prop and motor question from new guy

[sivlersnake]

Hello! I am new to the forum and am looking forward to getting back to boating and fishing after a 9 year dry spell. Just sold my Cobra and I am looking at buying another bass boat since I enjoyed my Stratos 285 PRO XL years ago. I was hoping I could get some help and input on my search for a used bass boat.
I am looking at a 1996 Gambler 209 that has a 225 EFI Mercury and had a few of questions.

Currently the boat has a 3 blade 25 pitch prop.

What I need to know is what RPM range should I be running with the 225 EFI Mercury at top speed?

What would be the best prop to run for top end with out killing it out of the hole? (pitch, number of blades, and make/model)

What sort of hole shot and top end should I be looking for in this boat?

Thanks in advance for your help.
As my search for a used bass boat continues, I am sure I will be bugging everyone with these types of questions

[BassBUFF]

Not sure about the boat but the motor redline should be around 6k. With that being said you'd want to prop it so the motor is working near that range with the load you expect to be carrying. With a 25 that thing probably has a heck of a hole-shot.

[sivlersnake]

Thanks!!

[OutdoorFrontiers]

Make 100% certain that the hull is solid before you buy it.  I know one guy that broke his Gambler (bought it supposedly in GREAT shape) in half on Lake Champlain, and another just got his Gambler back (after being in the shop almost nine months) after all the stringers delaminated and the boat was breaking up.

Steve

[DaveK911]

5800 RPM's is the about the maximum revolutions you should be turning on a Merc 225 EFI.  The Pro-Max will go much higher on RPM's, but these engines are designed for about 100-150 hours before they explode like a Palisenian Suicide Bomber.  Props are like tires on vehicles, they all ride differently.  The Gambler is notorious for a slower hole shot than most hulls due to all of the weight being in the rear-end (my ex-wife had the same problem).  The top-end speed makes up for the slow start.  The three blade will take a little longer to get up than a four blade prop, but it will push the boat faster than a four blade at the same RPM's due to the amount of water the blades will catch at higher speeds.  The 4-blade Merc Trophy is a good prop and a 24/25 Pitch would probably do you right.  Make sure you load the weight to the boat before selecting the final prop, fill the livewells, get your mother-in law in the boat and all your gear to make sure you are load testing the Gambler correctly.  That should get you where you want to be.  Good luck and wear your PFD and kill switch when the big engine is running. 

[sivlersnake]

Cool! Thanks!!