And which Prop will it Be?

[janalon]

I have a 700 LX nitro with a 90 horse power Mercury and I would like to replace my 23 pitch aluminum

prop with another. I called Bass Pro and got the #38-524-310-58 for a stainless steel 23 pitch prop, I also got the number 38-524-310-57 for the aluminum. What are the pro's and cons for both?

Is stainless steel the way to go if cost is not an issue.

And for what reason would I want to change the orginal pitch for? It shipped with a 23 P, so should I not put the same back on there?

[Ben]

Stainless is the only way to go. A little better top speed and better hole will be noticed. I think I would go with a better prop than Cabela's or BPS. I would go with one the merc props, probably a four blade for your setup. They will probably give you much better performance than those off brand things.

The only time I would run an aluminum prop is if I had to run places with lots of rocks or other stuff I was constantly banging. The aluminum is much easier on the LU and the pocket book when you tear them up.

As for the pitch, what rpm are your turning now and what is the factory recommended max rpm.  You want a prop that will let the motor turn near the max rpm with your normal load.  If you normally fish with two people, that's with both in the boat, livewell full, plenty of gas and your gear.  Firgure about 300 - 400 rpm per prop size for adjusting from what your prop is now.  A good parts guy at the dealership can assist you greatly on what prop.