Who uses a Jackplate on their boat? - Would you add one to your next boat?

[tcbass]

So, wondering how many folks use jackplates vs. those that do not.

Also:  What boat do you have?

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it?

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?

 

 

4.)  What brand and model?

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?

[Jig Man]

25 minutes ago, tcbass said:

So, wondering how many folks use jackplates vs. those that do not.

Also:  What boat do you have?

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it?

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?

 

 

4.)  What brand and model?

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?

Nitro Z 20 with 250 Verado

 

1. yes

 

2. dealer I think

 

3. manual

 

4. Slidemaster

 

5. yes

[tcbass]

2 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Nitro Z 20 with 250 Verado

 

1. yes

 

2. dealer I think

 

3. manual

 

4. Slidemaster

 

5. yes

 

Would you go to a hydraulic next time or same brand and model?

[Jig Man]

Probably neither.  I’d get what ever is on the boat that I would buy.

[TOXIC]

2 hours ago, tcbass said:

So, wondering how many folks use jackplates vs. those that do not.

Also:  What boat do you have?

 

2005 Ranger Z21, 250 Yamaha 250 HPDI

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat? Yes

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it? Dealer installed.

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual? Hydraulic 

 

 

4.)  What brand and model? Bob’s 6 inch

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?
 

Totally depends on the boat and where I fish but generally yes I would want another and it would be hydraulic.

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?

Answered above.  As for question #6.  I would stay with Bob’s because I have had excellent customer service from them and I feel their plates are a little more responsive, as in speed of adjustment.  I use the hydraulic because I fish shallow water and it helps get on plane without dragging.  I also fish a chain of lakes where there are 26 lakes connected by canals that are shallow and it is much easier to raise my motor than to tilt it.  It keeps the nose from swaying and the rear from dipping.  I also like to tweak the plate to get a few more mph out of my tank.  A manual plate is for those who need/want some additional setback and the performance gains that come with that.  Manual plates are a set it and forget it kind of thing whereas I am adjusting mine for a lot of different reasons.  One thing I would suggest to anyone who gets a hydraulic plate, also get the gauge installed.  

[tcbass]

7 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Answered above.  As for question #6.  I would stay with Bob’s because I have had excellent customer service from them and I feel their plates are a little more responsive, as in speed of adjustment.  I use the hydraulic because I fish shallow water and it helps get on plane without dragging.  I also fish a chain of lakes where there are 26 lakes connected by canals that are shallow and it is much easier to raise my motor than to tilt it.  It keeps the nose from swaying and the rear from dipping.  I also like to tweak the plate to get a few more mph out of my tank.  A manual plate is for those who need/want some additional setback and the performance gains that come with that.  Manual plates are a set it and forget it kind of thing whereas I am adjusting mine for a lot of different reasons.  One thing I would suggest to anyone who gets a hydraulic plate, also get the gauge installed.  

 

Is the gauge at the plate or does it go on the boat dash?

[TOXIC]

4 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

Is the gauge at the plate or does it go on the boat dash?

It goes on the dash and reads the plate height.  I do not have one and it is a pain turning around to see where it is set.  When running and I am adjusting for speed, I can watch my water pressure gauge to tell me when I have reached maximum safe height.  I also forgot to mention that a hydraulic comes in handy when you are running in rough water and need to lower your motor to keep from blowing out and get safer performance in the nasty stuff.  

[J Francho]

6 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

Is the gauge at the plate or does it go on the boat dash?

It's on the dash, like the trim gauge.

 

2 hours ago, tcbass said:

So, wondering how many folks use jackplates vs. those that do not.

Also:  What boat do you have?

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it?

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?

 

 

4.)  What brand and model?

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?

1.  Two boats had jack plates - 18' Xpress 6" setback and a 22' Bullet 12" setback

2.  I have no idea, doesn't really matter

3.  Both were manual, which was fine.  They boats that were set up for optimum performance for me, and left there.

4.  Bob's

5.  Yes.

2.  I would be looking at a hydraulic because I will need to be able to raise and lower while running with the style of boat I'm looking at.  I'd likely stick with Bob's because they work.

3 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I also forgot to mention that a hydraulic comes in handy when you are running in rough water and need to lower your motor to keep from blowing out and get safer performance in the nasty stuff.

This! Since my next boat will be a bay boat, and will go offshore in the Great Lakes, and see some lumpy water.

[tcbass]

5 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

It goes on the dash and reads the plate height.  I do not have one and it is a pain turning around to see where it is set.  When running and I am adjusting for speed, I can watch my water pressure gauge to tell me when I have reached maximum safe height.  I also forgot to mention that a hydraulic comes in handy when you are running in rough water and need to lower your motor to keep from blowing out and get safer performance in the nasty stuff.  

 

So, do they cut a hole in your dash to install it?

[TOXIC]

16 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

So, do they cut a hole in your dash to install it?

Yes. 

[Captain Phil]

I may be an outlier on this issue, but I would not buy another jackplate.  I have been buying boats since the sixties. I've had every bass boat from a Terry Bass to a Gambler.  I even had a custom Storm boat commissioned once that was on the cover of a national magazine. A few of my boats had a jackplate.

 

Every boat has a motor height where the boat performs best.  From my experience, there is little to be gained from moving the motor up and down while under way.  I once thought having a jackplate would be helpful in shallow water.  All it did was make the boat harder to plane.  I once thought having a jackplate would make the boat go faster.  It didn't help that much.  When it breaks and it will, you are in for another big repair bill. 

 

If you are in the racing business, you may want a jackplate.  For fishing, it adds another complication that you don't need.  You may have to experiment with the motor height to find the right height for your boat the way you want it to perform.  Once you do, leave it there and go fishing.  

[Siebert Outdoors]

Stratos 20SS  225hp

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?  Yes

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it? Marine repair shop

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?  Hydrolic

 

 

4.)  What brand and model? Atlas 8"

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat? Yes

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?  I like the Atlas.  No issues.  I would only use hydraulic.

[J Francho]

In the case of the Bullet, there is NO PLACE to hang an outboard without a setback.  It's not a luxury, but a requirement.

[Logan S]

Skeeter ZX250 / Yamaho SHO 250

Atlas Hydraulic 12" - Dealer installed

Any future boat I'd get will have one too, though I plan to keep my current rig for a while .

 

My home waters have the 2 biggest reasons to have a hydraulic plate - lots of very shallow water and lots of rough water.  Being able to lift or drop the motor on the fly makes life much easier....Particularly dropping the motor in rough water, acts like a completely different boat and takes waves very well.  

[GaryH]

7 hours ago, tcbass said:

So, wondering how many folks use jackplates vs. those that do not.

Also:  What boat do you have?    Skeeter ZX250

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?         Yes

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it?         Dealer

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?       Manual

 

 

4.)  What brand and model?    Atlas  12"

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?     Yes

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?       Nope

 

[RoLo]

 

I had a jackplate on a 24-ft kevlar Hydrasport with a 200 Hp Yamaha.

No, I wouldn't opt for another jackplate (the reward didn't justify the outlay).

 

Roger

 

[Ski213]

What boat do you have?

Stratos 201PE

 

1.)  Do you use a jackplate on your boat?

       Yes

 

2.)  If so, did the manufacturer, dealer, or other install it?

      Previous owner

 

3.)  Is it hydraulic or manual?

      Hydraulic

 

 

4.)  What brand and model?

       CMC 5.5” setback

 

5.)  Would you use a jackplate on your next boat?

       Probably

 

 

6.)  If you plan on putting a jackplate on your next boat would you change the brand or style such as from Bob's to Atlas and manual to hydraulic and why?

 

       It would depend on several things. I’d stick with hydraulic if I thought I was going to use it to run shallow water often. I would consider switching brands but the CMC has been ok. Just a little slow. I think the newer CMC actuators are supposed to be much faster. If I wanted it strictly for boat performance and just needed to tweak prop to pad dimension occasionally  I would go manual. I think a lot of it is just personal preference and situation.  It’s gonna depend on how you’re going to use it. If it’s gonna be beneficial to you to adjust on the fly then hydraulic.