294 XLE Prop Recommendations

[brod10]

Hi all,

I am the proud new owner of a 2011 Stratos 294xle, powered by a 2010 200 ProXS (blue injectors, IZFR5G spark plugs, 5750 rev limiter I believe) and a 25P Tempest Plus that's attached to a 6 inch slide master.
Love everything about the boat, expect she does get squirrely around 68-69 MPH with the chine walk, I have done plenty of research and understand you cannot completely eliminate it and eliminating it comes with seat time. I have already begun practicing the counter steering and am having some success.
I measured P2P originally and it was about 2-5/8 inch below, running 68-69 at around 5300-5400 RPMs with 23-25PSI water pressure before the chine gets the best of me and I trim down. After cranking it up 1/4 at a time we are around 2-1/8 and are running the same 69-71MPH with 20+ PSI water pressure at 5500-5600 RPM and the chine walk seems to be slightly better and more manageable.

I am looking to get into a new prop, and from this famous thread a 26 Turbo TXP with 8 inches of setback seemed to allow "One handed driving at WOT". I've been eyeing the 2inch spacers from bobs machine shop given this info.
I also talked to Mark Croxton on what he would recommend to minimize chine walk, and he suggested a 24P-25P Trophy Plus saying the 4 blade does add stability on the top end, but I run the chance of losing some speed.

What are you guys thoughts? I'd like to have a 70+ MPH boat that most people can get behind and feel comfortable, while reserving a good hole shot and midrange if possible with top end stability being a huge plus to me.
I am about 950 feet above sea level and our summers do stay around 80 degrees when I do most of my fishing.

Thanks in advance!

[mactlman]

i had a 20ss with a 200 ficht and 69 with a renegade that was worked, was basically a 1 handed drive with the slighest bit of chine walk. I went to a bravo1 fs after adding talons and 65-66 was smooth as glass, one hand driving. i would go to an 8" with a bravo1 or razor from mark in a 24p. hyd plate if going to a new plate, spacers if not-- is the weight mostly towards the rear? what batteries? a trophy will self destruct if ran too high also

[brod10]

Most of the weight is towards the rear. Two X2 90AH AGMs, Cranking Battery, charger, oil tank, etc all toward the rear. Light tackle and 8 rods with the trolling motor up front.

P.S if anyone is parting ways with a 8 inch hydro jack plate I may be interested

[mactlman]

Most of the weight is towards the rear. Two X2 90AH AGMs, Cranking Battery, charger, oil tank, etc all toward the rear. Light tackle and 8 rods with the trolling motor up front.

P.S if anyone is parting ways with a 8 inch hydro jack plate I may be interested

If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the homepage, there’s a for sale area and Jack plates is one of the sections plus are some some people on here probably selling new ones also for good deals

[PatriotAW4]

Keep the 25 Tempest, its a good prop for that boat and you are in the correct RPM range. You definitely don't want a high pitch prop than that. If you want to try a 4 blade go with a 25" pitch Bravo XS.

[brod10]

Thanks for the advice, I was figuring moving up to a 26 as I've heard a lot of guys hitting rev limiter with a 25P.
I guess I should add that I am not at full trim and have no rooster tail at 69-70 before she starts to walk and I trim down, there is still some room to go for the RPMs to increase.
If a 25 is the better choice for higher ambient and 1000ft above sea level then I'm all for it.

[Javelin389]

Learn to drive it before you start making any changes, especially since it's new to you. Changing props to gain more RPM's won't do anything until you learn how to control the chine. Seat time is king here.

[brod10]

Learn to drive it before you start making any changes, especially since it's new to you. Changing props to gain more RPM's won't do anything until you learn how to control the chine. Seat time is king here.

Totally agree the best bet is to learn to drive it, and I am.
I guess my purpose here was the find the best top end handling prop to begin with, to minimize the walk.

[mactlman]

Totally agree the best bet is to learn to drive it, and I am.
I guess my purpose here was the find the best top end handling prop to begin with, to minimize the walk.

fast hulls walk, no way around it but to learn to control it. my partners 201 pro walks in the low 70's but he is good with controlling it and it nevers seems to be an issue - boat flies up to 76-78 easily

[tdt91]

I have a similar hull and with my experience and discussions with other in these hulls, they like 4 blades the most for all around performance. I spin a 26 Trophy on my Renegade with a 200HO.
I used to struggle in the early years with the Chine but it was propped wrong for a long time. I found the larger dia wheels helped a bunch and as always these hulls like azz weight.
It does take seat time so once you get it figured out with that prop (which is sized well for the rig), if you have RPM's left over, try a 26P Trophy in perfect unchanged condition.

[brod10]

I have a similar hull and with my experience and discussions with other in these hulls, they like 4 blades the most for all around performance. I spin a 26 Trophy on my Renegade with a 200HO.
I used to struggle in the early years with the Chine but it was propped wrong for a long time. I found the larger dia wheels helped a bunch and as always these hulls like azz weight.
It does take seat time so once you get it figured out with that prop (which is sized well for the rig), if you have RPM's left over, try a 26P Trophy in perfect unchanged condition.

Appreciate the insight!
I think it would be best to keep a 3 and 4 blade in the arsenal for specific circumstances, but I've read some forum posts of guys getting good top end speeds with a 4 blade on this hull, so I am definitely leaning towards a Trophy.

[Jumping Jimmy]

I have a 195 Pro XL with a 200 Pro XS. I run a Tempest and a 24 Fury 3 blade. The nice thing about the Fury is less trim is needed for top speed which I feel makes the boat more stable and easier to drive.
The hole shot is great also.

[WCBasser]

I run a 25" Tempest Plus on a 295 ProXL at 68-70 depending on temp. The biggest improvement to chine on my boat was adding a 4th battery (thus weight) in the back. Surprisingly I didn't lose any speed; just gained stability. Hole shot is a bit slower but not bad at all. So, maybe experiment with weight distribution while you're getting some seat time.

[brod10]

I run a 25" Tempest Plus on a 295 ProXL at 68-70 depending on temp. The biggest improvement to chine on my boat was adding a 4th battery (thus weight) in the back. Surprisingly I didn't lose any speed; just gained stability. Hole shot is a bit slower but not bad at all. So, maybe experiment with weight distribution while you're getting some seat time.

It does seem that weight distribution makes a big difference with these hulls. I think I will play around with it and also try filling the live wells and see if it makes a difference while getting some seat time.

Thanks for the response!

[Charlie76]

I have been running a 2008 294 with 200 Mercury opti with twin power poles since 2009. was running stock Tempest 25. At this point got lots of chine at 68 and would hit rev limiter at 70mph. I then added an Atlas jack plate with 8 inch set back. Over all performance and handling was noticeably better. As the boat starts to chine move the jack plate up it would settle in but still hit rev limiter at 71mph Sent prop to Mark with my numbers to be Balanced and blue printed. I recommend this service from Mark. Now I am running 74.5 mph and just at the limiter. Hole shot was good. So i went all lithium batteries to shed the weight plus the performance of lithium. Top end don't change but hole shot went to awesome. Bottom line is seat time and a higher Prop to pad setting will make the chine more manageable. Your mileage may very. Love my 294

[brod10]

I have been running a 2008 294 with 200 Mercury opti with twin power poles since 2009. was running stock Tempest 25. At this point got lots of chine at 68 and would hit rev limiter at 70mph. I then added an Atlas jack plate with 8 inch set back. Over all performance and handling was noticeably better. As the boat starts to chine move the jack plate up it would settle in but still hit rev limiter at 71mph Sent prop to Mark with my numbers to be Balanced and blue printed. I recommend this service from Mark. Now I am running 74.5 mph and just at the limiter. Hole shot was good. So i went all lithium batteries to shed the weight plus the performance of lithium. Top end don't change but hole shot went to awesome. Bottom line is seat time and a higher Prop to pad setting will make the chine more manageable. Your mileage may very. Love my 294

Appreciate the response!
The other forums posts I have been reading seem to make it seem that weigh distribution makes a good difference, but more so 8 inches of setback seem to change the handling completely for the better. A few guys claim that going from a 6" setback to 8" inches made top end handling smooth as butter with almost no chine at all. No matter what I will definitely be having Mark work my props.

So far aside from just getting more seat time, I am heavily leaning towards a 26P TXP or just working my 25P Tempest, and a 25P Fury 4. Fury 4 would be used during the summer for me as I fish smaller lakes so getting up and going quickly is important, with keeping a spare as a top end prop or in case of emergency's. I have read a lot of good things about the Fury 4 being the best all arounder on this hull from this thread and this thread.