Boat Performance: The Little Things Make a Difference
by Keith Kavajecz & Gary Parsons
The nature of our profession demands that we spend a great deal of time in a fishing boat. And for us to compete on the professional walleye circuits our boats must perform at optimal levels at all times. That's true whether we're running full boar across flat water to get to the "hot spot", battling rough seas on the Great Lakes or slow trolling a big reservoir flat.
As we travel across the country giving seminars and fishing tournaments, or sitting in the home office answering our e-mail, a lot of the questions we field are related to how we set-up our boats for peak performance. In this article we will address many of those questions. Keep in mind however, that every boat-motor combination will need to be fine-tuned to it's own characteristics and won't necessarily benefit from the same set-ups we use. We do believe though that following the principles behind these tips and suggestions, you too can get the best possible performance from your walleye boat.
So how do you know if you have the right set-up to get the best performance from your boat? Most boat manufactures will tell you what the optimal RPM should be for the outboard you are running. On our boats, 5600 to 5900 RPM is our target. That's one factor to look at. Top speed is another factor. The boats we run are set up so that they will run at about 65 mph SOG (speed over ground). We measure speed over ground using our Lowrance GPS units. It is much more accurate than an in-dash speedometer on any boat. The boat should come up on plane in a reasonable amount of time, run at optimal RPM, best possible top-end speed, no porpoising or cavitation and "feel" like it's running just right. That "feel" is hard to describe, but you'll know it when you "feel" it.
First of all let's look at the boats we run. The Tracker TARGA 2000 is 20 and a half feet long with a hull weight of approximately 1750 pounds. A big walleye fishing boat to be sure. For the past couple of years we have rigged these boats with Mercury 225 EFI outboards. That may sound like a lot of horse power for a fishing boat, but if your job depends on you getting from point "A" to point "B" in the least amount of time...you want the maximum power you can get. On many of the big waters we fish, like the Great Lakes, having plenty of power is not just a means to get to the fishing spots in a reasonable amount of time, it's a safety consideration too. To navigate the large waves that can come up on big water, it is necessary to have "instant response" from your outboard. When you give it the gas to climb a large wave, you want that motor to respond immediately. Any dogging or hesitation could result in a transom full of water.
Many factors come into consideration when choosing the right set-up for these boats to get the best performance out of them. One of the most important factors being the rig's total weight. Compared to most walleye anglers, we carry a good deal more weight in our boats. Consider the fact that our TARGA 2000's are equipped with no less than six marine batteries, a kicker motor, bow mount trolling motor and depending on what water we are fishing, we will occasionally carry extra fuel tanks. Add to that at least two anglers, a big bunch of fully loaded tackle boxes and at least one good sized cooler full of bait and/or food and beverages, a full 60 gallon fuel tank and, hopefully, two full livewells of fish, and there's a lot of weight for any boat to haul around.
Prop size and pitch is a major factor to consider when setting up any boat. On the 225 EFI's we run 24 pitch Quicksilver Trophy props. These are four bladed, stainless steel high performance props. Choosing the right prop for any outboard tends to be a trade-off. Are you looking for top speed...or the best hole shot? Typically a smaller pitch in your prop size will give you a better hole shot, but you will loose a little top-end speed. Finding the right prop for you may take some experimentation, but when you get the performance you're looking for, it will be worth it.
Many anglers never really bother to think about how their motor is mounted on the transom, but it is a major factor to getting the proper performance from the boat's set-up. The key is to set it up so that there is the least amount of motor in the water without sacrificing performance or causing the motor to "blowout". This placement will have a lot to do with how the transom of the boat is constructed. On the Targas we have been mounting the motors on the top hole of the transom.
We like to put the engine as high as possible, but so that it doesn't loose it's bite on the water (blow out) at the highest trim position. Last season Gary equipped his boat with a jack plate to try getting even more height on the motor to see if the performance could be improved further still. The result was dramatic enough that Tracker is now in the process of redesigning the TARGA transom to allow motors to be mounted higher than before.
A popular addition to many boats these days are hydro- foils. Mounted on the lower unit of your outboard, a hydro- foil device can help bring a boat up on plane quicker. It can also help with problems like porpoising and cavitation. Most models are inexpensive and simple, install and they can make a difference in how a boat performs.
Even the simple factor of weight distribution can play a big part in how well your boat performs. Especially when hauling several marine batteries and heavy tackle boxes, it's important to distribute the weight so that it doesn't hamper the balance of the boat. Too much weight in the bow, and you'll most likely have problems with "plowing" waves and poor top-end performance. Too much weight in the stern and there may be difficulty getting the boat to plane out in a reasonable amount of time. That's not to say you want all the weight in the middle of the boat either. For each set- up, there will need to be a little trial-and-error to determine how everything should be placed.
Once the boat is set-up to run properly it's time to get it rigged to go fishing. That's Part 2 in a proper set-up. After all, what good is getting there if you aren't rigged to fish effectively once you're on the "Hot Spot"?