Looking for a better hole shot.

[bassbuster]

I have an 18' 1989 Nitro with a 1989 150HP Evinrude. The prop is a 3 blade 14.25"x24......and it is already ported. The boat feels really tail heavy and can have a hard time getting up on plane sometimes. 2 people I have talked to said to try a a different prop first and drop down to either a 23 or a 22............and watch the rpm's at top speed so I don't blow up the motor!

I just want to know what you guys think I could try to get a better hole shot out of the boat. Right now the top speed is 55-58 and the rpm's are running 5400-5500.

[Mike S.]

I have a 96 Nitro, 18' 3", with a 150 efi, and I have the same problem.  It has a 23 pitch, 14 5/8 diameter Tempest prop on it.  If the tank is full, it takes forever to plane with 2 people in it.  It has decent top end, gps'ed at 63 with me and my buddy in it, and a full tank of gas.  We both weigh 260 ish.  I recently wacked my stainless prop, and am waiting for my new one to arrive.  I put an aluminum spare on it.  It has a smaller diameter and pitch, can't read it because the paint is so thick on it, but the boat flies out of the water with it.  It's amazing.  The drawback is that I have to give it power slowly, and I can't trim it up much.  My tach isn't working for some reason, so I can't tell you what rpm's I am running.  I was on Bass Boat central reading the owners boards, and there is a guy with the exact boat as mine on there.  He claims that he gets 72 on the gps with a Trophy Plus 25 pitch, 13 3/4 diameter, 4 blade prop.  I am finding the 72 hard to believe, but I have that prop on the way.  They are cheap on ebay.

[SethV]

I was on Bass Boat central reading the owners boards, and there is a guy with the exact boat as mine on there.  He claims that he gets 72 on the gps with a Trophy Plus 25 pitch, 13 3/4 diameter, 4 blade prop.  I am finding the 72 hard to believe, but I have that prop on the way.  They are cheap on ebay.

It will only get 72 on the trailer!  No way it will come within 10 mph of that number on the water.

If your prop does not have PVS holes, you can have them added.  It allows the prop to vent so you build more RPM's during the hole shot.  PVS holes do not change top end performance in any way.

[bassbuster]

I guess the PVS holes are what I was calling ported........I wasn't sure what to call them exactly. I'm ok with losing a few MPH's if I can gain a better start and I don't know much about props in the first place. And as much as they cost I don't want to just keep buying a different one to try it out and then be disappointed because it didn't help me any.

[Revtro]

I had the same problem with my BassCat.  I originally had a Trophy 25p on it.  The hole shot stunk and sometimes it barely could get on plane.  I tried changing the venting, the jack plate, etc...  I didn't get the results.  So I borrowed a buddy's 3 blade 23p prop.  Dang!  That boat jumped out of the water, but I did lose top end.  The lower the pitch, the more rpm's you'll get at the hole shot, but you will lose some top end.  So I compromised by buying a 24p Trophy and opened up the venting.  Sometimes the boat still struggles a little when the livewells are full, but by-in-large I now have an acceptable hole shot. 

Most likely for you, it's gonna be all about the pitch and venting of the prop.  I would suggest doing what I did and borrow a prop to test it.  It makes life a lot easier when buying a new one to know ahead of time how it will act.  If you're struggling with the hole shot, I would not recommend getting a higher pitch prop.  When I questioned BassCat about it, they told me a 25p was too much for my 19' 7" boat with a 200hp.  It sounds to me like a 23p Trophy might worth a try for your rig.  Play with the vent plugs to find the right combination.  It's different with every boat.  No two boats are the same...there are too many variables.  Many local dealers stock or can get the various size vent plugs so that you can play with the combination.  I found that two large plugs and leaving the other two open was the key for me to get the performance I needed. 

I also noticed a difference between the 3 and 4 bladed props when it came to the ride.  I'm sticking with a 4 blade because it hooks up better in rough water and gives me a more stable ride.  That's the main difference.  But you will sacrifice a couple of MPH (not much really) on the top end by using a 4 blade.  But in rough water, it's totally worth it.  I seem to max out at 64 with half tanks and empty livewells.  But heck, how often am I really going that fast anyway?  Only under perfect conditions, so I'm good with those results. 

72MPH?  Yeah, I find that pretty hard to believe too.  There are a lot of guys out there claiming their boats do 90.  Sounds like a bit of "over-compensating" to me.  LOL

[motocross269]

First I will say those top speeds and RPM ranges sound pretty good with your setup....

Rev pretty much hit on the key points...Motor height is one factor that I haven't seen mentioned....Do you have a jack plate???

A 25P prop is too large for you...I run a 25P OT4 on a 225 HP Bass Cat...I can turn a 27P 3 blade but I get much better holeshot and rough water handling with the 25P 4 blade....

[bassbuster]

There  is no jack plate on my boat and to be honest I know little to nothing about those either.

[Revtro]

A jack plate is a mechanical or hydraulic apparatus that allows you raise or lower the height of your motor on your transom.  It can affect your hole shot, but in my experience it didn't make the difference I needed.  But since you don't have one, it's a moot point.  Lower your pitch, and I'm sure you'll get the results you need.  Let us know how it goes.

[mikesmiph]

I have basically the same boat. 87 Nitro 1710, with a 150 merc. I get a very decent hole shot, and more top end than I've been brave enough to hit. I've had it to 64 on GPS, and had trim left. I know I have a Tempest prop, I know its 3 blade, but I dont know the pitch. I'll look at it and repost. I dont have a jack plate either, not sure they made them back then. lol I love my antique, its the first bassboat I've ever owned, but its soon to be seriously upgraded.

[Mike S.]

Well, I made the mistake of buying a 25 Trophy Plus for my boat.  I lost the entire hole shot, and I lost top end.  Took me 2 miles to get on plane.  I trashed a Tempest 23 prop, and decided upon selling the Trophy, that i was going to buy another Tempest.  I got a tempest Plus 23 pitch.  What a difference.  My holeshot improved over the Tempest.  It seems to have more bow lift than the Tempest.  And, it feels faster on the top end.  My speedo doesn't work at the moment, and I didn't have the gps with me.  But, the Tempest Plus feels way better on my boat.  The only difference i could see was that the plus has the pvs holes, and the Tempest just has small holes with small channels running to them machined into it.

[HellaBass]

Simple thing you can do is get some gear out of your back compartments and get some fo that weight in your front compartments

4 bladed props almost always have better hole shots