Jackplate setup

[Bassmaster146]

I recently bought a 1991 Javelin 389T with a Johnson GT150 with a 24p renegade. I bought a 6" SuperJack jackplate to install on it as it did not have one when I bought it. The question I have is where should I start as far as prop to pad setup. Never put one on so n e advice as far as setup would b appreciated. Thank u

[Bud Kennedy]

Just as a rule of thumb, a good place to start is with a prop to pad measurement 3-1/2" below pad.  From that point you can tweet it as needed and often in increments of 1/4" at a time.  Each boat is a bit different and load factors vary and should be kept constant while you are testing your adjustments.  Once your initial set up is made then let us know what your gps speed is and what RPMs are you running.

My boat is a ranger and is also a 1991 with a 150 Faststrike.  I recently adjusted to the 3-1/2" and am gonna stay at that measurement for a while.  Performance is solid and hole shot is good.  Turns are good and I am not getting any prop blow out.

[jonboy]

General rule of thumb is to keep moving your motor up until speed drops off or water pressure starts to fall. then drop it back down 1/4 inch. But that doesent apply to all boats. I had an 18 ft Blazer that I found to be just the opposite. The further I dropped it, the more the boat would come out of the water, speed would rise as well as improved gas mileage because the boat wasn't plowing as bad.
The best recommendation I can give is to play with it until it performs the way you like it and take close notice to what the boat does with the changes you make. Move it in 1/2 inch increments until you get close then 1/4 increments. Watch water pressure closely for any changes.
Last but not least, set it up the way you run most of the time. A boat loaded with 2 heavy guys, full tanks, full live wells and a bunch of rods and tackle, will have a waaay different set up than one guy, a little tackle and empty wells.
I had mine set up where it was a handful when I was by myself and a dog when loaded down. It was at its best moderately loaded.

[Mike Cork]

All great advice, nothing to add. Experimenting is the fun part, every boats a little different. I almost bought a 409T back in 89' loved that layout.

[Bassmaster146]

Thanks for the info guys. Will let u know what results I have.