Hi, I am trying to obtain some information on Cabela's Hydro Troll
Trolling Plate. I was wondering whether anyone has any first-hand
experience with one and, if so, whether you're pleased with its
performance.

I am trying to find out:
1) whether they have much of a negative impact on your top speed, and
2) how much control you have over your trolling speed. What is the
slowest and fastest speeds you can attain with the plate down?

Any additional pros or cons would be most appreciated.

I have a 19' Thompson with a 165 hp Mercruiser that I use for tubing,
water-skiing and salmon fishing on Lake Huron.

Thanks in advance,
Rick

I'm not exactly sure if this is what you're talking about, but I recently went
out with a friend who had a trolling plate installed behind his propeller. We
went out rapidly to where he wanted to troll, and then he discovered to his
dismay that he'd forgotten to unlatch it before we left the dock. A 150 hp
outboard motor running wide open will bend the plate straight out behind the
boat and leave a permanent bend in it!

The aluminum trolling plates (Happy Troller, I believe) will bend if
left in the down position while under-way, but the Cabela's Hydro
Troll has a shear pin that will prevent such a catastrophy.

I've seen the drift socks, but dragging a bag behind the boat just
seems like one more thing to have to contend with when you've caught
"the big one". The trolling plate, on the other hand, is just...
well, there. And I plan to install a hydrofoil anyhow to aid in
getting on plane faster when water-skiing. I guess my main concern is
- what's the negative impact of the trolling plate on overall
performance.