bALoG
THE EXPERT
MArK
LUNDGrEN
use a hydraulic Plate to Push through
While most grass fishing revisions center on the bow of the boat – specifically the
trolling motor – Lundgren has found several factors at the transom that contribute
to efficiency in heavy grass. For instance, a hydraulic jack plate provides more than
top-end performance.
“Instead of trimming up when idling through thick grass, I lift the jack plate,” he
says. “Lifting the trim just raises the bow of the boat when I throttle, and pushes the
rear down farther, which is exactly what I don’t want. Lifting the jack plate raises the
motor up, but keeps me level, allowing my Mercury to power through better.”
Using a jack plate to raise the motor in heavy
grass is more efficient than trimming up.
shield all transducers
Another rigging upgrade Lundgren relies on is a Transducer Shield and Saver,
which protects the front and rear sides of the transducer. Lundgren rigs the plate on
his rear transducer, located on the boat’s transom. Doing so blocks any gaps or
seams that might otherwise catch grass when Lundgren momentarily puts his boat
in reverse to clear the prop or back out of a tight spot. In extreme cases, ripped-off
transducers can otherwise be the result.
A transducer shield is good insurance for any skinny water where wood cover, rocks or grass might
cause damage.
january 2017 i flWfishing.Com
a solid competitor in the
region’s t-h Marine Bass
fishing league divisions, Mark
lundgren of st. cloud, fla.,
works at toho Marine, the
famed bass boat dealer south
of orlando. there, he keeps
tabs on any new trends in fish-
ing aquatic vegetation, and
has perfected his own system.
upgrade Wiring
Lundgren utilizes the heaviest wire
available for his trolling motor, regard-
less of boat brand. Today, most bass
boats come with 6- or 8-gauge wire.
However, Lundgren has found 4-gauge
to offer even better performance.
Voltage drop is lessened with heavier
wire, thus maximum power is deliv-
ered at the trolling motor. With higher
voltage being carried up front, the over-
all torque of the motor is better, and the
length of charge is increased as the
motor works less to deliver more.
Using a simple voltage calculation
method, an upgrade from 8-gauge to 4-
gauge wire, over a length of 20 feet, cuts
voltage drop at the trolling motor by
more than half.
While marine dealerships will glad-
ly make the upgrade, there’s really
nothing to it for do-it-yourselfers. Most
existing wires can be pulled through
easily and swapped out. Be advised,
however, that heavy copper wire runs a
couple of bucks a foot, so the switch can
be a bit costly.
install a new Pull Cord
Even with the strongest thrust avail-
able at the bow, trolling motors still bog
down in the thickest grass. Lifting and
clearing the motor is a necessity, and a
task that Lundgren has also tweaked.
“I replace my trolling motor rope
with braided Dyneema, commonly
used for sailboat rigging,” he says.
This nearly indestructible cord fea-
tures a 6,000-pound break limit and
no-stretch characteristics, and it’s easy
to swap out with factory cords. A
bonus: The price tag is only about 35
cents per foot.
29