Bass boat questions

I recently purchased my first bass boat (1986 Cajun fishing machine 18'5") completely redid it this winter (awesome boat) in two weeks I'm hanging a 1989 Johnson GT 175 on it my question is should I put a JACK PLATE on it? it seems like most bass boats have them on. what would I gain or lose? I would only get a manual. hydraulics are too pricey. just wondering what the bass boat guys think is it worth it. also any recommendations as far as a prop for this rig?

Be sure to check the transom for rot before you do anything. I had a Cajun and it rotted in a very short time. I'm not sure what exact model you purchased, but they had a model named the "Ragun Cajun" that was a chine walking monster. I'm not trying to cut down your boat, but be sure of what you have before dumping a bunch of money into it. Jackplates and high performance props may get you 2-3 mph. It cost a lot of money to go a little faster in a bass boat. Our lakes here in the north don't really warrant the cost of the added speed. I always try to prop my boats for a quick hole shot, because I'm only going to run for a mile or two. Spend the money on fishing equipment that will help you catch fish, not go faster. Just some advise from someone who has been there and done that.

Go to bassboatcentral.com and you will find all the information you need to set up your boat to optimal performance.

A 6" setback should be fine for that boat. I would run a 23 or 24 pitch prop. the exact height will take a little time. Go to a lake with a couple wrenches, run the boat, adjust, run adjust etc., till you find the sweet spot. Start with the prop about 3.5" below the pad and adjust in small increments.

I don't know if there is any way to determine what the best set back is for a jack plate. When I bought mine, I found it on clearance so I just went with it. From what I understand, the larger the setback the "cleaner" the water the motor runs in meaning less turbulence and cavitation from the hull, which lets the prop push more water and less air. Also something to think about is the larger ones give you more leverage on the trim of the boat, which can get the bow up higher if needed to get over waves instead of spearing them. But it is also a double edged sword, all that leverage also causes more stress on the transom of the boat. Another thing to consider is if you already have the steering and control cables if you go with too much of a setback they either might not reach, or be at a bad angle.

Ive been doing a lot of research and I agree I think a jack plate will help my performance. What I can't find is how to choose the right set back 4" 6" 8" 10"12" im not sure what difference that makes on performance. I would think the farther back you put it the lower the back of the boat will sit in the water but I could be wrong.

Even a manual Jack Plate can make a big difference in performance, but only if you get it adjusted right. I had one on a Stratos 219F and even though it really wasn't a "bass boat", after a weekend of tweaking, it gave me a top speed over 55mph with a 135 Mercury, despite having a repair shop say it was a waste of time to install. The Stratos 295 I have now came with one, but so far I haven't had a chance to play with the height setting. If you are going to install one, one thing to look for is one that has the big adjustment bolt you turn in the middle to raise and lower the motor, it makes it much easier to adjust. The only thing is you must have a water pressure gauge so you can be sure your pressure is good. As far as a prop, the boat I had between Stratos's was a Javelin 396 w/ a Johnson GT200, I ran either a 22" or a 24" Raker on it but never noticed any difference in speed. I do know that finding OMC props on eBay cheap is alot harder than finding ones for Mercs.