115 Merc 4 stroke

[C-Hawk]

I am conscidering repowering the C- Hawk with the 115Merc4 stroke and eliminating my kicker.I believe some of you guys use this motor and was looking for any feedback.I have a 19' Starcraft Islander.My biggest concern is if I'll be able to go slow enough trolling with a north wind against a south current, maybe 1.8? Also am conscidering hydraulic steering and autopilot,in other words a complete refit.Any comments will be appreciated. Jeff

[digitroll (ron)]

Sounds like it's time to kick the kicker off the transom and the big deep cycle battery a nearly 200 lb weight reduction alone off the tail of the boat!

You will probably troll down to 2.3 mph GPS with a 15 pitch prop (recommended for this motor to reach 6,400 rpm's at top end) in static calm water. Any slower I would recommend the Amish Outfitter Beefy bags 18" to slow down to 1.5 mph gps. $85 direct.

I would recommend the smart craft troll control analog / digital rpm gauge to replace your existing rpm gauge. This will allow you to step up or down in using arrow buttons your trolling speed by 10 rpm's to dial in exact trolling speeds. $550 plus an hour of labor for install.

Fuel burn is .2 to .3 gallons an hour as read on the smart craft gauge which is comparable to a kicker.

Send me your regular email address and I can send you a demo of the smart craft troll control gauge from my you tube account.

Hydraulic steering is really sweet with any of the 3 major Autopilot brands for Hydraulic steering.

Having the one main motor will allow superior thrust for turning in both directions with waves and if you decide to go with an Autopilot in the future having this amount of thrust from a main engine will make the AP "outperform". No more putting a kicker up and down just quietness and fuel injected starts like your car from the big engine. No need to wait for a kicker to "warm up" before starting to fish either. No choking or pumping a primer bulb to start the new 4 stroke 115. Just turn the key and it starts everytime with no hiccups.

We can provide you a quote for everything for your repower needs and both autopilot / hydraulic steering at VT Home and Marine a Starcraft and Tracker boat dealer.



R

[digitroll (ron)]

12/12/12 Troll control demo video with 115 Mercury 4 stroke:

[C-Hawk]

Thanks Ron

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Jeff,
I run a 115 Merc 2 stroke, cannot run less the 2 mph, so I purchased Amish bags, but did not have a change to try them yet. It should slow down enough for lakers.
In spring, I installed the smart craft gauge Ron described, it is AWESOME.
This summer I changed my steering from cable to a Sea Star hydraulic with tilt steering. Well worth the investment and easy to upgrade without any special tools.
If you spend a lot of time on the water, might as well do it safely and comfortably.
Good luck with your upgrades.

[Fishdawg]

I run a 115 mercury 4 stroke and troll regularly with it. My boat is 17 ft long but has a wide beam and it seems to be perfect for the salmon/trout as I can get down under 1.5 if trolling into the wind, but will average around 1.8 to 2.0 at idle speed. I do have bags but have never used them for salmon, only walleye and they will get me down around 1.0 if I run both. Very good on gas and I'm lovin it since I downsized from a 25 ft boat with mercruiser 200 hp. That one had the hydraulic beaver troll which was pretty slick, but ate up the gas. I've had mine for 2 seasons and am very impressed. Quite quiet too.

[fishmaster176]

I have a StarCraft Fishmaster 176 that had a 90 2 stroke Merc and 8hp 4stroke Merc. I got tired of messing with the kicker and repowered with a '13 Merc. 115 4 stroke and Smartach.
I'm able to troll down to 2.0 gps with no braking of any kind without downriggers deployed. Ron could tell you what the prop pitch is. My boat is quite a bit lighter than the Islander, so trolling speeds of 1.8-2.0 should be attainable.
Everything else is as Ron states. I haven't put a ton of hours on it, but it's been a great pleasure to use.
I'm not sure of the hp rating on your boat. Mine is rated for a 150 max, so this is perfect for me. It purrs at idle and will run out about 38-42 mph.
I have rack & pinion steering and it definitely exhibits torque steer. I'll be looking into a new system when the wallet allows.
I won't claim that one brand of 4 stroke is any better than the next, but they say when you've had black, you never go back........

[digitroll (ron)]

One more Troll Control demo with the current Mercury 150 hp. 4 stroke this past Winter:



2,700 views thru yesterday.

[C-Hawk]

Thanks everyone,up in Maine on a successful salmon trip right now ,more later

[fishingmachine]

I put a new 115 optimax on my boat this year but I would never get rid of the 9.9 kicker,,,I like the insurance of the 2 motors. After 30 years on the water I know that a new engine doesn't garantee it will get you back to the dock.