Improve Your Trolling Game: Kicker Motor 101

Kicker motors are a big benefit for many fishing applications, and Mercury has the most advanced family of kicker motors on the market in its ProKicker™ lineup. ProKicker outboards are purpose-built for low-speed trolling. They make it easy to dial in a trolling speed down to a tenth of a mile per hour and then repeat that speed again and again with fish-catching accuracy.

If you’re an angler wondering if you need a kicker, or you’re wondering how to get the most fishing performance out of a kicker motor, here’s a helpful overview.

To see how a pro uses a ProKicker outboard, check out the video above from Mercury Pro Team member Chase Parsons, one of the hosts of “The Next Bite” TV show.

What is a kicker motor?

A kicker is a small auxiliary outboard motor that’s mounted next to the main outboard on a boat’s transom. A kicker’s primary application is for trolling at speeds ranging from about 0.8 to 3 mph for walleyes, crappie, salmon, lake trout, muskies and other freshwater species. There are also some saltwater applications.

Each model in the Mercury ProKicker lineup comes standard with convenient features like power tilt, electric start and electronic fuel injection (EFI) for reliable starts in all weather conditions. They also feature a high-thrust four-blade prop and a gear ratio optimized for low-speed fishing.

5 advantages of a kicker motor

1.       Refining trolling speeds – Most 16- to 22-foot multi-species fishing boats cannot troll down to low enough speeds for freshwater applications using a high-horsepower primary outboard. A small kicker motor is much more effective for this application.

2.       Controlling the boat how it’s most effective for you – If you have a console boat, you can connect your kicker to your primary engine with a tie bar and steer the kicker from the helm. Or, if you want instantly responsive steering for contour-trolling or back-trolling, you can opt for a tiller-steer model.

3.       Reducing engine hours – Kickers save operating hours on your primary outboard.

4.       Preserving trolling motor battery – In heavy current, waves or when trolling at the higher end of the speed range for freshwater applications, using a kicker motor preserves trolling motor batteries.

5.       Alternator backup – All ProKicker engines have an alternator. The 9.9hp and 15hp models have an alternator plus manual-start backup. If your cranking batteries deplete too low to start the main engine, you can pull-start the kicker and run it at high rpm. The alternator will provide a charge to the cranking battery so you can eventually turn over the primary engine.

What size kicker motor do I need?

Mercury offers three ProKicker options: 9.9hp, 15hp and 25hp. Horsepower selection comes down to your boat size and desired trolling speeds:

9.9hp – A great all-around option for 16- to 22-foot multi-species freshwater fishing boats used to troll for walleyes, crappie and other species at speeds ranging from about 0.8 to 2.5 mph.

15hp – Additional power for fully loaded aluminum and fiberglass multi-species boats from 20 to 30 feet long. A 15hp ProKicker can hold these boats at very low speeds and has extra muscle for higher-speed presentations when needed.

25hp – The most powerful kicker in the lineup, intended for 26- to 38-foot, heavy-gauge aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats like those used in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and the Great Lakes. Its added power improves boat handling and speed control for large boats used on rough waters, while providing more authority when backing down on fish in reverse. 

How to Use a Kicker Motor

5 tips for successful trolling

Enhance your fishing success with these pro-level tricks.

1.       Lock it in – Tiller-steer ProKicker engines have a steering friction adjustment sometimes referred to as the “co-pilot” lever. Use this to hold the engine in place left and right while trolling. A throttle friction knob also on tiller models helps maintain engine speed.

2.       Work in tandem with a bow-mount trolling motor – This is a favorite trick of pro walleye anglers. Set the kicker straight ahead at about 0.1-0.25 mph shy of your target speed. Then adjust your bow-mount thrust to dial in the exact speed you want and to steer the boat. Because you’re steering from the bow, this method makes it easy to counter crosscurrents or crosswinds.

3.       Extend the tiller – On some boats, a tiller extension is a must for comfortable steering. Make sure it’s tightened securely into place on the tiller before driving.

4.       Shift into neutral when fighting fish – 15 and 25hp ProKicker engines have a separate shift lever that’s independent of the throttle. This offers a handy option when fighting fish. Once a fish is hooked, leave the throttle in position then shift to neutral to slow the boat. This makes the fight easier. If needed, you can shift in and out of forward gear to slow the speed but still maintain heading and control. And because you don’t have to touch the throttle, you’ll return to the exact trolling speed again just by shifting into forward.

5.       Hover stroll – In river situations, use the kicker to hover in place or creep slowly upstream or downstream to work a key piece of structure. The trick is to point the bow upstream and adjust the engine speed to mirror the current speed. When the two speeds match, the boat will “hover” in place. Bump up the throttle to creep forward, or bump it back to slowly slip downstream.

If you love to fish for certain species – walleyes and salmon especially – at some point you’re probably going to need to troll if you want to be successful. Having a ProKicker motor on your boat ensures you have the tools to handle any trolling situation. It’s a key part of a broader system of boat control equipment and trolling tackle that just makes fishing easier.