Home made prop guard

jethro · Jun 21, 2018

Just thought I'd share a project I did since I don't tend to do that many mods and interesting stuff like others here... Now that summer is upon us and lake temps are rising the trout and salmon are going deeper and I will be chasing them with the downriggers. My riggers are mounted somewhat amidship and when I have 150' feet of cable out the blowback even with 10lb cannonballs is quite a bit. If it starts to blow the starboard rigger can come dangerously close to the kicker which is mounted on that side. $10 in aluminum, some stainless bolts and nylock nuts and 20 minutes later I have a prop guard for the rigger cable.

I've been the victim of a downrigger cable in the kicker prop before and it's a disaster. It will not happen again.

DaleH · Jun 21, 2018

That works!

And dayum, that tinnie must FLY with them ponies on the stern!

jethro · Jun 21, 2018

DaleH said:
That works!

And dayum, that tinnie must FLY with them ponies on the stern!

Yeah it moves! About 45mph per the GPS (and at a cost of 15 gallons per hour). Even with 3 other people and gear it only drops to 42. It's a beast.

LDUBS · Jun 21, 2018

You did a nice job fabricating that guard. Looks like it came from the factory.

I cannot even imagine what it must have been like getting the DR cable caught in the prop. Scary to just think about it.

I also have to go deeper this time of year, but no where near 150'. Right now I'm using 8# weights. With the new higher capacity DR's I think I'm going to move up to 12# to reduce blow back, especially at higher trolling speeds. I've been looking at the pancake style which are supposed to have less drag. I see them at Walmart for $28 & free shipping, which is about what I paid originally for my current 8# round weights.

Crazyboat · Jun 22, 2018

At first I thought it was going to be on your main drive engine, that would cost you some efficiency for sure, just adding it to the kicker is fine, good job.