Reading through the rookie mistakes thread, and I see quite a few people have listed "leaving the TM down while underway", or something to that effect. I tried searching for a while as to just what happens if you forgot to pull up the motor, but only found hits on leaving transom mounted kickers down.
So what exactly is the end result of this flub? I'm assuming nothing good, but is it just additional drag, or more like "plan on buying a new TM when you get home" kind of thing?
Two things will happen
1-It will throw water over the bow and you get wet (You'll survive )
2-It's possible to bend or damage the TM shaft (Not good, can be expensive )
Plus, you can't get up on plane !!
Ranger Boats / Mercury Motors
G Loomis Rods / Shimano Reels
Raymarine / MinnKota Ultrex
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Troll Bridge / V-T2 Vents
One of the pros a while back got in a hurry and did it in a tournament and it ripped the trolling motor off the boat. It disappeared to bottom of lake to never be seen again, well except as new structure on everyone's graph.
If you forget while loading, you’ll bend or break the shaft. Some motors you’ll spin the prop off. Best case you get a face full of water.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
I’ve done it but quickly noticed and shut down. I only have a 25hp outboard so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
This past July I started to pull up the trolling motor and the dang thing was jammed...wouldn't release no way no how. It was starting to get towards sundown and I was about 2 miles from the ramp...I had to do something. I started back just on the TM but saw that I wasn't getting very far fast enough. I decided to just take it easy and use the outboard to power back to the ramp. I raised the TM up as far as I could and started out. At first I kept it at not much more than an idle but as I started pushing the gas a little more, I soon figured out that if I kept the outboard trimmed down and gave it just enough gas to get up but not break over I could get the trolling motor up out of the water and go a little faster...too fast and it would break over and the troller would go back into the water...too slow and it would drop off plane and the troller would hit the water and give me a shower. So I plowed water with the bow up in the air and the poor old Merc screaming for mercy at about 3000 rpm. What a trip.
Don't worry Ma'am....
I'm only here for the Bass.
My son left the TM down once. I was running the boat and didn't notice it. Just had a short distance to go so I never got much over idle speed. Then I beached the boat.....
Yeah, there was no straightening the shaft.
2018 Tracker Pro Team 190 TX
115 Mercury Pro XS 4S
My friend Jack left one down and took off down the river. He ducked as it went past his head, never seen again.
I leave it down every now and then, but always see it's down when I sit down in the driver's seat and look ahead before I take off. Feel like a dumbazz!
JUST about did that a month ago!Originally Posted by CatFan
A girl sitting on the ramp yelled out just in time for me to do a reverse panic stop! I was coming in hot, and it would have broke the motor off.
Had a friend with a new boat in the 90s do that once, and when the bow came down on plane, the entire TM and its mount and a huge chunk of fiberglass forever left the boat.
Finally happened to me. I just have a 50hp, and dont hammer down right away. Got a face FULL of water and shut it down and was able to stow it before something bad happened. I think as long as you dont hammer down youll get hit with enough water to notice and stop and stow. I could see disasters happening in tourneys cuz youre on a timer, and its easier to overlook....and you gotta get to your spot asap so that throttle gets hit a little harder than normal
Best habit I have gotten into is looking at the TM when I start the big motor. Guess you know by now why I do that, learned from bad experience.
Rocket
I watched a guy try to trailer his boat with the TM deployed. It didn't work out so well.JUST about did that a month ago!
A girl sitting on the ramp yelled out just in time for me to do a reverse panic stop! I was coming in hot, and it would have broke the motor off.
2000 Javelin Renegade 20 DC.
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Buddy of mine did that early this spring on his single console. Warm day so I was in shorts and T. Right at sundown. He takes off throwing water everywhere. I had to make him stop. He was going to run it back that way. Good 15+ seconds of spray of 60deg water. Very cold ride back. No damage since it is a little boat with little motor. I have not been back in his boat since. He takes his and I take mine. He always has a pretty good screw up each trip. Plug left out... Launch the boat with no one in it or tied to anything... Usually something pretty entertaining.
Once the bow settles down from getting on plane you'll know right then
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