Performance question

[timmit]

Howdy , I know alot of you run similar boats and motors as I do , what my question is , does running a trolling plate (such as the trolling buddy) in the up position impact performance or RPMs for either take off or top speed , my boat is a 2000 16" tracker with a Mercury 40hp top RPM of 4200 and top speed of 27mph ?
Thanks
Timmit
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[trfishin]

[] hey timmit, i'm no expert on this subject but the couple of fishin buddies that i fish with that have trolling plates on there boats don't have any problems. The trolling plate in the up position made their boats come up on plane alot better. Hope this helps. trfishin
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[kastmaster]

timmit,
The trolling plate should have minimal effect when it comes to hole shot or top speed. I noticed that your RPM is on the low side when you're on plane. I have an older 85 HP Johnson and my manual states that I should be cruising at between 5200-5500 for optimum performance. Your owner's manual should tell you what your optimum RPM should be. Putting on a prop with a lower pitch could give you a better hole shot and prolong your engine life. I played around with different props on my boat until I got my RPMs up to the recommended range. Hope this helps a bit. Sorry I went off on a tangent and got away from your trolling plate question.
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