Ad blocker detected: Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
A trolling plate makes it very hard to control a boat. If I need to slow down my boat I toss a drift bag off the front of the boat. It does 2 jobs 1) slows you down 2) it keeps the bow down which keeps it from being tossed around by the wind.
I have heard that you can cut another notch in the plate so it is only half on and it makes it easier to control the boat.
I put a trolling plate on my 40Hp 4stroke and I was having a hard time controling it in the wind. I cut 3 circular 1.5 inch holes in the plate. Now I have no problem controling the boat in the wind. I cut 2 holes about 1.5 inches in from the corners and 1 in the middle of the plate. I was prepared to cut two more holes in the upper corners but it turned out to be not needed.
I have been the plate for 3 years now and I am quite satisfied. I tried bags but did not like them. Now the boat gives me ethe exact speed I need for lakers
I do not have any pictures of the trolling plate. Also I did not notice any change in trolling speed just the much better steerage control.
I made sure before cutting any holes that the placement of the bottom holes were equal distance from the bottom and the sides. And the centre hole was exactly in the centre. I did not want the force of the water flowing though the holes to be unbalanced.
At least that was my reasoning and in practicality it seems to work.