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Subject: "Prop Recommendation?" Previous topic | Next topic
swimbaitMon Dec-21-09 01:22 PM
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#3715, "Prop Recommendation?"
Mon Dec-21-09 01:23 PM by swimbait

  

          

Been thinking I should get a spare prop for the boat. The prop I have right now is a Tempest 25p. Motor is 2006 Optimax 225 ProXS. Boat is Champ 198 Elite. Hole shot is good. It turns around 5500 to 5600rpm on the top end (need to observe more closely for exact reading). Manual 10" jack plate. Speed with 2 guys, tournament load is 69 at best. It'll chine walk a little when trimmed all the way up on flat water.

Spent a lot of time researching this online. Seems like prop selection is an inexact science. Seems like trial and error is what most people do. Merc has this prop selector tool but it doesn't recommend their Fury prop which is supposed to be the best one. I'm thinking of getting a Fury and using my current prop as a spare based on the fact that most people report better hole shot and a few mph on the top end. Only a few people with older boats seem to say that it didn't do anything for them. The outstanding question in my mind is what pitch to get:

24, 25, or 26?

Merc has a 'look deeper' boat test thing on their site for a 198 with a 225 ProXS with a Fury 25p on it. Sort of an implicit recommendation there since I'd imagine they pick the best running prop for their boat tests

http://www.mercurymarine.com/look_deeper/boat_house_bulletin.php?ID=402&Filter=7,8

They're showing that it's turning 5700 rpm and hitting 71.6 with a half-tank of gas and probably not much gear/weight with a Fury 25p. Seems pretty good. Some people have suggested that you should go down a pitch in the Fury prop though, so like maybe I should get a 24. Theory is that you get more RPMs with the 24 and faster top end.

Anyone have any definitive answers here, or should I just go get some loaner props and see how it goes? I'm looking for all around performance, not just speed.

  

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Sacto JohnTue Dec-22-09 08:48 AM
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#3717, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

Sounds like you are getting good performance out of your 25p prop so that is where I would start. Although a 24p prop might help both hole shot and top end speed as it looks like you are not running close to the motor's red line (6000 rpm on the pro xs) Talk to a shop that will let you test various props on your boat. My buddy spent a couple days up at Shasta working with Phil's Props to find the right prop for his Champion.

Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have-yous

  

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Tm CustomsFri Dec-25-09 11:07 PM
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#3718, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 1


  

          

Hey Rob not sure if you checked the owners list on bass boat central. I'd check to see what the other folks who've got your same set up are runnin. 500+ to spend on a prop is a lot for something that may not be exactly what your wanting. Also you may be able to find a used prop on the props for sale that would work out for you. Good luck.

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/

  

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Matt PetersWed Dec-30-09 07:38 PM
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#3720, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 0


          

Rob:

Your "theory" in the last paragraph I think is wrong. Perhaps its my misunderstanding, but here goes:

The more pitch, the more top end speed.

The more pitch, the fewer RPMs you can turn.

The less pitch, the more RPMs you turn, and the better the hole shot as Sacto John says.

Folks "pitch up" for more speed. The "pitch down" for better hole shot. From our trip on Monday with 3 guys in the boat and 2 of us with less than perfect body fat percentages, your boat already has excellent hole shot. We jumped right up. I wouldn't worry about hole shot.

You won't go faster with a 24 Pitch necessarily because you are turnin more RPMs (pitching down from a 25"). You'll just turn more RPMs at lower speeds....

The voodoo science is, you want to not be red lining your RPMs when going all out on the throttle and trim, you want to be within safe operation of user manual. So, that being said, my suggestion to you would be go the other way, like a 26 pitch. That will give you more top end speed (if thats what your after) and will lower your RPMs slightly overall and hole shot, but I think you have some to spare there...especially if its just you and or one other person mostly. The three of us jumped right out of the hole.

Your boat can/should do low 70s I would think. I'd find a 26" somehow to borrow and test with...maybe even a 27, but that might be too drastic. I'd start with 26 and see how you dig it. Make a note of how many RPMs you are turning at full bore next time you are out there running wide open. Then use that data to compare when you pitch up or down, so you have a baseline. Record how many RPMs it take to keep on pad at your slowest possible speed...things like that you can compare against.

You can play with the diameter of the prop too, like 13.5" vs. 14" to modify hole shot/RPMs, but I'd just keep diameter fixed and play with pitchin up and down. Too many variables if you let it get away from you.

southernswimbait.com
BigBait Fishing in the South

  

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swimbaitThu Dec-31-09 03:09 PM
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#3721, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 3


  

          

Thanks for the replies. This topic is interesting to me for some reason :) I'm always curious about systems like this. The combinations of boat, motor, prop, engine height, pitch, etc. There are enough variables to make it complicated.

From my research online it sounds like if I can get my boat set up just right it should do in the neighborhood of 74mph. I have no interest in speed for regular fishing but on tournament day if I can get another 2 or 3mph out of it then I'm interested.

Wish I had the time to go up to Shasta for a week and try different props from Phils and stuff. I hate wasting fishing time to jack around with boat stuff but I want my boat dialed in to the max because that brings enjoyment at the lake too. Nothing better than having a clean mind knowing that your equipment is just right!

  

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swimbaitSun Jan-10-10 09:03 PM
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#3728, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

Zaldain lent me his 25p Fury and we ran it yesterday. It was nice but not amazing. My RPMs were the same at 5500. The hole shot felt crisper for sure, very punchy. On the top end I got 1 to 2mph. The way McClure is right now we could never get a really clean run in. There were a lot of boat wakes bouncing back and forth across the lake.

Top speed with 2 guys, livewell, tackle, and 1/2 tank of fuel was 69.9mph. The boat chine walked a little more than before. Probably directly a result of going faster. Would like to try a 24p and a 26p to see how those compare as well.

  

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Tm CustomsTue Jan-12-10 05:39 PM
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#3729, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 5


  

          

Once you find the right prop you may want to concider haveing it blue printed aswell, a sure way to gain a few more cheap mph for sure.

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/

  

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basslimitSun Jan-24-10 07:52 PM
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#3732, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 6


          

This is an interesting string. I agree 100% with Zaldane on his clarification of pitch up and pitch down. I fished Lake Erie alot and I found that going from a 3 blade to a 4 blade and drop down in pitch was the key to the big water grip. A five blade was even better. A four blade may take care of your chine walk, which could give you an opportunity to go to a larger pitch. As said before it is all trial and error. I used John Janake of DAH Props out of Wisconsin, he has been written about alot in Bass Boat and many others, however he was only half an hour from where I lived. Interesting to me was that when I researched many of the boat test we read about with hole shot and top end results, the test boats did not include a trolling motor or bow electronics. Add forty to fifty pounds to the nose of those boats and lets see how they perform. I have Johns number if you would like me to include it, be sure you have time if you call him, he'll talk. I also have a four blade Mercury Revolution you can try if you would like it is a 14 5/8 23P that was edged and polished by DAH.

  

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basslimitSun Jan-24-10 07:54 PM
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#3733, "RE: Prop Recommendation?"
In response to Reply # 7


          

Sorry
It was Matt Peters who I was referring to regarding the prop up and prop down theory. (i'm new here guys)

  

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