Back Trolling ????

Here is my setup: 97 Alumacraft 175 Tournament Pro CS with 98 Mercury 115 ELPTO and Minn Kota Maxxum 74 bow mount. After much deliberation I decided Im not gonna drop the cash on a kicker motor. Dont really feel like drilling holes for trolling plate. Tried dragging socks and buckets and all that good stuff and still have problems getting it slow enough to pull harnesses. Running the bow mount is prolly out of the question because as soon as you take your foot off the pedal the motor spins to backward position (when in continuous mode). Not a big deal if Im fishing with others as they can watch boards and I can run trolling motor. But when I fish during the week, Im usually running solo. My question is, how much of a pain in the arse is to pull boards, whether it be harnesses or cranks, while back trolling??? Any tips or ideas how I can make this easier on myself when fishing alone??

i agree i have a basic 9.9 merc manual start no elec. and it really is not a big deal. if you have the space to be in the back and have room to tilt the motor. unless pulling harnesses i would always take the kicker with trollmaster anyday.

I have a 1996 Alumacraft competitor 170 and it maxs out as a tiller at a 60hp. I found myself in the same situation as my 60 does not like going under 1 mph. I tried all the stuff you are talking about. About the only thing that I didn't mind was the electric trolling motor. However, I have the auto pilot and it is a ton different. I still didn't like worrying about the batteries so I ended up with a 9.9 kicker. I tell you what... you can get a decent used kicker for less than a brand new auto pilot. I absolutely would not do it another way. For about $500 you should be able to find atleast a 8 hp if you look hard and long enough. (not my 1st choice of motors, but it'd work) I'd say re think the kicker option...It seems like a big investment (an it can be) but it really doesn't have to break the bank. Sure a T8 is nice and a Pro kicker is awesome...but you don't NEED that if you don't mind a tad of sacrifice. Thats just my .02

IMHO boats have a pointy end for a reason, and that's so that end is what's going forward! If you don't what to spend the $ on a kicker take a look at getting rid of your Maxxim and going with an Auto Pilot.

I would look onto a troll plate.. they r around a hundred bucks and worth every penny. My buddy pulls harnesses with a 200 merc.. I have a kicker bit am thinking of getting rid of it and going with the plate.

Have you tried adjusting your tension control on your cable electric motor?Normally I do not have to keep my foot on the motor all the time when its set on a slower speed.You could back troll but even then you will need a bag or bucket when trolling harnesses.Back trolling with a bag in the front does give good control and does not get in the way as much as when you use it at the stern.But if you fish rough water its not as pleasant as going bow first.

Have you tried deploying your bow mount and pointing it toward the rear of the boat and then turning it on to counteract the thrust of the main motor?

I'd honestly reconsider the bags. Check out this site (about 1/2 way down) on how to rig the dual bag system properly. http://www.idofishing.com/forum/showflat.php/Number/786344/fpart/1/drift-sock-or-kicker I can't imaging trying to backtroll with my hand on the tiller at all times and running boards.

with that set up id say it would be a pain in the butt.. id look into a troll master plate (i think there called) it goes on the motor and if im not mistaken slows water flow around the prop but retracts when goin full bore.. idk exactly how muck it will slow you down but its something to look into.. maybe someone with one can chime in and correct me if im wrong