Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › which prop on 23 bobcat
First make sure you don’t load the boat front heavy. Cats are sensitive to this. Make sure your pad to prob is correct. Starting point would be about 3.5 inches. As far a loading, you don’t need every tackle box you one or 37 rods in the boat. Heavy items in the back lighter up front. Prop maybe ok if you assure the boat is set up right. I would take everything out and get the boat running then add my stuff back in. Mess with the motor height. As far as the chine walk. Learn to drive the boat. Rick Pierce has a very good video on the site about how to drive the boat walking. Its basically small inputs to the wheel, mostly going with small inputs to the wheel.
Just start at 3.5 inches pad to prop and work up and down from there. Trim should be a little bit at a time. Just bump the trim up with guick taps and wait on the boat to pile up air. Its get on plane, tap tap, wait, tap tap wait etc. Wait a decent period between tap taps. you will feel the boat pack air and get up on the pad. Bass cats do not just jump out of the water and go right to the pad like most boats. They like to be tickled up to the pad and when the get there, you will know it and will be able to obtain maximum speed.
You have a ton of weight at the bow. Engine is set too high on the plate if it’s digging the nose. Shoot for it to run/feel level at WOT without any trim up. I’d drop it to 4” PTP which usually means 1/2” below “flush” on jackplate (“Flush” is usually ~ 3.5 PTP.) Tinker up or down from 4” below pad unless you want to run a 15 1/4” diameter prop. Imo, flush on the plate on these shorter boats is the high end of the spectrum even if running light at the bow.
A guy named “Blue Blazer” has a Bobcat with 150 on here. 25 Tempest hits 65-66 solo and 64 with 2 people he said.
i might have used a term (plow through the water) which is not a true picture of what it is doing. Its more like it won’t release from the drag without trimming it way high.
Today i took approx. 40 pounds of tackle bags, clothing (diddy ) bag, fire extinguisher, the front seat etc. and moved it all to the cockpit area and the rear hatch.Basically the front hatches were empty(except net, livescope blk box and network box) .
I got up on plane and started bumping the trim up as i increased throttle. I felt it release a little looked back and saw a rooster tail above the cowling(not a heavy tail,but still noticeable) rpm’s were around 4800-4900 and speed was 41/42 mph . I guess i should have gone wot but i didn’t. Not knowing the boat yet and after my last chine walk experience i’m (lets just use the term Leary). So came home and measured the prop to pad and found it to be 3 1/4 “. I’m thinking my next move might be to move the ptp to 3 3/4” grow a pair and see if i can get the rpm’s to 5960 without the rooster tail above the cowling.
Would that be a reasonable plan or does something else sound better. Thanks for the input.
I have a 23 Bob as well , mine came with a 23 pitch 3 blade fury . I’m seeing 60 @6000 with just me. I moved all my heavier tackle to the rear compartment. Boat runs great but if you trim 1/4 or more it chine walks so it sweet spot or just below the 1/4 mark. Now with 2 people and my buddies tackle boat plows the water seems like and too speed is 43. I’m trying a 21 pitch tempest plus soon to see what happens .
At the Excellence In Action 2024 meeting, they ran a 22” FUR by PowerTech and it was Impressive. Achieved mid 60’s empty and ran very well.
As the ptp was 3 1/4″ and heeding the advise to move it slowly i moved it down 1/4″ making it(ptp) 3 1/2″. I thought that is where i would start to work this out.
Went to the lake this morning with wot in mind. So it got up on plane just fine, and as i increased throttle i began bumping the trim up . I felt the hull release and watched the rpm and speed increase. At wot and 6000 rpm i could get about 58 mph before the chine walk started. The more i played around with it and begin learning to adjust for the chime walk , I eventually got to 6000rpm and 60.3 mph before the chine walk became to much for me at this time. As i learn the boat i should be able to get it right. Also there was no rooster tail when i looked back.
So as minor the ptp move was, it certainly helped. At 5200-5500 rpm and trimmed to where the drag released and no chine walk, i could do 52+.
I think my next move would be to add some of the weight back and see what that does. Please let me know if there is something i should be doing different that well help.
Its interesting that bcb mentioned a 22″ fur prop. As a 22p is what my dealer had mentioned. When keymaster said 22″ was he referring to a 22p or a 22 inch? or is that the same thing?
bobcatmowdy:
I have a 23 Bob as well , mine came with a 23 pitch 3 blade fury . I’m seeing 60 @6000 with just me. I moved all my heavier tackle to the rear compartment. Boat runs great but if you trim 1/4 or more it chine walks so it sweet spot or just below the 1/4 mark. Now with 2 people and my buddies tackle boat plows the water seems like and too speed is 43. I’m trying a 21 pitch tempest plus soon to see what happens .
23 pitch Fury is like 23.7” and 60mph at 6000rpm is around 7% slip according to Mercury’s prop slip calculator so it sounds like it’s running well and possibly on the limiter. A 21” will limit you to around 53mph at the same slip, but a Tempest will have more natural lift than a Fury being a larger diameter.
lfgray:
As the ptp was 3 1/4″ and heeding the advise to move it slowly i moved it down 1/4″ making it(ptp) 3 1/2″. I thought that is where i would start to work this out.
Went to the lake this morning with wot in mind. So it got up on plane just fine, and as i increased throttle i began bumping the trim up . I felt the hull release and watched the rpm and speed increase. At wot and 6000 rpm i could get about 58 mph before the chine walk started. The more i played around with it and begin learning to adjust for the chime walk , I eventually got to 6000rpm and 60.3 mph before the chine walk became to much for me at this time. As i learn the boat i should be able to get it right. Also there was no rooster tail when i looked back.
So as minor the ptp move was, it certainly helped. At 5200-5500 rpm and trimmed to where the drag released and no chine walk, i could do 52+.
I think my next move would be to add some of the weight back and see what that does. Please let me know if there is something i should be doing different that well help.
It’s interesting that bcb mentioned a 22″ fur prop. As a 22p is what my dealer had mentioned. When keymaster said 22″ was he referring to a 22p or a 22 inch? or is that the same thing?
Lowering engine height will give more bite to the prop as it’s running deeper and that results in more natural lift, so you can balance that out with the trim and weight to get it optimized. The pitch is the inches traveled in one rotation, hope that helps.
So with all the information that is provided and knowing nothing about what prop is best for my situation, i have been thinking about a 22p tempest or the like. What am i going to gain by getting a 22p( say tempest )vs. the 24p 4 blade trophy i am currently using . I guess i am thinking about a 22p because people are saying it is working out for them, plus the dealer and bcb has tried it out with success. What am i to gain, more speed with less rpm ? less chine walk? (I’ll go for that). Not having to wot to get more? better hole shot? please note that i don’t carry a bunch of tackle,rods and reels , extra stuff that is not essential. Also i don’t tournament fish and 98% of the time i fish alone and the live wells are empty most times. Thanks for the help
lfgray:
So with all the information that is provided and knowing nothing about what prop is best for my situation, i have been thinking about a 22p tempest or the like. What am i going to gain by getting a 22p( say tempest )vs. the 24p 4 blade trophy i am currently using . I guess i am thinking about a 22p because people are saying it is working out for them, plus the dealer and bcb has tried it out with success. What am i to gain, more speed with less rpm ? less chine walk? (I’ll go for that). Not having to wot to get more? better hole shot? please note that i don’t carry a bunch of tackle,rods and reels , extra stuff that is not essential. Also i don’t tournament fish and 98% of the time i fish alone and the live wells are empty most times. Thanks for the help
Every set up is slightly different, fyi I run a Sabre FTD DC with standard 150hp 4-stroke Merc that has taller gearing and a lower rpm limit with a Motorguide up front. That being said I’ve run a 24” Tempest that originally came with the boat to 65mph, 24” Fury to 65.9, 24” Trophy to 65, 25” Tempest to 66 and 25” Fury to 66.6. I’ve ran 1/4” below flush to 1/2” above on the jackplate, don’t have low water pickups like the Pro XS so have to watch water psi more closely. You can vary the PVS plugs in all the props to fine tune holeshot and I run an exhaust ring on the Trophy. It has the most lift, but is the slowest. The Fury has the least lift, but is the fastest. The Tempest has good lift and speed, so would choose it as the best all around. Though going down 2 pitches I don’t think is a good idea if the 24” Trophy is running at max rpms when solo in good air. I look for a prop that just kisses the limiter in those conditions, that way it is still in the powerband when you have a partner and it’s warmer out otherwise you’ll want to step down a pitch for Summer when loaded with your back up prop.
We would suggest borrowing a 22” Fury and trying that. The Tempest is not our preferred propeller and there is a significant difference in how various styles work. If the 22” Fury works well, then we would buy a 22” FUR from PowerTech, as its features are a little more beneficial for the way your hull works, or so we have found.
Wheelman:
lfgray:
So with all the information that is provided and knowing nothing about what prop is best for my situation, i have been thinking about a 22p tempest or the like. What am i going to gain by getting a 22p( say tempest )vs. the 24p 4 blade trophy i am currently using . I guess i am thinking about a 22p because people are saying it is working out for them, plus the dealer and bcb has tried it out with success. What am i to gain, more speed with less rpm ? less chine walk? (I’ll go for that). Not having to wot to get more? better hole shot? please note that i don’t carry a bunch of tackle,rods and reels , extra stuff that is not essential. Also i don’t tournament fish and 98% of the time i fish alone and the live wells are empty most times. Thanks for the help
Every set up is slightly different, fyi I run a Sabre FTD DC with standard 150hp 4-stroke Merc that has taller gearing and a lower rpm limit with a Motorguide up front. That being said I’ve run a 24” Tempest that originally came with the boat to 65mph, 24” Fury to 65.9, 24” Trophy to 65, 25” Tempest to 66 and 25” Fury to 66.6. I’ve ran 1/4” below flush to 1/2” above on the jackplate, don’t have low water pickups like the Pro XS so have to watch water psi more closely. You can vary the PVS plugs in all the props to fine tune holeshot and I run an exhaust ring on the Trophy. It has the most lift, but is the slowest. The Fury has the least lift, but is the fastest. The Tempest has good lift and speed, so would choose it as the best all around. Though going down 2 pitches I don’t think is a good idea if the 24” Trophy is running at max rpms when solo in good air. I look for a prop that just kisses the limiter in those conditions, that way it is still in the powerband when you have a partner and it’s warmer out otherwise you’ll want to step down a pitch for Summer when loaded with your back up prop.
This is good information and helping me and others learn Thanks
Bass Cat Boats:
We would suggest borrowing a 22” Fury and trying that. The Tempest is not our preferred propeller and there is a significant difference in how various styles work. If the 22” Fury works well, then we would buy a 22” FUR from PowerTech, as its features are a little more beneficial for the way your hull works, or so we have found.
This also is good information. I’m going to see who is running a 22″ fury to borrow, but that might be a narrow road. Might have to purchase and hope for the best. Thanks for your input
On 8/29 about 2pm pacific time i contacted powertech the 22″ fur prop ser# fur3r22pms275 is a three blade is this the prop we are talking about?
lfgray:
Wheelman:
lfgray:
So with all the information that is provided and knowing nothing about what prop is best for my situation, i have been thinking about a 22p tempest or the like. What am i going to gain by getting a 22p( say tempest )vs. the 24p 4 blade trophy i am currently using . I guess i am thinking about a 22p because people are saying it is working out for them, plus the dealer and bcb has tried it out with success. What am i to gain, more speed with less rpm ? less chine walk? (I’ll go for that). Not having to wot to get more? better hole shot? please note that i don’t carry a bunch of tackle,rods and reels , extra stuff that is not essential. Also i don’t tournament fish and 98% of the time i fish alone and the live wells are empty most times. Thanks for the help
Every set up is slightly different, fyi I run a Sabre FTD DC with standard 150hp 4-stroke Merc that has taller gearing and a lower rpm limit with a Motorguide up front. That being said I’ve run a 24” Tempest that originally came with the boat to 65mph, 24” Fury to 65.9, 24” Trophy to 65, 25” Tempest to 66 and 25” Fury to 66.6. I’ve ran 1/4” below flush to 1/2” above on the jackplate, don’t have low water pickups like the Pro XS so have to watch water psi more closely. You can vary the PVS plugs in all the props to fine tune holeshot and I run an exhaust ring on the Trophy. It has the most lift, but is the slowest. The Fury has the least lift, but is the fastest. The Tempest has good lift and speed, so would choose it as the best all around. Though going down 2 pitches I don’t think is a good idea if the 24” Trophy is running at max rpms when solo in good air. I look for a prop that just kisses the limiter in those conditions, that way it is still in the powerband when you have a partner and it’s warmer out otherwise you’ll want to step down a pitch for Summer when loaded with your back up prop.
This is good information and helping me and others learn Thanks
You’re welcome, one other thing I’ll mention as it’s different than most other outboards on a boat that’ll do this kind of speed which most don’t realize as they haven’t driven one is the 150 4-stroke Merc uses a single ram, so it trims very fast all the way through it’s range unlike traditional dual ram systems which have a trim and tilt range. This means you have to be very conscious of over trimming too quickly. Since you have low water pickups you probably aren’t having to watch water psi like I am, but when you get it to the point of getting on final pad you’re just flicking the switch as it changes so fast. Always trim down first before coming off the throttle if it’s chine walking and starts to get out of your control as otherwise it can hook on you, but one of the benefits of the fast trim is you can set the boat down very quickly if needed. The trim really is the throttle from 45-65mph in these smaller boats that need the aerodynamic help to air them out.
Wheelman:
lfgray:
Wheelman:
lfgray:
So with all the information that is provided and knowing nothing about what prop is best for my situation, i have been thinking about a 22p tempest or the like. What am i going to gain by getting a 22p( say tempest )vs. the 24p 4 blade trophy i am currently using . I guess i am thinking about a 22p because people are saying it is working out for them, plus the dealer and bcb has tried it out with success. What am i to gain, more speed with less rpm ? less chine walk? (I’ll go for that). Not having to wot to get more? better hole shot? please note that i don’t carry a bunch of tackle,rods and reels , extra stuff that is not essential. Also i don’t tournament fish and 98% of the time i fish alone and the live wells are empty most times. Thanks for the help
Every set up is slightly different, fyi I run a Sabre FTD DC with standard 150hp 4-stroke Merc that has taller gearing and a lower rpm limit with a Motorguide up front. That being said I’ve run a 24” Tempest that originally came with the boat to 65mph, 24” Fury to 65.9, 24” Trophy to 65, 25” Tempest to 66 and 25” Fury to 66.6. I’ve ran 1/4” below flush to 1/2” above on the jackplate, don’t have low water pickups like the Pro XS so have to watch water psi more closely. You can vary the PVS plugs in all the props to fine tune holeshot and I run an exhaust ring on the Trophy. It has the most lift, but is the slowest. The Fury has the least lift, but is the fastest. The Tempest has good lift and speed, so would choose it as the best all around. Though going down 2 pitches I don’t think is a good idea if the 24” Trophy is running at max rpms when solo in good air. I look for a prop that just kisses the limiter in those conditions, that way it is still in the powerband when you have a partner and it’s warmer out otherwise you’ll want to step down a pitch for Summer when loaded with your back up prop.
This is good information and helping me and others learn Thanks
You’re welcome, one other thing I’ll mention as it’s different than most other outboards on a boat that’ll do this kind of speed which most don’t realize as they haven’t driven one is the 150 4-stroke Merc uses a single ram, so it trims very fast all the way through it’s range unlike traditional dual ram systems which have a trim and tilt range. This means you have to be very conscious of over trimming too quickly. Since you have low water pickups you probably aren’t having to watch water psi like I am, but when you get it to the point of getting on final pad you’re just flicking the switch as it changes so fast. Always trim down first before coming off the throttle if it’s chine walking and starts to get out of your control as otherwise it can hook on you, but one of the benefits of the fast trim is you can set the boat down very quickly if needed. The trim really is the throttle from 45-65mph in these smaller boats that need the aerodynamic help to air them out.
wheelman your information is invaluable to someone like me. Your experience obviously has taken time to acquire. After reading the answers provided by everyone i ask myself what am i looking for. with my current prop and ptp of 31/2″ the boat will get up from the hole quick enough, the boat no longer has a large rooster tail since i lowered the motor a 1/4″ and i can get the boat on pad and find the 6000 rpm. My problem is that to get there i have to get the trim where the chine walk is unmanageable. I am not able to bump the steering wheel to keep the boat steady i have to bump the trim down to get the boat to settle down thereby i lose my speed of 59/60 mph. I am not looking for a fast boat, but i do want to know that if i want to go 60+ i can do it. I am happy with going 50mph but as of now it takes 5100/5200 rpm to achieve that. Maybe thats normal i dont have the expertise to know. After reading all the information from you and bcb i am thinking my plan is to continue to play with the ptp, bumping the trim and see if i can learn. I have heard that lowering the ptp causes mph loss so not sure if i want to go down anymore.
One last thing, I don’t know what part of the country your in,But if i were your neighbor you would probably want to move Ha
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