Kicker

[Dipsey]

Hello,

I'm thinking about putting a kicker on my Islander 191V and I'm wondering what HP and shaft length is recommended for this boat.

[rolmops]

I had one on mine. A 9.9 not because it needs the power to troll, a six horse would be enough, but because a kicker also doubles as the emergency engine to get you home. 

You will need a kicker bracket and there are some things that are important on that end. Because you have to bend over the stern to pull it up or down you should go with a bracket for a 35 horse not a 9.9 horse. Even so it will be hard to pull up.

Second is the angle of the stern. It is important to be able to pull the kicker up to the engine being above the transom ,or it may bump up against the back of the stern, while you also must be able to have it in the water deep enough .

Because of above mentioned angle you cannot use a tiller , unless you have have one that can hold both remote and tiller controls and you just fold the tiller handle back.

The 191V has an I/O so you may be able to use EZ-steer  although at least in my opinion they are a pain in the neck. An alternative would be a Garmin Auto pilot which is fantastic. Some people however set the kicker straight backward and steer with the main unit doubling as a rudder. 

The good length for your tiller would be an extra long shaft with the 25 inch shaft or the Evinrude/Johnson which is 28 inches long. 

On another note. If you are not on a huge lake, you can sidestep all of these problems by getting an electric trolling motor with a real long shaft. You can just screw it to the top of the stern board and steer by hand. I have even seen one that was jerry rigged to the main engine  (somehow screwed on to it) without the shaft. That is certainly a lot cheaper.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck.

Edited August 13, 2025 by rolmops

[Dipsey]

Thank you Rolmops for the very informative post. This gives me a lot to think about. 

[laker1]

My 2025 kicker experience.

 

I must thank my son. He didn’t want Dad struggling to start  the 8 hp Honda by hand. Says I am a senior now and that some one should take care of me (ha!).  It’s a long shaft hanging off the stern of my Lund. The control I have trolling with a long shaft is superb compared to that of a short . I added an extension to the throttle.  I have used it for years slow trolling for walleye. Now it’s difficult to start. So we added new plugs - nope. Then we added some Johnson Evinrude fuel cleaner to the gas and I was told to run it full bore all afternoon. This was advice from the local Honda dealer given to my son.  Said I was carboned up. So off I go musky fishing zipping all over Lake of the Woods. The cleaner and the “Italian tune up” made all the difference! My little engine now starts with the second pull because the little holes in the carburetor have opened up. No muskies though. Hope this helps somebody.

[Dipsey]

Thanks for the info laker 1. You've got a good son looking out for you. I run Sea Foam through all power sports motors. So far so good. Definitely going long or extra long shaft. There's quite a few reasonably priced 8 and  9.9 4 strokes kicking around. I liked Rolmops suggestion of a 35 HP bracket. My steering is controlled by a Ray Marine autopilot so may I will just lock it in straight without connecting the kicker to the stern drive. 

[rolmops]

There is another thing. That is the remote control cables. 

Because the outboard/kicker sits behind the transom, there is a problem with the cables being squeezed between the outboard and the transom and the cables get bent up at he outboard connection. The traditional solution -a full circle loop in the cable- does not help enough. What does help is making sure that the kicker, when raised, is above the transom and instead of the circle loop in the cables,they should be tied along the top of the transom until about 2or 3 feet away from the kicker at which point they should veer toward the kicker with enough spare cable so they up going straight toward the kicker with room to maneuver. That way, they will not get squashed when the kicker is raised.

[Dipsey]

Thank you again for sharing your experience with this setup. I normally learn the hard way! This information is very helpful. 

[laker1]

Hi again ,

I would add the following about my kicker experience.

My dealer recommended against using Sea Foam in attacking carbon.

My son also changed the engine fuel filter.

And this I see as most important, my kicker and my main engine have interchangeable fuel lines. So if the fuel in one tank is contaminated , I can change to the other. Bad contaminated fuel sometimes with water has caused me to switch lines and still get home. Happened twice so far.

Hope this helps somebody.

[mr 580]

Looking at various kickers one thing to pay attention is if they 1. Have an alternator and 2. What size/amps does it put out.  Some are rated at 6 amps while some of the newer ones with electric start are rated at 12 amps.  Ratings are done at higher rpm so a higher rate gives a better charge at low trolling speed.  My current Suzuki 9.9 rated at 12 amps keeps me charged for a full day.  Running FF, chart,auto pilot, vhf, washdown, probe takes a lot of juice.  Run non-ethanol fuel with marine conditioner and many fuel issues go away.

[Dipsey]

Thank you laker 1 and Mr 580. More valuable input to consider. Much appreciated.