I just bought a 10 foot flat bottom Columbia Boat and need to pick out a motor for it. It is only rated for up to a 10hp. I will be using it soon for trolling for salmon in tidewater here in Oregon. I was hoping someone could give me some advice as to what size of motor would go well on it. I am looking at several motors in the 3-9.8 hp range. The motor will need to be stong enough to push the boat against the tide with 2 people and gear in it. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Given the conditions you will be fishing in, you don't have much choice other than to go with the maximum hp allowed, which would be the lower of the hull maximum or what is allowed on the waters you will be fishing.

Use the maximum horsepower your for which your boat is rated, otherwise, you'll find yourself constantly wishing you had more power.

Thanks guys, you are probably right, but I found a deal that I could not refuse on a 7.5 hp. It may be a little slow, but I'm confident that it will do its job just fine. I failed to mention that I do not troll for salmon right in the bay, I go a little farther upriver (but still within the reach of the tide). When I go with my dad we fish out of his 15 foot boat with a 9.9 hp on it and it does fine even though it is a little slow. Hopefully it ends up being a decent match.

Good luck with the boat and motor. Not only is HP a factor but so is weight. Total weight that the boat can handle. Some of the new 2 strokes are alot lighter than some of the old anchors. From the looks of your boat I would try to keep the weight down so it didn't ride so low in the water.

We make sure to keep weight to a minimum. First time out today, we caught two chinook (two is a good day where we were and the time of year) and it was even a slow day for most people on the water. It may not be the best set up, but it does the job.

"It may not be the best set up, but it does the job" That's all that counts.