Outboard on a small fishing boat

[gutsnthegrass]

Is a 6hp outboard large enough to put on a 13' fishing boat for larger lakes like potholes ect.?

[birddogdad]

shouldn't be an issue as long as its rated for it... remember you need the boat operators course to run it in WA.

[BLH69]

 I thought it was exempt under 15 horses?

[gutsnthegrass]

I thought it was exempt under 15 horses?

I believe this is correct.

[CP]

It won't push it very fast.

[Bullkllr]

I thought it was exempt under 15 horses?

True

[Badhabit]

If you launch off the Job Corp dike on the north end you won't have to run far and won't have to deal with big open water. It will get you down the Frenchman's or Winchester wasteways as well.  Now go get ya some ducks!!!

[birddogdad]

I thought it was exempt under 15 horses?

sorry , you are correct on the HP rating...

[Stein]

I had a 4 hp kicker on my 16' Smokercraft boat and wide open it would push it up to about 5 mph.

I also had a different 14' Smokercraft with a 15 and it would do ok with one guy, but still needed the fin on it to get on plane reliably and was pretty much a displacement hull with more than one guy.

It all depends on how fast you want to get there.  If there is wind or current to deal with, you need more.

Typical boats in the 12-14' range will have at minimum a 9.9 and often a 15 or 25.  I would consider a 15 the minimum unless I only needed to go a hundred yards and was never loaded with people, dogs or gear.  25 would be ideal.

[brokentrail]

The only thing I would say is be very conscious about the wind and where you are headed if wind is a possibility.  I've been on Potholes in my 18ft Skeeter with a 115 hp Yamaha and had to use the motor to keep the nose up so the waves didn't come over the bow.  I can't imagine how that would have ended up if I had be in a small, underpowered, boat. Life jackets are your friend!!

[gutsnthegrass]

I was thinking it was too small.  I believe the max rating is 15hp.  I would rather have too much than not enough.  I'm thinking 9.9 would be the minimum.  Thanks guys.

[Angry Perch]

Like many things, it depends on what you've got. If all you've got, or all you can afford is a 6 HP, there's not a day of the year you can't go catch fish on Potholes. Is it ideal? Heck no. Better than sitting on the couch? Yep.

[jackson7]

another thought. if one is not a boater , powering up to 15 could potentially be dangerous. we tend to go faster, tighter turns and the such. i once lost the throttle as a wave hit us in a big bay while duck hunting. Got lucky and was not thrown out of boat.
Ran into some duck hunters last year out at moses lake that had their 12 to 13 boat swamped.
All 3 were in the water. luckily, the  wind pushed them into shore. They were all shaken badly
and happy to be alive..

[Dan-o]

I was thinking it was too small.  I believe the max rating is 15hp.  I would rather have too much than not enough.  I'm thinking 9.9 would be the minimum.  Thanks guys.

I think you'd prefer it to the 6.

 

[h20hunter]

Water rarely gets calmer. Such is life. More power.