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| Anybody use a hydralic jack plate? pros and cons please |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | I have a manual jack plate on my Triton bass boat. I wish I had a hydraulic plate. I think there is a bit of a misconception about hyd jack plates though. Jack plates get as much of your lower unit out of the water as you desire which typically improves performance on a bass boat and can help on some walleye rigs. Typically you setup a jackplate for optimum performance and forget it. I have seen people adjust them every time they get on plane. That really is not necessary and can lead to your motor sucking a lot of air if you are not paying attention to your water presure guage. They way I was taught to setup a jack plate was to start at a medium height note your water pressure and then start jacking it 1/4" or 1/2" each run. This is a real pain on a manual plate as it can take 7-10 runs to get it dailed in requiring you to go back to the dock or trailer each run. With a hyd plate you can make these adjustments in one long run without leaving your seat. If you change props on your boat from one season to another to get better whole shot in denser/less dense water (temp related) then having a hdy plate will be a great advantage. A word of caution if you are not already aware, make sure you have a water presure guage before you add a jack plate. If you jack it up too high and don't get minimum water presure per mfg specs you can overheat your motor. |
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| My buddy's got a Triton that he's looking to put a hydraulic jack plate on. I think he's running a 225 Evinrude on the back. Anyone know any reputable places to have the plate put on? Hes worried about a quality job being done as both him and I have had problems with our current marinas.
Thanks |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I disagree with Mr.Chine walker on some of his points. It's ok, he used to just fish puddles in IL and never ran his boat much anyway  I ran one for several years and I had a hand in designing some.
Manual jackplates are set for the best all around performance. The only advantages of them is that you gain the added setback. Most boat and motor manufacturers have enough adjustment options where you can find the right motor height for you.
The main advantage a hydrolic jackplate gives you is that you have unlimited engine height possibilities.
-When the water's rough, you can move it down to give you better bite.
-When you're flying, you can get your motor a little higher and squeeze a couple more mph's out of it.
-If you need to get into some shallow areas (or find yourself in one by mistake) you can trim it up and run'er real high for VERY short periods.
-When crusing you can find the sweet spot and gain a few mph's at the same rpm's getting you better mpg.
-When trimmed down you generally get a better holeshot
It is MANDITORY to have a water pressure guage. It can be very easy to run your motor too hot if you trip it up too high.
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hydraulic jack plate