[kodit0103]

hey guys, i have a 19ft walkaround cuddy cabin that i use for local fishing. I need a trolling motor, and i dont know how much power you guys recomend. I want a gas outboard to put in the back, like a nissan or mercury. I was thinking 9hp, is this too much for trolling? I would like to fish the Long Beach breakwall, so its got to be strong enough to stand the swells and the wind near the breakwall. thanks guys

 

[Done_Deal]

9hp is fine.

 

[DockRat]

Did you find the Pedro Sand Dab spot I sent you ?
I am putting a Minn Kota Electric on my transom.
It's going have a trolling motor only battery.

Couple weeks ago at Catalina on my buddies 2006 24' Ranger Bayrunner.
He put his 250 hp Mercury Verado up out of the water Which has given him a few problems, last time in the shop they replaced the fuel pump. At Catalina his RPM's were jumping way up at idle about 1800 rpm's. He was cussing at it (again) as it goes back to the shop.
$80,000 boat goes in the shop every other trip. He hates it :z

He dropped his trolling motor in the water as we worked the kelp line
for a couple hours. Nothing Beats Quiet Propulsion.
After a few trips on his boat I was hooked on the electric motor.

I have an older 28 lbs thrust Minn Kota with foot pedal I picked up for $50 and a kicker bracket going on the boat.
Recharge at my slip :tu: No Gas $, No smell, No noise. :tu:

Question Why is it nobody runs electric in the ocean ?

DR

 

[kodit0103]

hows it going? I havent got out there yet for the sand dabs, i sure will. hey one question, what do sand dabs look like? anyhow, i was looking at an electric motor, but they suggested an 80lb trust that requires two batteries for my boat. i am paranoid of the batteries running dead, and crushing against the wall? what do you say?

 

[DockRat]

They look like Halibut. It is easy to catch 100 of them. What is the history of the sanddab? Where is it caught and when is the season? As with all fish, you get a different answer depending on whom you ask. Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food and one of the world's foremost authorities on seafood, refers to the sand dab as a European fish, found in the North Atlantic. It is a flatfish, with a brown back, and can reach 16 inches in length, although is often closer to 10. He says it is "a good fish, with a pleasing flavour, well suited to being fried." Davidson says that English colonists conferred the name dab on other species that they found in their travels that appeared similar to the original dab. So a dab becomes a lot less specific on this side of the Atlantic. There is a species of sand dab found in the Pacific Ocean from California to Alaska, with a market weight of 4 to 12 ounces. There is another flatfish found in the Atlantic, with a market weight of 2 to 3 pounds, that is known as the sand dab, but is more correctly named American plaice. The plaice has also been called a flounder and a sole, although Davidson says its scientific name (hypoglossoides platessoides) suggests it is a relative of the halibut. So you are likely to find various varieties of flatfish being referred to a dabs or sand dabs. Dabs caught in the spring and those that lived on a sandy seabed (as opposed to mud) are said to have the best flavor. They are best poached, fried, or grilled.

This pic shows a Sand Dab and the rigging. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Batteries are a problem, but I mostly take the boat out after work for 2 to 3 hours. When drifting the wall I tend to get close 50' to 20' off the rocks. Keep adjusting your steering wheel if you get too close or to far away. < i am paranoid of the batteries running dead, and crushing against the wall?> Also run your 'throw anchor drill' you should be able to toss it in 30 seconds or less. Never keep it stowed away. I don't use my anchor locker. It is ready to toss with the chain and rope kept in a milk crate. Good Luck, DR

 

[bitesomthing]

hows it going? I havent got out there yet for the sand dabs, i sure will. hey one question, what do sand dabs look like? anyhow, i was looking at an electric motor, but they suggested an 80lb trust that requires two batteries for my boat. i am paranoid of the batteries running dead, and crushing against the wall? what do you say?

You would be better off with a electric trolling motor if you plan on fishing the wall. You will have more precise control and able to stay in the fishing zone better. A 24 volt trolling motor will last you easily 6 hours on a charge, There is slim to no chance that a electric motor will just die on you. The electric motor would be more reliable then the small gas motor.
If your plan is to go out and troll for hours in the deeper water for Shark or Albacore, etc...i would then go with the Gas motor.
But for the wall or kelp beds/ oil islands i would stay electric.

 

[kodit0103]

thanks for all the info guys. thaks a lot Dockrat, really appreciate it man

 

[Peashooter]

Just another note on the sand dabs. Do not confuse with short halibut.
The sand dab has a straight lateral line running down the side of it's body.
The halibut lateral line has a very obvious bend in the line at the end near the head.

Just a little FYI.