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Should I buy a jack plate

3K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Its Catchy 
#1 ·
I have a 1999 v-hull hobie power skiff me and my dad converted into a poling skiff/flats boat and will float in 7" but with the motor trimmed al the way down I need almost 2 feet. I would like to be able to run close to a foot so I can get in and out of some skinny water spots faster rather than poling out or idling out with the motor trimmed up. Will adding a jack plate on my v hull help other than helping me get shallow while not on plane or will a cavitation plate help? Only considering a hydraulic JP. Thanks in advance
 
#4 ·
I'll leave that to the experts. I'm going to guess it depends on how low the prop sits, type of prop, distribution of weight, etc.

My 21 ft Tunnel V with cavitation plate takes about ~17 inches to get on planes with. That's with the live wells in the rear full. I fish shallow water, about a foot, but just trim up, pull the Jack plate up and putter out to deep water.

My tunnel can run in 5-7 inches of water pushing it to the extreme, but I'm dead stuck if I get off plane or Jack it down.
 
#5 ·
You will have some pros and some cons...nobody can say how much. You will benefit while running if you have more setback on that hull allowING that motor to run higher in the swell behind the boat.....however with the motor hanging way back like that it will affect your draft as you stick that weight further out back...
 
#7 ·
What he said. The farther back you go the higher you'll be able to jack the motor both getting up and under way... but will also make the rear of the boat sag a little more. 6"-8" setback hydraulic jackplate with a cav plate, shawwing are great, will definitely help run a little more shallow. How much? depends on the set back, cav plate, motor, boat, etc...
 
#9 ·
Short answer... get one. It gives you a lot of options running and
also while in shallow water you can idle out as long as your hull isn't on bottom.

I can't think of any bay boat that wouldn't benefit from it unless all you do is fish the deep reefs.. even then it should help your running on plane efficiency. I can also get up on plane in shallower water after some practice.
 
#11 ·
They can come in handy.

But I fished a lot of years in a lot of skinny water without one. A couple of notes that I learned from my boats over the years:

1.) On a plane the benefit is minimized. They may help a little but you got to have the cavitation plate below the bottom of the boat or you aerate and your time on a plane is limited.

2.) Getting on a plane the benefit is maximized. You can punch the throttle while your lifting up the jack plate and get up in places you would not otherwise be able to get up in.

3.) Of much more benefit and a lot cheaper is simply knowing the water you are in. Check the tide level every time you leave the dock. Almost every shallow bay I ever fished in has deeper spots, softer mud spots and hard sand spots. Learn where you can get on a plane at and where you can't. Plan your fishing on where you can and can't get up in for the tide level. You can get up in soft mud much easier than you can on hard sand.

4.) Don't get too caught up in "how shallow you and run" and "how fast you can go". You don't need to run in 6" of water or go 50mph to catch fish.
 
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