07-25-2014, 03:36 PM
If you have the money to afford a kicker, it's a no brainer. Buy one.
Here's the thing most people don't consider. What did that shiny new Merc 4 stroke set you back? $12k? A new kicker can be had for $2500-3500. Why would you want to log all of those trolling hours on your big motor? The wear and tear/hours logged trolling will cost you more than a kicker down the road.
Another thing to consider. With a kicker, you can troll all day long if you want. That Terrova would be lucky to go a half day or less if it's trying to fight a wind. Maybe as little as a couple hours. I have that exact same trolling motor. If I'm pushing my boat into a steady wind/waves, the battery starts to drop quick. These 18-19' rigs are heavy. Having dead batteries is a major buzzkill when the bite is on.
As others have stated, it's also piece of mind if you ever have issues with the main motor. (hit a rock, tree, wont start, etc) Also, if your cranking battery goes dead, most kickers have a pull cord.
Lastly, if you get a kicker, I would strongly recommend a tiller handle, with power trim/electric start. The tiller steering makes boat control and following a contour much easier. Changing directions is quick and effortless. When a tie bar is used to the big motor, sawing on that steering wheel all day in wind gets old. There is a reason 95% of the best walleye fisherman/pros run a tiller kicker.
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Here's the thing most people don't consider. What did that shiny new Merc 4 stroke set you back? $12k? A new kicker can be had for $2500-3500. Why would you want to log all of those trolling hours on your big motor? The wear and tear/hours logged trolling will cost you more than a kicker down the road.
Another thing to consider. With a kicker, you can troll all day long if you want. That Terrova would be lucky to go a half day or less if it's trying to fight a wind. Maybe as little as a couple hours. I have that exact same trolling motor. If I'm pushing my boat into a steady wind/waves, the battery starts to drop quick. These 18-19' rigs are heavy. Having dead batteries is a major buzzkill when the bite is on.
As others have stated, it's also piece of mind if you ever have issues with the main motor. (hit a rock, tree, wont start, etc) Also, if your cranking battery goes dead, most kickers have a pull cord.
Lastly, if you get a kicker, I would strongly recommend a tiller handle, with power trim/electric start. The tiller steering makes boat control and following a contour much easier. Changing directions is quick and effortless. When a tie bar is used to the big motor, sawing on that steering wheel all day in wind gets old. There is a reason 95% of the best walleye fisherman/pros run a tiller kicker.
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