Mercury is the go to for pro fishermen... they need reliability.I am debating buying a medium sized jon boat(16') and building a flat front deck on it, adding nice seats etc. Good enough for the small local lakes unless it is really windy, and perfect for the river. So I have been researching motors too and keep coming back to the merc 4 stroke.
I was looking into getting a Jon boat to use for lake fishing around here. While poking around on Amazon I see the small 4-stroke outboards they offer. 4-5 HP is typical but reviews say don't expect that much power. They are a long way from typical outboards, but at somewhere $300-400 for a 4HP 4-stroke it gets tempting. They don't have a shifter, if you want to back up you turn the motor backwards. It's air cooled and doesn't exhaust out the foot. It looks basically like an engine and gas tank from a back pack leaf blower (50-60cc) on a simple outboard foot.
Has anyone actually tried one of these? I haven't bought one yet but I'm kind of in the same situation as the OP. The motors seem to weigh 30-50 lbs and are made for inflatables, but it seems they should push a Jon boat around well enough. I'd still use an electric most of the time but would like the idea of the small gas motor to get off the water in case of weather.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread, just thinking that this type product might open up possibilities for the OP as well if there are any favorable thoughts.
I've seen quite a lot of 4 strokes from small Honda motors to big ocean models used on fishing and dive boats. Most people I know who use the small 4 strokes swear by the Honda. Those on the big boats seem to like the Johnson models. I have no idea what Evinrude is doing with thos weird looking motor covers. Going after millennials I guess but I'd never buy one. One guy has a Tahaitsu or however he spells it. Says it works fine but if I were in the market specifically for a 4 stroke I'd go with the Honda. In fact, if I was buying a new motor I think I would go for a 4 stroke even though they cost more.
Grew up on a lake and we always had a boat. The lake to the Canada border was about 4 miles give or take. We used to troll in the evenings for rainbow and most of the year fished for perch or bullpout. We always had a 6hp Johnson on a 14ft steel boat and it did everything we needed from fishing to getting to the duck blind down at the end in the swamp. I wouldn't think that you would have to go much over that for what you are talking about unless you are in a hurry to get to the other end for some reason. I never was.
Last edited by jonp; 02-19-2021 at 07:19 PM.
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
The lake I will use this on is at +54,000 ft.,Originally Posted by blackthorn
That's an awfully high altitude for a lake?
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
OK, THAT WAS FUNNY !The lake I will use this on is at +54,000 ft.,
That's an awfully high altitude for a lake?
Awful hard to beat a Japanese four stroke outboard in the under twenty five horse power class these days.
I have a fifteen HP Yamaha on my 14' jonboat. Miserly fuel consumption, and it beats my buddies 15 HP Johnson two stroke out of the hole.
Robert
Blackthorn, I just hope I’m doing as well as you at 82. Kudos!
Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris
I vote for this https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...tail&FORM=VIRE
go big or go home
Makes perfect sense on all points.
NRA Benefactor
I notice they ain't listing prices yet......
NRA Benefactor
Boy you guys are over thinking this. The OP wants a good reliable little motor to troll around a small lake. The market is flooded with fantastic 5-10 hp 2 stroke outboards that are tough as nails. In this HP range, they are all quiet, and fuel efficient. I've oared all over as a kid, and still run an electric motor for duck hunting sloughs. I would not recommend either to a 80+ year old for fishing.
I've ran outboards of a large range in HP on small boats. Around 10hp can sometimes plane a 12' boat, but that depends on the load and weather. With 2 guys, and gear, it can be tough. A 15 HP will almost always plane 12' and 14' boats, but not all 12' boats are rated for 15 hp motors. Instead, one of my all time favorites is an Evinrude 6 HP. You won't plane, but you will get around at a decent speed, 6-7 MPH. I've had two 6 HP Evinrude's, one a 70's model, and one an 80's. Both were great, but I would recommend an electric ignition one. I believe Evinrude/Johnson went to that in 1972ish. There is nothing wrong with Mercury, but they never made that many small outboards compared to Evinrude/Johnson. Mercury was never known as fuel efficient. Those smaller Evinrude's will troll all day long, they run smooth as a babys bottom. One more thing, the smaller 5-6 HP 2 strokes are very easy to pull start compared to any 4 stroke, or even the 10-15 HP 2 strokes.
Don't over complicate this. Buy a 2 stroke. They are lighter, simpler, and easier to start. Mix gas 50:1, change the water impeller every couple years, and go fishing. Leave the complexities to the large outboards.
Last edited by megasupermagnum; 02-20-2021 at 11:52 AM.
Mercs Yamaha and Honda are all super reliable and common witch makes parts easy I got two Yamaha’s on my 24’ aluminum and a merc 20 on a 14’ Lund all have been great with only oil changes
I know nothing about British Columbia regulations but there are a lot of places that just flat out ban 2 stroke engines. And on some lakes you'll get dirty looks if you put one in the water.
The weight difference between the small 2 stroke outboards and the small 4 stroke outboards isn't that great these days. I would say in the under 10HP class that is a non-issue.
While neither type is going to use a lot of fuel, there's no doubt the 4 stroke will use less with all else being equal.
And while 2 stroke engines have come a long way over the years, the 4 stroke designs run cleaner no matter what. And the 4 strokes still tolerate low speed trolling better than 2 stroke engines.
I will second the evinrude 6hp 2 stroke being the best outboard ever made for small boats. They are one of the few TWO cylinder small outboards ever made, that makes the vibration at low rpm much less than a single. I find single cylinders very obnoxious to troll with. I also will second the electric start as pulling a cold or flooded motor is only for the young/dumb, it will also charge your electronics if you are using electric down riggers, etc. No one makes a new version of this motor unfortunately, and you will have to look on the used market. Parts and service are easily available in north America.
That's because they go on this https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/202...-v-57-2998765/
If you have to ask......
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
Think about this ..150 feet is not too far to run an extension cord to a good automatic 12 volt fast charger
You carry no gas cans UP and Down the hill
You carry no battery up and down the hill
You carry no genset up and down the hill
You do carry one cooler full of Molson Beer down and one full cooler of fish back!
Problem solved
Bear
I'd rather carry a battery or can of gas than deal with 150 feet of extension cord.
The lake I will use this on is at +54,000 ft Low orbit? Maybe 5400'? I'd go decent elec., deep cycle batts. (optima) fairly light weight. Can always make a run to shore and walk back to cabin with rain gear. Wind on long skinny lakes almost always blows to the end, depends on where the cabin is. Put boat on wheels an pully/winch up the hill. Or just the batteries. Never going to get a boat to plane with 2 gents in it with less than 20HP anyway.
Whatever!
If your on a small fishing boat I'm not sure you need to do that unless your on the Great Lakes or something. The relaxing ride to the fishing spot or trolling on the way there is part of the reason your out there I think. At least for us it was but we were never in a hurry to get anywhere.
I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum
A small single cylinder evinrude that is older than any of us here with a large coffee can lid right behind the prop to slow it down is great for
trolling for brook trout.
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