first hydraulic jack plate use

[swampshark]

just bought a 2022 Skeeter ZXR21 with a hydraulic jack plate...never owned a boat with one before....I have absolutely no idea how to operate for maximum performance...do I drop the plate all the way down and trim the motor all the way in for the hole shot and start trimming the motor up once underway or start raising jack plate first and once underway and start trimming motor up? Once trimmed out and running...do I slowly raise jackplate for max speed until speed drops and back plate down slowly? Don't want to sling a prop blade....thanks

[Boostr]

Trim the jack plate all the way up, and motor down for the hole shot, and once you're on plane lower plate, and trim the motor up to the happy medium... Brian Latimer and some others have youtube clips on how they do it. And to be up front, I have not used a hydraulic jack plate, but did alot of research because I will be having one when I get my Vexus 1980.

[Boostr]

Also helps if you have the dual trim levers on the steering column.

[bassfisher444]

Trim the jack plate all the way up, and motor down for the hole shot, and once you're on plane lower plate, and trim the motor up to the happy medium... Brian Latimer and some others have youtube clips on how they do it. And to be up front, I have not used a hydraulic jack plate, but did alot of research because I will be having one when I get my Vexus 1980.

Prop will likely blow out if you are trying to get on plane with the jack plate all the way up.

[MichAngler]

A Jackplate is meant to give you three things

1 The ability to get on plane in shallow water
2 better boat control in rough water
3 ability to adjust on the fly to the water conditions and get the best out of your boat

Only time you need to trim the JP all the way up is for a holeshot is in very shallow water but trim it down as you start to come up on plane to avoid cavitation

In rough water you want to trim it all the way down to get a better bite / control

As for speed it takes time to find that sweat spot getting you the most speed without too many rpm’s just keep an eye on the speed and rpm’s and just play with it – each boat is different

Once you find that sweat spot consider that the top and the only time you need to go higher is for a shallow water holeshot

And the rougher the water the lower you need to set it

[1ranger487vs]

Watch water pressure when on plane

[jpt7779]

You are chasing your tail until you get PTP, prop to pad information. Start at 3” PTP and adjust in 1/4” increments to find your best performance. There are several threads on how to measure this properly, build a spreadsheet with your data: PTP height, gauge indication, tape indication, rpm, trim, water pressure, etc.

Every rig is different due to hull, motor, people, fuel, gear, etc. Example, my setup likes 2.75” PTP, which is 13 on gauge and 3.5 on tape.

Raising JP all the way up to idle through stump fields is great. To get on plane no way.

[mactlman]

find out where 3 inches below pad is on your gauge and start there. i made a cheat sheet up with gauge reading at 3-4-5 below for reference points

didn't see the post above mine until posted but what he said!!!! lol

can raise on take off and lower as boat starts moving to get a better hole shot sometimes also

[BMCD]

Never understood why people say all the way down for holeshot, u can actually get better holeshot with the motor set at the right height. I'm sure some boats differ.

Reality is when running in rough water u can lower it to help with bow control and keep the prop in the water. And when in shallow water raise it up for your holeshot.

Biggest benefit in IMO is idling in stumps, raise it up to get the prop up with out over trimming. better control and u will save your lower unit from hitting stumps with your prop. The other benefit is adjust on the fly for optimum performance. But when compared to properly adjusted manual plate, I would not expect to see much diff in performance. In fact a properly rigged boat with a manual plate will likely be slightly faster.

[Boostr]

Only time you need to trim the JP all the way up is for a holeshot is in very shallow water but trim it down as you start to come up on plane to avoid cavitation

This was probably what I'm thinking about, don't listen to me lol.

[jpt7779]

IMG_2921.jpegIMG_1233.jpeg
This is an example of what we did for my friends Ranger after he installed a 6” Atlas JP. He was chasing his tail as the OP but, no longer and running better than ever with just a bit of knowledge.

[John B.]

Find where your boat performs best on the JP gauge and run it there 99% of the time. No need for all that messing with stuff unless have to take off shallow or need to run the motor deeper in rough water. Don’t over think it.

[Highcentered]

I raise mine up all the way when going on and off the trailer. Gives me better control with motor trimmed down vs having to trim it up to keep the prop safe. People with wide and flat transoms know that I'm talking about when trying to reverse. About pulled my hair out back when I went from the angled transom of a Charger to a BassCat without that angle.

[jjue1979]

Find where your boat performs best on the JP gauge and run it there 99% of the time. No need for all that messing with stuff unless have to take off shallow or need to run the motor deeper in rough water. Don’t over think it.

That’s my thought as well, and I don’t even have a jackplate. There’s already enough stuff going on the water, and sometimes simpler is better. Unless you are racing for time slips, the above recommendation should be good enough most of the time.

[davidsa]

That’s my thought as well, and I don’t even have a jackplate. There’s already enough stuff going on the water, and sometimes simpler is better. Unless you are racing for time slips, the above recommendation should be good enough most of the time.

agreed!

I have one for shallow water but never gave any consideration to doing extreme stuff like all the way down or up. The way I use mine.

1- cruising shallow water
2- helps get up on plane in shallow water
3- raise to help load the boat
4- raise in garage so I can put motor all the way down

I have played with it vs my optimal prop to pad measure and the difference is slim. Making the jackplate an active part of daily time on the water like motor trim just seems to way over complicate the situation

[toddgot5fish]

I’ve owned three different hydraulic plates, worst mistake I made was not buying the gauge. I’d always looked back to see my adjustments. I have one now and can put the plate exactly where I need it without looking back. Just my .02 worth

[rudapa]

A Jackplate is meant to give you three things

1 The ability to get on plane in shallow water
2 better boat control in rough water
3 ability to adjust on the fly to the water conditions and get the best out of your boat

Only time you need to trim the JP all the way up is for a holeshot is in very shallow water but trim it down as you start to come up on plane to avoid cavitation

In rough water you want to trim it all the way down to get a better bite / control

As for speed it takes time to find that sweat spot getting you the most speed without too many rpm’s just keep an eye on the speed and rpm’s and just play with it – each boat is different

Once you find that sweat spot consider that the top and the only time you need to go higher is for a shallow water holeshot

And the rougher the water the lower you need to set it

^^