nless you row or paddle with one hand, I can not see how you can be as quick in the hook ups as someone holding the rod when the fish bites. Even the quickest of us take a second or two to drop the oar or paddle and pick up the rod. Sometimes this works to your favour as the fish has a chance to take the offering a turn with it (making for a solid set). At other times the the fish has already left go by the time you get the rod into your hands. I am not saying you have to run out a buy an electric motor, I am simply stating that the benefit of an electric motor to allow you to keep one hand on the rod at all times is more valuable than its ability to let you cover more water than rowing or paddling since (unless you troll at high speed) you tend to row or paddle as fast as an electric motor anyway. Therefore, I feel that it is not the size of the lake that makes an electric motor useful, an electric motor is as useful on any lake you would normally paddle or row.
Well i can paddle one handed, but that aside, i use a canoe and hold the pole between my legs with the line across my right leg. That way (as with most lakes in this area), when the first nibble occurs I stop paddling and when the real strike hits, I am ready. But be that as it may, I catch about 50-60% of the fish that bite (real bites, not faint nibbles). And in places like Buntzen or Mike or the such, I usually come away with my limit in a reasonable time. now all that being said, i usually dont fly fish but fish with tackle like ford fenders and the such, but for the sake of small lakes I still believe electric motors are not needed. of course i can go into the argument of all the people with electirc motors that dont watch where they are driving and zigzag where ever they feel about it... >.<
Now kokanee's on the other hand I've had one on but lost it and that's it.... maybe I should be trolling gear or bait???
i find (from experience, but i could be wrong) that in these coastal lakes that willowleaves or ford fenders + wedding rings and worms work best for trout/kokanee when trolling.
now that being said, i have used flies a few times and caught a few trout... but for flies i prefer to flyfish from shore in much smaller lakes.
part of the reason i dislike flies is that i dislike switching away from something i know will catch fish. i mostly fish for food, so switching and trying new things seems counter imho.