Im in the process of buying a 25 foot Sea Pro walk around. I plan on fishing it in Port Aransas and corpus, but not too far from shore. But before the boat touches salt water, I want to get a kicker motor installed. Probably a 10 hp motor. The boat's main motor is two cycle, so I plan on getting a 2 cycle kicker. has anyone had a kicker installed and have any ideas on price range im looking at, or possible a shop they could recommend to get it done? I would ideally like a used or rebuilt motor to save some money. thanks

That is a fairly large boat and I would guess you would need a 20-25hp to make any progress off-shore. To go new your probably talking $3k at least just for the motor. The bracket will be insignificant compared to the engine cost. A few hundred bucks installed maybe? I have ran a 10hp on boats up too a 23 Mako CC in lakes with no problem, never offshore though. Used or rebuilt will be tough to find, I am sure they are around if you look hard enough and long enough.

Now currently I run a single but just buy towing insurance (~$150 a year) and carry a good anchor on board in case I have to wait near shore. Sea Tow and Tow Boat US should be good to at least 50 miles from the jetties.

Keep up with maintenance and do the absolute best I can to prevent break down. Knock on wood it has worked the last 20 years

Finding a good 2 stroke kicker is going to be very tough, unless you're willing to pay for an older motor to be rebuilt.

Now unless you mix the fuel & oil directly in your fuel tank, theres really no reason you can't have a 4-stroke kicker motor in tandem with a 2-stroke main. Just remember to pour the 2 cycle oil into the big motor and not the little one

I'd recommend Lake Park Marine in Lewisville for boat work - their number is 972-436-8422. Just tell them the guy with the wahoo sent you.

(PS - take me with you offshore!! I'm always glad to put fuel, ice & bait into the boat!!!)

ive got an older johnson 15hp kicker that i use on my 21 aquaport and it works great but i barely use it at all. someone offered me 1500.00 for it last year but i turned them down. it saves a lot gas when im trolling with it but i dont do too much trolling. i might be willing to sell it for the right price.let me know if i can help.

The new high torque Yami 9.9 is the way to go for a small trolling motor. I have one on my 26' Striper WA. It'll move my boat at about 7 knots. It is NOT a back up motor. In heavy seas it'll keep the boat pointed in the right direction and that's about it. If you're looking for a back up for the main then go big or forget it. It's cheaper to buy a good radio and tow insurance. If you do get another motor then make sure you run it on every outing to keep it running right and to make sure it hasn't developed any problems.

Joe

Thanks for the advice! I think I will look into that tow insurance, either way. Do you ever anchor near the jetties. A few years back in my tiny key west center console, I monitored the depth finder and anchored a few yards to the side of the jetties, where I believed the rocks ended. We dropped our lines straight down and never got stuck. We had some great fishing, but I would hate to think what would happen if I broke anchor and did not notice it in time. Or had trouble cranking up the motor while near the jetties.

Thanks for the number. I will definitely price price them out. And once I get confidence in the motor in the freshwater I will definitely let you know when I head south to blue waters!

If you have enough line out, then once your anchor is set it stays set. On my bay boat I use 2X the depth in line on my Striper it's closer to 3X the length. Sometimes I anchor front and rear. NEVER pull anchor until the main is running.
Joe

When in the ocean, my main motor is NEVER turned off! Once I crank it from the trailer it stays on til we reach the trailer. The water around the jetties is most unpredictable, I ve seen boats end up on the rocks because their motor wouldn't start and crew wasn't paying attention until it was too late