Fishermans HELP!!!!

[fishon2020]

Hello Gents,

just bought a new boat early this month a 1990 sportscraft fisherman 23" with a 5.0 mercruiser. When trolling i can get it down to maybe 2.9mph and it stalls. If i get a trolling plate will it slow down alot so i can have the boat go faster so rpms are higher and wont stall?

ANY suggestions on how to slow boat down would help.

thanks

[fishon2020]

also how about trolling bags?

how do you use them and do they work

[Fishmael]

I would start with a trolling bag- this should slow you down enough. You can purchase different sizes. Try Big Poppa Sports online. Good luck

[Mega Byte]

I've never used trolling bags, but I was told by some guys they are a pain to work with so I purchased a trolling plate. When I sea trialed the boat, it wouldn't go slow enough, but after getting all my gear on it and trolling around, I get down to 1.7 without the trolling plate so I don't need it. I'm looking to sell it. PM me if you want details.

[Fake Bait]

I have a trolling plate. Works great. My boat wasn't stalling, but I had a hard time staying in the trolling speed zone. Ended up shaving the plate down smaller to get exactly what I needed.

Never tried bags, but have heard many guys say they like them.

[SeaCatMich]

A plate will work but after using them for quite a few yearsback in the 70's and 80's have now gone to trolling bags. The bags do a better job of slowing the boat plus help to reduce the side to side rocking of the boat by holding it down. Bags can also be used as a sea anchor if you loose power to keep the bow into the waves. The bags come in various diameters to fit different size boats

.

Big Papa Sportfishing (bigpapasportfishing.com) makes very good bags and if you call them will get you the right size for your boat. There is a big difference between trolling and drift bags -- drift bags are not made to hold up to the strain that trolling puts on the seams and lines while trolling bags are.

[fishsniffer]

big papa bags are the way to go:thumb:

[Fowlpursuit]

The cheaper user friendly method ( one I use) is a 5 gallon bucket off each side tied to you front cleats.. They are out of the way and very effective. Drill a couple 1" holes in the bottom.

[Play Dough]

It sounds like there's more to address than trolling speed. Your engine shouldn't be stalling at idle, assuming the idle speed is set correctly. It may be true that the boat moves too fast at idle requiring a plate, bags or whatever, but the engine should not stall.

[SUPERTRAMP]

It sounds like there's more to address than trolling speed. Your engine shouldn't be stalling at idle, assuming the idle speed is set correctly. It may be true that the boat moves too fast at idle requiring a plate, bags or whatever, but the engine should not stall.

my thought exactly.

By the time you get your equipment deployed you should slow down to 2.5 or less. Depends on what you are targeting for Salmon that is rite in there.

[Brian of Ludington]

It sounds like there's more to address than trolling speed. Your engine shouldn't be stalling at idle, assuming the idle speed is set correctly. It may be true that the boat moves too fast at idle requiring a plate, bags or whatever, but the engine should not stall.

I agree check out the engine, I am running the same engine on my 21' idles down I can run 1.8 and smooth. Bags are great to keep on board for that emergency

[fishon2020]

WOW!!!

thanks everyone so much for all the help. Im stored at north shore and the mechanic there said its the alternator needs to be upgraded? Said the rpm is too high to go that slow which is why it stalls, so if I get some bags and give more throttle it wont stall and can be in the 2-3 range.

THANKS AGAIN EVERY FOR YOUR ADVISE

[SeaCatMich]

WOW!!!

thanks everyone so much for all the help. Im stored at north shore and the mechanic there said its the alternator needs to be upgraded? Said the rpm is too high to go that slow which is why it stalls, so if I get some bags and give more throttle it wont stall and can be in the 2-3 range.

THANKS AGAIN EVERY FOR YOUR ADVISE

But, as others have said, at low RPMs you should not be stalling... whether trolling or not. You need to run the engine at idle speecs/RPMs when docking too. I am by no means a mechanic, but I don't see what your alternator would have to do with the RPM level either.

Using the bags will let you run at a higher RPM and be at the desired trolling speed range (and give you more control in fine adjustments to your speed), but doesn't solve your root problem of stalling at low RPMs.

How many RPMs is the engine running at when you nudge it into gear?

How many RPMs is the engine running at when in neutral?

[Morning Would]

Sounds like a potential carb problem. Had a 5 liter mercruiser in my Pursuit 2500 and ended changing the Rochester carb out for an edelbrock marine carb. The Rochesters can develop a fuel leak in one of the plugs inside the carb and it drips into the intake stalling out the engine. with the edelbrock i was able to idle at 400-425 rpm, and troll as low as 1.1 mph. If the boat sits for a while and is hard to start, that might your issue. All the fuel leaks into the engine and the bowl has to be refilled. That was my experience anyway.

[fishon2020]

Not sure why the guy @ northshore said that, but im not a engine guy by any means. I did also tell him to do a full engine check just to be sure what is causing the stall. It runs fine when in the channel and going fast, just when im trolling for about 30-40 minutes and its like gasping for air or not getting the gas and shuts off only when i troll at low speeds. if i go around 4 mph it wont stall, only when i have it go as slow as it can. My thought is if i have the boat go 4 mph and get two baggs one on both sides that might put it down to 2-2.5 mph.

If im wrong please let me know, again i have never had this problem and dont want to waste my time/money if it is the engine and i can just slow it down

[tntmud]

Definitely figure out why its stalling first, but I have a 5.7 In a 24ft Trophy and the slowest it will go is 3.6 at 550-600 RPM. I run two 36" Big Papa bags and at idle it gets right down to around 1.6-1.8 doesnt steer real well there but will do it. 2mph and over its great and its usually running somewhere between 800-1100 RPM depending on the speed i want. I had a Happy Troller trolling plate on a smaller boat and wasnt real happy with it! I'm sure some will argue this but it was REALLY hard to steer in the slightest breeze,I even cut different slots in it so the plate would run on a 45 degree angle instead of 90 and it seemed like it was always trying to run sideways. Of coarse it's just my opinion but ditch the plate idea and BAG IT !!!

[gmfishon]

sounds like a boating can of worms and not the kind to catch fish with ! forget the local shadetree guy and go to an experienced factory certified guy-maybe one who has even heard of and dealt with this problem. motors now days could be anything it might think you are shifting when you go to that low of rpm shift cut out wire-just one of many, many things. you dont say if it ever stalls when you are docking or shifting from forward to neutral or reverse etc. but bottom line go pay the man - the one with all the factory school papers on the wall. let us know what it ends up !

[slickwater]

Hello Gents,

just bought a new boat early this month a 1990 sportscraft fisherman 23" with a 5.0 mercruiser. When trolling i can get it down to maybe 2.9mph and it stalls. If i get a trolling plate will it slow down alot so i can have the boat go faster so rpms are higher and wont stall?

ANY suggestions on how to slow boat down would help.

thanks

My friend has a trolling plate on their 60 hp outboard and it sucks in the wind its hard to stay on course with the wind blowing the bow. I have trolling bags for my islander if I need to get slower, normally don't need them only when fishing shallow and I don't have as much gear in the water.

It does sound like you need a better mechanic. It should stall at idle. How do you back out from launch and dock the boat when you return?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

[N II Deep]

If have not Change out your water separator filter that would be a start.

Not sure why the guy @ northshore said that, but im not a engine guy by any means. I did also tell him to do a full engine check just to be sure what is causing the stall. It runs fine when in the channel and going fast, just when im trolling for about 30-40 minutes and its like gasping for air or not getting the gas and shuts off only when i troll at low speeds. if i go around 4 mph it wont stall, only when i have it go as slow as it can. My thought is if i have the boat go 4 mph and get two baggs one on both sides that might put it down to 2-2.5 mph.

If im wrong please let me know, again i have never had this problem and dont want to waste my time/money if it is the engine and i can just slow it down

[Trina Rose]

we started running premium gas in my dads 5.0 and the stalling stopped. 87 octain has to much ethanol for older engines

[N II Deep]

also if you are not using non-Ethanol fuel, make sure to put the additive in when you fill up. I thought it was BS, but I did notice a big difference when I started using it.

[Fowlpursuit]

Wha type of additive? I've got a Johnson 15 horse and it runs good just seems not to be getting full rpm's... Maybe this is the issue