am going to tweek it a little more I think it will work for me

 

[halacheff]

I kept cutting and trying this prop but it was just not doing the job, I had slowed down a 45 lb thrust motor guide by installing a 4 blade prop but they don't make one in 3 inch for this motor, I took the 3 1/2 in prop and modified it to fit my 30 lb thrust motor and it did the trick

 

[JStroke]

IMHO, based on my engineering experience. The best way to get what you want is use two 6 volt, deep-cycle SLA batteries normally wired in series. When you want to slow troll, move your cables to connect to just one battery instead of both. I can help, if you need help selecting batteries or cabling, packaging or switches to make it easy to go from one mode to the other.

Two of these, for example: http://www.batterysharks.com/6-Volt-60-Amp-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery-p/6v-60ah_b6-60.htm

 

[Drum Runner]

You have a variable speed motor...infinite rheostat?

 

[sundrop]

I think he was just looking for an inexpensive way to slow down a basic motor. Not spending $100 or more for a variable control..

 

[Drum Runner]

If you are looking for that certain speed it would seem to me to be the only way to go.
Also realizing what works great today may not work at all in tomorrow with changed conditions. A rheostat would make adapting to changing conditions simple and easy.

Maybe a controller out of one of these electric scooter chairs even.

 

[JStroke]

Rheostat would work if can find one that can handle around 10 amps of current. Wastes energy as heat which is why all the big ones are antiques. Modern technology uses PWM (pulse width modulation) which is highly efficient and already implemented in trolling motors. You can't piggyback two pulse modulators unless you have a way to keep them in sync. More info on the high tech ******* approach later.

 

[sundrop]

you can also tilt the motor up or down depending on your clearance so that it isn't a pure "pulling forward" motion but trying to lift/drop the nose adding drag to the motor and a less direct thrust.