Running my motor for the first time...

[Avalonjohn44]

So I got my Tracker in June and I've only used the trolling motor so far to get used to that and to learn the feel of my boat (except starting it once to pull off of a stump). I've only gone to electric lakes so far... I'm hitting a big lake in a couple of weeks (midweek to avoid the weekend crush) and I've been reading up on breaking in my motor and then running it.  My manual is telling me to trim all the way down when starting it up and then slowly trimming up as I get on plane. I realize that this will be a learning process and eventually it should be something will be second nature, but I'm kinda alarmed at getting up to speed and then adjusting the tilt on the motor... I used to run a 25hp in the bay and never had to adjust/tilt it...

Any quick tips/tricks/advice that a noob ought to pay attention to? Tracker 190tx w 115hp 2 stroke btw...

[slonezp]

First off, follow the break in instructions closely. The motor manufacturer can choose to not honor the warranty if it wasn't broken in properly.

Once it's broken in, after you start the motor, let it warm up a couple minutes. Longer if the motor is in cold water. When you take off, start with the motor trimmed all the way down. Once the boat planes out or levels out,(should be within 15 seconds) start trimming up the motor. If the hull porpoises(it may or may not)trim down until it stops and that's about it.

[fishnkamp]

This is standard operating procedure. Your new boat is going to stick its nose up in the air a bit and then climb up on top of the water , we call it coming out of the hole. If you start to trim up ( and how much is part of the learning curve) as the boat climbs up the boat will level off and as the speed increases it may need a little more trim up.  If at that point you trim back down (I mean a bit ) you will see the bow start coming down to much and plow water and the steering wheel will be hard to turn. As you slowly trim up you will feel the boat lift up and at a certain point the boat will get light on the wheel. With that boat it will take a little experience just playing with it to learn its habits. One thing is after you figure out how the boat likes to run you will also know how to handle it when you need to come off plane quickly ( I usually give it a touch of trim down) and I want to gain a little extra control. Looking at mt Lowe Stinger 170 with a 75 hp 2 stroke Merc I have a top end of 35 mph. Now I have purposely given up about 4 to 5 mph by adding a hydrofoil and then choosing a prop that concentrates on a great level holeshot and running rough water. I run on tidal water that is most often got waves that I have to deal with.  Anyway, my boat setup will allow me to punch it out of the hole using full trim down then quickly trim up about 1/8 of the gauge to 1/4 depending on how fast I am going. So I need less up trim to keep going at say 12 mph ,which happens to be the minimum speed I can stay up on plane, then if I am going at say 25 mph. The engine is running about 3700 to 4000 to run at 25 mph which is a really nice speed in rough choppy water.  The trim will be a bit below 1/4 up from the all down position on the gauge.  If I push to full 5200 rpm I need to add a little more up trim to just above the 1/4 up position on the gauge.At this point I will be doing around 33 to 35. Too much trim will do to things, it can cause the engine to loose water pressur ewhich can cause engine damage and it will result in loss of speed so the trick is to find a balance. I believe you need to drive with a tachometer, and water pressure gauge, and it helps to have a gps fish finder to accurately judge speed.

[Avalonjohn44]

Man, great advice guys. Thanks. Sounds easy reading it, hope its as easy on the lake.

[iabass8]

37 minutes ago, slonezp said:

First off, follow the break in instructions closely. The motor manufacturer can choose to not honor the warranty if it wasn't broken in properly.

Once it's broken in, after you start the motor, let it warm up a couple minutes. Longer if the motor is in cold water. When you take off, start with the motor trimmed all the way down. Once the boat planes out or levels out,(should be within 15 seconds) start trimming up the motor. If the hull porpoises(it may or may not)trim down until it stops and that's about it.

x2.  

 

I will also add that when you start the motor at the dock and idle away, don't trim down. keep the motor level or trim up if shallow. 

AFTER you break the motor in and are ready to go wide open, find a large, deep area that you know well. Put the boat in gear, trim all the way down and give it lots of throttle. the easier you go on the throttle when fully trimmed down, the more sluggish and longer it will take to get on pad. Your nose will rise and then it will start to drop when you pick up speed. Start trimming up when the nose starts to drop. go slowly to get used to it at first. If you have a trim gauge, aim for level trim when up on pad and adjust from there. if its windy and choppy, trim down a 1/4 if you're uncomfortable. The only thing you will feel will be the boat running easier/easier to steer and you will pick up more speed. If you have a hotfoot, you will feel it easier to accelerate to higher rpms as you trim up due to less drag. You'll be fine. You'll get the hang of it in a day. 

[fishnkamp]

what area do you live in, just the general area.  I know a few guys that might be able to hook up and show you how to run it.

[geo g]

Run that motor following the break in procedure.  With e 10 fuel one of the worst things you can do is let the motor sit without use.  I only use ethanol free fuel in my boat.  It cost more but will save money in the long run.   It is better then using additives to e10 fuel.  Find a station with ethanol free, they are around.

[Avalonjohn44]

1 hour ago, fishnkamp said:

what area do you live in, just the general area.  I know a few guys that might be able to hook up and show you how to run it.

Outside of Winchester.

 

26 minutes ago, geo g said:

Run that motor following the break in procedure.  With e 10 fuel one of the worst things you can do is let the motor sit without use.  I only use ethanol free fuel in my boat.  It cost more but will save money in the long run.   It is better then using additives to e10 fuel.  Find a station with ethanol free, they are around.

I have an ethanol free station a mile from my house.

[Avalonjohn44]

Took the boat out finally got to use that motor. Went to Lake Anna in VA, it was pretty light traffic other than a few jetskis. My break-in procedures were ridiculously simple. For the first hour, keep the motor vertically level trimmed, change speeds every two minutes, don't idle for more than five minutes at a time and keep the speeds between 4000 and 5200 rpms for the majority of that hour. Then the next three hours was changing speed every ten minutes.

Spent the day just running up and down the lake scaring the hell out of my wife. I grew up on the Jersey shore and used a variety of motors from 15hp up to 90 back then, but none of them compared to a modern motor in the least. The 115 was quiet, strong and responsive as heck.  Even at speed I was able to talk to my wife, albeit loudly... I was able to run 44 according to the speedometer, but my wife was freaking out at that point and requested that I slow down. I thought it wise to comply at that point...

Anyhow, thanks for all the advice, both solicited and nuggets of wisdom I found all over these boards. Fishnkamp especially, he had a ton of great advice and local knowledge and most of all patience with me over PM.  Thank you sir!

Now back to wasting the rest of my week daydreaming about my next 'boat day'...

[thomas15]

Sounds like you had a great time running your boat. I also grew up on the jersey shore (Belmar) and likewise had a lot of boating experience. For decades I went  around telling everyone that I got boats out of my system as a wee lad.

My wife actually talked me into getting my boat, not the actual vessel, but getting a boat as a concept. Here in PA we just (as you do) have fresh water lakes, most are not big. My boat is a modest 16' tin with a 50HP Merc., I get on a really good day 34 MPH per GPS which is actually not bad. And my wife gets anxious at anything over 25 MPH but it's worth it in the end as She is a great company fishing.

[Avalonjohn44]

Any wife that talks her husband into buying a boat is a woman to hold onto! Mine did the same.

[thomas15]

Oh, I forgot. I wish you the best of luck with your new boat, tight lines my friend.

[fishnkamp]

Avalonjohn 44 I am glad it all worked out. Lake Anna is a beautiful lake to run a boat on.  Thomas15 do you fish Blue Marsh and Beltzville lakes?  I fished them a lot back in the nineties neither is easy but fun in my book. 

[thomas15]

13 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Avalonjohn 44 I am glad it all worked out. Lake Anna is a beautiful lake to run a boat on.  Thomas15 do you fish Blue Marsh and Beltzville lakes?  I fished them a lot back in the nineties neither is easy but fun in my book. 

fishnkamp,

I fish, or shall I say I attempt to fish Beltzville as I live literally 1/4 mile from the Pine Run boar ramp. I haven't tried Blue Marsh but I'm going to soon. Any suggestions on BM?

Are you from NE PA? 

[fishnkamp]

Beltzville is a love you hate you kinda place for certain.  You are not alone in having a tough time. Let me share what i remember.  I have to dust off some brain cells to remember it, since I last fished it in 1991. UGH How did that happen. Okay when I last fished  it we would launch at the same place and run down to the dam. Try some crayfish imitations like beavers or craw papys down around the dam areas, even some carolina rigs . Try some rattle trap baits in a baby bass or even perch type of color. We would work our way back up over on the other side. As I remember it had some good pockets with emergent grass and even a few lily pad type places.   

As for Blue Marsh I again have not been there for 20 years but as I remember it the lower end was wide opned speed and horse power. As I remember th mid section had a speed limit and the top end was electric only or perhaps 6 mph. Anyway I always fished the mid to top end due to the recreational boat traffic.  I found a old broken off roadway which most of it was submerged. I always seemed to do well around it. Keep in mind i never tore it up but I would catch some most trips. Try some different baits. Make sure you throw Reaction Innovation skinny dippers either belly weighted or with the jig heads that look like a fish head say 3/8 in deeper water. i like the 3/16 belly weighted hooks. Throw Ned rig and Sencos anytime you are having a tough bite.   Crankbaits never worked for me much but spinnerbaits did.  This time a year crawl a creature bait say brown or grey with red pinchers ( might have to dip your own. Lots of crawfish molt up there in August.

I hope i gave you some ideas you did not have.