# Question about motor boats **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207 "2004-06-25T17:41:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/1 "2004-06-25T17:41:22Z")
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of people hauling boats. Sometimes, in addition to the big outboard motor hanging in the middle of the back of the boat , there will be a second motor off to the side (but still in the back of the boat). Why? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/2 "2004-06-25T17:42:32Z")
Trolling motor for fishing. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/3 "2004-06-25T18:00:22Z")
😕 ---
**Author:** ![FX45\_4Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4bbf92/32.png) [@FX45\_4Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FX45_4Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/4 "2004-06-25T18:03:02Z")
\Incorrect! 😉 It is called a “Kicker” motor, and is used when your primary unit fails so you don’t have to paddle miles and miles to shore. Having a single source of failure is NO good offshore! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/5 "2004-06-25T19:16:30Z")
Some fishing boats have a smaller, 5-8 HP, outboard as well as their big 200 HP outboard. The smaller enging is indeed used for trolling. It can run at an efficient speed whereas the big engine would only be idleing along and runnin inefficiently. At least this is done in the midwest USA. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/6 "2004-06-25T20:16:24Z")
For those only used to the under-the-bridge or internet style trolling, this one is running the boat along at low speed, with a baited line in the water. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/7 "2004-06-25T20:25:16Z")
Often, the trolling motor is electric because they are quieter and thus better for fishing. Also, some lakes only allow electric motors because of pollution, noise or wake restrictions. Usually, on a restricted lake, the gas motor will need to be completely removed for the boat to be legal. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-motor-boats/252207/8 "2004-06-26T02:49:38Z")
As others have already stated, the smaller outboard is for trolling. While the larger outboard is fine for traveling from one fishing spot on a lake to another, they don’t run very well if you try to run them at low speeds over an extended period. This is where the smaller outboard comes into it’s realm. The smaller engine runs just fine moving the boat forward at the preferred speed while trolling a baited line out far behind the boat. Electric trolling motors are more generally used for positioning the boat for bait casting (cast out a bait, crank it back in, repeat till your arm falls off).