I have a dilemma - I can't afford a kicker motor just yet but have some money saved up. I don't have downriggers either. I could use something called a happy troller and get the downriggers now, or keep saving and get the kicker then the riggers much later.

Question is, how well does the happy troller work? I have a bayliner 135hp I/O merc. Anyone else used it before?

My thought is I need the downriggers to get to where the fish are and the Happy troller may get me slow enough.....won't matter too much with a kicker if I can't get down to where the fish are.

Thanks.

P.S. Two friends of mine say B.O.A.T.=break out another thousand and measure money spend on boating in 100.00 increments. $100.00 = 1 boat dollar. Thanks Easy and Mike

I've never used a Happy troller but i have used a couple of buckets tied off the back of the boat to slow down. I would really be lost without my downriggers so I would go for the riggers and find a way to slow the boat down.

I have one on a smaller motor. I believe they make to sizes. On my smaller boat I installed one it works very well. The boat is a 11 foot zodiac with plywood floors the motor that came with it when i purchased it used was a 25hp yamaha. My friend that originally purchased it used it for buzzing around on nice days. you can actually knee board behind it. The boat only weighs 125 pounds and motor about the same so a pretty good weight to horsepower ratio . At idle it was just to fast unless fishing for silvers in the salt. I went out and put one on and it really slows it down to the point that I actually run it between being up and down. I found with it in the locked down position to get to a slow trout fishing speed you had to have the motor up in a high idle. So now i put it in gear then pull the rope to let the springs take it down into position. It drops half waydown and wont lock because of the prop thrust pushing it out. Sure beat replacing the motor . I have not had a problem with it at all. I have had the boat for about 10 years with it on and would get another one .

Thanks, I really want to get slowed down enough to do some lake trolling for trout. Maybe even go after some kings next year.

I have happy troll on both my boats 18 ft with 70hp and on my 4cyl merc there very good for any style trolling from Riffe Lake to bouy ten . I have even seen them on the cowlitz river to slow down kicker motors.

I used a Happy Troller on my old 17' foot boat with an 80Hp Merc for a couple years before I got an Alumaweld with a kicker. The Happy Troller worked well on the 80HP. It got me slow enough for trout and sockeyes on the lakes and salmon in the salt.

They do come in sizes so get one that fits your engine and prop size. If you're going to be doing much trolling with a big motor, especially if it's a 2 stroke, be sure to change your plugs more often. All that slow use on the motor will foul them much more quickly.

All in all, I was happy using the trolling plate over the prop and it did what I need to do.

I've used happy trollers on a couple motors one was an inboard and it slowed the boat down just fine. BUT !!! don't get in a hurry and forget to lift it up before you move its an ugly thing to see. I KNOW !!!
bob