I have a 20' boat that I try to troll for salmon with, but idle on the main gives >4 MPH. I have no kicker.

I'd like to try a sea anchor. Any advice on what size?

Mike
Woodinville

We used to use regular old buckets tied to the eyelets on the back of the boat with 5 foot of rope or so. We had two speeds. 1 bucket speed for silvers and 2 bucket speed for kings.

doubled as a pee bucket or God forbid a bail bucket

Ditto on the buckets. Before I got my trolling motor, I used them for sea anchors. One hint is to have one end tied to the eye bolts on the transom of your boat, secure the bucket mid rope, and have the other end secured to an easily accessible cleat near the stern. This way during the pandemonium of fighting a fish, nobody has to lean over the stern and risk falling out when you pull the buckets in close so the fish won't get tangled in your anchor line. The two bucket method also worked well for sockeyes. A

Andy,

you forgot to tell them this trick: 1 or 2 buckets work well for slowing your speed down. If you can't get the right speed you want (like to slow) use smaller buckets, or drill several 1 inch holes in the bottom of the bucket to change the drag speed. This also helps when pulling your bucket in when you hook a fish. Remember; don't use the bucket with the holes in it to P in!!!


Cowlitzfisherman,

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????

Hi Bob,

I was lucky enough not to have to do any further modifications to my buckets, but good advice which one to pee in

Andy

I would seriously look at getting a kicker. Trolling with big motors is very hard on them, they load up easily which leads to carbon buildup and sticky piston rings, and the slow thump thump is hard on the crankshaft.

Driftwood,

Very good point. That's why I got my kicker. It also uses a lot less gas and is quieter than my large motor. Good in a pinch, but only for occasional use. A