Looking for more speed and better fuel Consumption?

[Trevor Zimak 171]

This forum has been dead for a month so.... here's some insight.

With tournament competition getting better year after year and the ever increasing gas prices, one of the best options you can run on your boat is a jackplate. A jackplate will ultimately give you more top end, better hole shot, and increased fuel economy.

How can a jackplate do this?

Depending on the size of your boat and the horsepower of your engine a jackplate can be very benefically, especially if you are running a bass boat. Jackplate's are either manual or hydraulic. Basically what they do, is allow the prop to run in cleaner water as to accommodate a higher engine height which leads to faster top end speeds and shallow water running. Less of the lower unit is in the water, resulting in reduced drag. The prop is further away from the transom, and this helps to avoid the boats turbulence as it travels thru the water, which in turn produces higher RPM's. Less drag and turbance equals faster top end, better fuel consumption, and better hole shot.

Depending on your application, no more than a 6'' plate is need for boats 17-18 feet, 8'' for boats 19-20 feet, and a 10'' for boats 20 feet and over. Reason for this is, when adding a jackplate, you are adding setback to your boat, thus relocationg the boats centre of gravity further towards the back. (bigger boat, more setback needed) What this allows you to do is get more of the boats hull out of the water. Again, less boat in the water, less drag and better fuel consumption, plus more top end. Depending on the model you are looking at, manual jackplate's are the cheapest, anywhere from $250-$500 and a hydralic can usually run for $600 to $1,200.

Here is a couple of videos to check out.