Fishing with a R25

[m4boots]

Hi, I am currently the proud owner of a 22' C-Dory and am looking into the possibility of upsizing, (footitis). I have a question about the R-25, after looking through the albums and forums, I saw only one with a kicker mounted on the swim platform. Does this mean it is possible to troll with the diesel motor only, and if so, at what speeds? Also, how hard would slow trolling be on the motor?

We use our boat for mostly fishing right now but plan on moving to the coast in the next few years where we will be doing as much cruising as fishing. With the grandkids, the 22' can get pretty small in a hurry.

Thanks for your response in advance and welcome any input on what it's like to fish from a R 25.

Mark
C-Saddle

 

[Zundels]

We have been trolling with Cummins 150 in an R25. Our trolling speeds are slow enough for silver salmon in AK, can troll in the 2-3 mph range. Have also have a custom stainless Kicker mount that clamps on the swim deck (with no holes being drilled) but like to watch the Garmin data while piloting in the cabin over sitting in the cockpit and manually steering from the back deck.

 

[Zundels]

Additional questions for you, when fishing from the R25. Wanting to reduce my Sunday night boat wash time, we would like to keep the cockpit and cabin floor fairly free from all the fish, any ideas for how to keep the fish in the swim deck area?

 

[Levitation]

I would think that a cabinet mounted to the swim step with a a tray style top with sides 3 or 4 inches high, to lay the fish in while you remove the hook, etc. would do the job... The space under the top could be an ice chest... I would make it from exterior grade plywood and paint it well... As long as you keep the paint layer in good shape it should last for decades...

 

[yuukis]

I just got an R27 and they added a Trolling Valve for me. This is a valve that is adjusted by you when you are tolling at idle speed. It disengages the clutch plates so that they slip and you can adjust your speed down to zero or what ever you desire. You are advised not to use this at RPMs greater than 1000. I have also been assured that this does not damage the clutch plates in any way. I was also advised that the transmission fluid should be checked regularly to make sure that the level is correct. The adjustment knob is just below the seat on the port side in the rear cockpit. I have not used this yet because during the break in, you are not supposed to idle the engine for an extended period. I just got to 55 hours and will do the maintenance and give it a try. I hope it helps me catch fish, I am running out of excuses.
Charlie

 

[j&lgray]

Mark,

Your solution will depend upon if you get a new Ranger 25 or a used one. Charlie is absolutely dead-on with his information about the new boats. The new new Yanmars have a trolling valve option for reduced speed for fishing. The older boats did not have this option and those owners typically used a small kicker outboard, the Honda 2 hp seemed to be popular, that is fixed to an outboard motor mount to the swim step.

 

[dencarst]

Trolling Valve,

We have the trolling valve installed on the R25 with 150 HP Cummins and it work great we are able to get down to 1 Knot.
Our new boat R27 will have the trolling valve installed.

Dennis & Darleen

Tug of my Heart

 

[C&PSmith]

I have an R-25 150HP Yanmar with a trolling valve, downrigers, fish box, and fish cleaning rack. The troll valve works fine but can be a little touchy tyring to fine tune to a specific speed. Due to underwater currents, your downrigger line angle is the best indicator of speed through the water. I am thinking about adding a speed wheel to lthe transom but have to work out the details of a removable mount for cleaning the weeds off when underway.

My lboat is moored near the Kent Washington factory and I would be happy to show you my set up if you are ever in the Seattle area.

 

[m4boots]

Thank you for the posts. This troll valve sounds like what I wanted to hear.

C&PSmith, I'd love to see a picture or two of your setup as a trip to Seattle wont be for awhile. On my C-dory, I use the gps for trolling speed as the wheel doesn't work below 5mph. Here in the fresh water for lake trout, and with the system we use, our speed has to be between 1.5 and 1.8mph, the wheel isn't nearly accurate enough at this speed. I realise this will be different on the coast with current/tides but I'm told this same system will work for salmon. We'll just have to adjust. Thanks again for the info.

Mark
C-Saddle

 

[sidetrack]

I dont review Tugnuts too often .... or bother to get in general discussions.... but I own an R-25 with a cummins 150 that I converted to use solely as a fishing vessel. I charter fish out of Sooke B.C. I do not cruise. The cummins goes plenty slow enough for chinooks and is a joy to fish with. My renovations were extensive to make things work specifically for fishing but I did not put a trolling valve in... and dont need to. I run at aprox 800 rpms' most of the time but have to bring them up to as high as 1200 when going against a tough tide. My webpage is not fully redeveloped yet... but is www.sidetrackcharters.com . Photos of all of my renovations are connected to "Sidetrack" in tugnuts. Feel free to e-mail or phone 250-661-8524 to discuss further.

 

[ac holmes]

Hi Folks,

I am a charter fisherman on inland, east coast lakes. I fish mostly on Seneca Lake, one of the "Finger Lakes" in upstate NY.

I have a new EC-21, TARA, and have fitted her out for fishing, exclusively. We troll in deep water for salmon and lake trout with down riggers. TARA is a joy to fish in, however, I will soon post her for sale, with many pictures. A typical charter is 3 to 4 people and TARA is just too small for 3 or 4 grownup men, especially in a chop.

I have the 30 hp Yanmar and use 2 small trolling bags off the bow. It trolls just fine that way and I can run the diesel in it's sweet spot which is around 1500 rpm. It is not good to run a diesel at idle for long periods as it carbons up. A diesel needs to run under load and all engines have a rpm range where they are happy. That is to say, the motor is under load and oil pressure is maintained well. I have put a lot of thought and energy into TARA's conversion to a fishing boat, and if I was not chartering, I would not even think of selling her. The EC-21 is an totally happy experience, but I need to go to the 25. More to come on TARA's sale. If there is someone out there who wants a 21 for fishing, I have your hearts desire. She is the perfect set up for two or three fisherfolk and has state of the art everything...that is to say, everything.

Best,

Andrew