Another random thought?

[silverside]

How many of you trim your motor up to create less strain on the trolling motor while pushing or pulling?

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[keeferfish]

Didn't even know it caused strain?

[J White]

I have tried trimming up on calm days with the intent of extending battery life. Didn’t care for the way boat handled, like it better dragging motor. On really windy days where I’m motoring up and trolling downwind, sometimes I’ll leave motor in gear for even more drag.


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[CrappiePappy]

I did a couple of times, only to find out that it let the wind push the back end of the boat around. Now, even though my boat is a "bass boat", it drifts very easily in almost no wind. That makes staying on a concise course a little tricky, sometimes, even when the big motor is down ... let alone when trimmed up.

One trick I did learn, when having the big motor trimmed down, was to put the motor "in gear" so as to not have the prop turning. Why would I do that, you ask, since that would create a little more drag ?? Well, my answer to that is .... if for some reason you had to make a quick turn, which could put your lines in contact with the prop, it's less likely that the lines will get wrapped around the stationary prop than a prop that's turning (due to being in neutral).

[Retired2Fish]

I agree with statements above. I think it helps with boat handling to leave the motor trimmed down.

[SuperDave336]

Think of it as crappie brakes….

[M R Dux]

I’m a little of both. I like to have my big motor down to help with stability but not necessarily all the way trimmed down. Great point by Pappy. Us longliners learned that trick long ago after untangling multiple lines from the prop AND having to remove prop to get line from around the shaft.


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[speckfinder]

On most motors it is suggested to only shift in and out of gear while the motor is running or if someone turns the prop when the motor is not running. You could shut the motor off while in gear, but to start it you would have to shift into neutral when it is not running.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

I leave mine trimmed down like Pappy does but never thought about leaving it in gear. Had it trimmed up last summer, hooked a blue cat that proceeded to make a mess of my 6 rods I had out and then it got around the prop. Lil D got a good chuckle while I was fixing it.

[skeetbum]

When I trolled cranks, and sometimes jigs, I also had to leave it in gear. The prop would grab one of the lines that got to close during a turn and made a mess.