# Jack plate: yes or no?



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

What kind of skiff? And if you don't want another hydraulic pump in the hatch , go with an Atlas Micro Jacker or even Bob's makes a self contained unit.


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## aldrichf (Aug 8, 2020)

Sublime said:


> What kind of skiff? And if you don't want another hydraulic pump in the hatch , go with an Atlas Micro Jacker or even Bob's makes a self contained unit.


Heron 18


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

I will say that I don’t know about a Heron 18, but I will always have a jack plate on a skiff or bay boat. Getting on plane in shallow water may or may not happen with a jack plate as there are several factors to consider there. However, shallow and more efficient running will happen. Very much like tilt/trim and tabs, a jack plate will give you another variable to tweak. I’m honestly surprised when I don’t see one on a boat, but the Upper Laguna Madre are my home waters. They are mandatory here.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

To get on plane, your motor needs to be at a certain height relative to the surface of the water. That height is the same with or without a jack plate. What a jack plate will do is allow you to raise your motor once on plane. Because a tunnel hull allows water to flow higher over the prop *when on plane*, jack plates give the most benefit on tunnel hull skiffs as the motor can be raised as much as 6" *once on plane*. As another plus, on any skiff, a jack plate will also allow you to raise your motor when operating at or around idle speed. I think the Heron 18 is not a tunnel hull, so, if that's the case, you won't be able to get as much advantage with a jack plate. Is being able to run 2 inches more shallow on plane more benefit than the extra weight and complexity? Only you can decide.


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## Bmgfish32 (Apr 25, 2020)

You can lift your jack plate before you're on plane to get up. It more depends on the hull and prop set up you're working with, and you learning how to get it up with it jacked up. I will always recommend one just to help with overall performance, and running shallower in case of an oops.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I never drop my jackplate to get on plane. too lazy.


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## hlane09 (Apr 1, 2019)

Does anyone here have a jack plate on a Maverick HPX-V? I'm also considering getting one


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Bob's
I use my JP all the time. To tweak the motor to get more RPMs or run in 1.5' with it jacked up 6" yes the cav plate is still in the water. It's a Bob's from 1997


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## Kirc (Jan 18, 2020)

alot of good points brought up,...additionally:

- If youre up in skinny water getting bait (throwin' a net), its a whole lot better being able to pull the motor up, vertically vs blowin' water and bottom all over.

- Keep in mind also, when you do add a jackplate, there is motor setback. The setback will create additional weight on the transom area, jackplate manufacturer should be able to help you with what multiplier you would use. Would be terrible to go through all that just to see the skiff squatting terrible for you when done.

- Would suggest having a conversation with the boat / hull manufacturer if possible. Its their build,...may be the best source for unforeseen consequences.

In general, for me personally (last 2 builds, yes) if the budget is there for it and I cannot find a negative,... absolutely would. It will only increase the skiffs performance and abilities further.


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## captjsanchez (Sep 8, 2015)

I have a heron 18...I want a jack plate. The transom acts like a tunnel with the step it has


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## aldrichf (Aug 8, 2020)

captjsanchez said:


> I have a heron 18...I want a jack plate. The transom acts like a tunnel with the step it has


Curious where do you hail from? I personally am setting this boat up for the keys and the South Carolina low country. Also you wouldn’t happen to know the overall length of the Heron18 on a trailer with a swing away tongue would you? Thanks


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## captjsanchez (Sep 8, 2015)

Live in boca raton...I'll try and get you a measurement. I have a continental with swing tongue in my garage in a angle. I fish the glades, keys and biscayne bay.


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## aldrichf (Aug 8, 2020)

captjsanchez said:


> Live in boca raton...I'll try and get you a measurement. I have a continental with swing tongue in my garage in a angle. I fish the glades, keys and biscayne bay.


Thanks brother


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## captjsanchez (Sep 8, 2015)

23-24 that's from cav. Plate on suzuki 60 to folded tongue


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Now for a contrary opinion... I don't like jackers at all - and would never consider one on any hull I'm rigging... That said, I'm not fond of tunnel hulls either. Yes there are places where you really do need a tunnel and that jacker... Lucky for me, running the backcountry of the Everglades or the intercoastal bays from Miami north... I've never seen the need... 


As far as the jackplate itself... just one more thing to go wrong - and when it does... you'll be learning more about them than you ever wanted to know... Whenever one of my customers has me running their rig equipped with a jackplate I'm never certain exactly where that motor should be - so call me old fashioned..


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## citadelmarineservices (Jan 22, 2021)

I'm with Lemay. Unless If you are in deep south Texas, I don't think they are necessary and cause more destruction of habitat from people being lazy than anything. call me old fashioned...


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

They can increase performance from the added leverage, if your hull can benefit from more bow lift. But you can get that with a manual jack plate, too.


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## aldrichf (Aug 8, 2020)

captjsanchez said:


> 23-24 that's from cav. Plate on suzuki 60 to folded tongue


Thanks Capt…Looks like the way they have your spare tire mounted adds length to the swing away tongue assembly. I think they can also do it slightly rearward on the beam. Do you remember if that was an option for you?


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## aldrichf (Aug 8, 2020)

captjsanchez said:


> 23-24 that's from cav. Plate on suzuki 60 to folded tongue


Also, what color is your hull and console? I like it! Thanks


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I have often thought of adding one to my boat and concede it can have advantages but be wary of people telling you there are no tradeoffs. I fished with CA Richardson in the shallow and rocky Crystal River a couple of years ago and I noticed he was not running a jackplate on his HB, and you know there is no monetary reason he was not doing so nor does his Marquesa have a space issue.

I would definitely have one on a tunnel hull, why else have a tunnel hull? On a 12 degree skiff I'd be inclined to not have one, not sure on a 2 degree skiff.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

If you can raise your jack plate and get on plane, then your jack plate is mounted too low to begin with. The lowest jack plate setting should be where you can just get on plane reliably. 

Although I run a tunnel hull Seaark with a Bob's jack plate, I'm of the opinion that it's way more important to know where the rocks are than to be able to run in 6" of water.


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## rummya87 (Jun 24, 2016)

IMHO a jackplate is a huge benefit on skiffs/bayboats. You can fine-tune the position of your thrust while running to get maximum efficiency from the motor. You can also easily raise the motor while running to give you a few more inches of clearance when running shallow sandbars, etc. 

I have one on every skiff I own plus I'm needing one on my pathfinder. Bob's is best if you don't mind having the pump. Atlas micro has been fairly reliable. Relays need to be housed where they can't be splashed by saltwater and make sure to keep connections clean and the ram greased.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Depends what you run in. I agree it's not needed in the glades, but, here it is. My flat bottomed skiff had no JP for 15 years down in the glades and I put one on when it moved here. Yes it's something else to break, but, it helps getting over skinnier water or idling off a giant flat vs. poling.


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## m32825 (Jun 29, 2018)

Vertigo said:


> ... it's way more important to know where the rocks are than to be able to run in 6" of water.


Wisdom


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## shallowfish1 (Feb 25, 2011)

Put me in the "no jackplate" camp also. The less I need to worry about mechanically, the better. I've seen them used to good effect on larger, heavier boats, but on my little skiff the extra weight required to achieve a slightly shallower ride is not worth the trade-off. Granted, there are times when one might have come in handy (a few pucker-factor rides in blown-out bays come to mind) but those were isolated cases across many years in the deep Glades.

To each his own. As some have noted the area you fish will have a lot to do with your perspective here.


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## Fatherof4 (Jul 29, 2019)

I did not read all the comments. I bought a Maverick Master Angler, 18ft, a few years ago. It was totally stock and had a hydraulic jack plate. I, personally, never used it. A yr later, I bought a new Yam 150 SHO for the boat. It was about 100lbs heavier than the original motor. So I removed the jack plate to cut weight. I have not missed it. But, I fish FL panhandle, and not super skinny water.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

Vertigo said:


> If you can raise your jack plate and get on plane, then your jack plate is mounted too low to begin with. The lowest jack plate setting should be where you can just get on plane reliably.
> 
> Although I run a tunnel hull Seaark with a Bob's jack plate, I'm of the opinion that it's way more important to know where the rocks are than to be able to run in 6" of water.


the rocks are everywhere! kidding aside, I agree and spent a lot of tine with my son going out at low tide on low water days to learn the high spots and plot them. but..last year or so I have been exploring a lot of new spots closer and closer to rock city. being able to keep the lower unit up high makes that a lot easier.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Beyond the extra 26-34lbs a jackplate add to the overall weight, moving the motor 5" aft doesn't make a hill of beans difference in the stern squatting more. If you want a practical example, stand 5" from the back of your boat, observe water line, then step 5" further to the very edge of the transom and look at where the water is now. You won't see any noticeable difference.
The single biggest benefit of running a jackplate is the significant increase in speed for WOT and fuel economy at cruise. Of course it allows shallow water take off much shallower than without a JP but the need for that is largely dependent on where you fish. If you are in shallow creeks on negative tide days and a few minutes on pole will get you to deep enough water to safely and ethically jump up, then the value is diminished for having a JP somewhat. For where I fish, there are miles of shallow, mud bottom marsh lakes that could take 30 min or longer to get to if you had to pole the entire way to get to deep enough water.


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

There is a benefit to burying the motor in rough water, too.


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## Mdees88 (Jun 23, 2021)

Yes..... always.

I will never own a boat without a jackplate. Bay boat, skiff, duck boat, doesn't matter. Is it something else to break, sure. But that won't keep me from owning one. 

I don't even run in shallow water either and tear up grass, etc. I just fish and hunt in shallow water and the jack plate allows me to put put across very shallow flats and it allows me to get on plane in a little shallower waters. I have no interest in running across shallow flats. In my 24ft bay boat I can idle in very shallow water and catch bait. If running in tight channels I can bury the motor so it bites and doesn't blow out in sharp turns. They are good for optimizing fuel economy too. 

The biggest benefit to me is idling to and from duck blinds and catching bait in my bay boat. There's a big difference between fast idling with the motor lifted vertically verses trimmed up at a 45 degree angle.


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## captjsanchez (Sep 8, 2015)

Haze grey and Chevy white. 


aldrichf said:


> Also, what color is your hull and console? I like it! Thanks


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

I wanted one just so I could idle in skinny water with more control in the wind. The lack of control with the lower unit trimmed way out made it hard to stay out of the oysters when the wind was blowing. Getting it up high and closer to vertical greatly enhanced control. I don’t like to run skinny flats I don’t know on plane.


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## Goose (Jul 15, 2019)

I had one on my VHP and didn't order one on my EVO V build. I pretty much only kept the jack plate on the VHP as low as it would go and only raised it when idling in shallow areas. With the EVO I will just trim up the motor and use the trolling motor to get across those same shallow areas.


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

Watch your water pressure if you run with a jackplate. Impellers burn up very fast without enough water! I've never had a need for one on my flats boats, on my bass boat I can squeeze out a couple mph more with the jackplate. I'm not a speed demon in the salt but sometimes I go pretty fast on lakes.


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## SC on the FLY (Sep 16, 2015)

I like mine, you can drive creeks without worrying. I like the adjustment it gives you, we have up to 8 ft tides here , 5-6 is the norm . I like the jack plate for exploring new spots and shallow areas , I would definitely get one again on a new build, but I think it matters where you are located, some places I don’t think they are necessary


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Absolutely yes


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Yup. 

Not a big deal on summer tides around here...but damn near mandatory on winter tides...


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## Michael T (May 18, 2020)

One came standard on my boat. I love the additional control and options for motor placement. Some of the areas I fish in SWFL are shallow to get into and some channels are narrow with boat traffic so its good to raise it up to idle into the back country and drop it to bite in a channel. The Strike also runs optimally with the jack plate about halfway up.


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

Saying you can’t raise the motor on a jack plate and get on plane in shallow water where you otherwise could not on a non tunnel skiff is false. I’m not guessing, I have done exactly this in Texas waters.

That said, I wouldn’t go without one. Depends on water you fish. Also, it can be the diff in idling slow off a flat without chopping up environment. Or being stuck.


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## Kowalski (Jul 25, 2018)

My random thoughts and observations. I do not have a micro skiff, I have a between boat, its a giant skiff or very small bay boat. very similar to an 18 Redfisher but it has a pad and a pocket with an 8 foot beam. That said I have a Bob's plate. I get on plane in the all the way up position motor all the way tucked, and run the plate down as the bow rolls over. JP In the all the way down position,My gear case is 3.5 inch' s below the pad. I can idle out of a flat , keep water PSI and not harm grass in 18 or so inch's of water. If its lower water, I need pretty much 12 inch's to float if its calm water , then I can use my troller. I also can run on plane in a foot no trouble only the skeg is lower then the pad at that point and the bow is well out of the water , but if I stop I may get stuck. ( not a responsible thing to do) I do my best not to be a jack ass. All that before I had FMT. With my Tran port compression plate I can raise the engine on plane to where I loose speed but hold water PSI on the gauge. ( slight cavitation ) and run shallow, so for me its options. with the JP all the way up , motor trimmed up a bit i can Idle most black track. But as the wise man says , its much better to know where the rocks are then to be able run crazy shallow. I see the argument of purposely not having equipment that may fail , as you punishing yourself not being able to accomplish everything you can. To me its like saying you want to stick to carburetors and a motor that runs like a bag of shit when tipped up because you think a fuel injected motor may not run for you someday. Your wasting time punishing yourself... I can't say a JP is for every one and every boat because its not, but it may be for you as you look at what you are trying to accomplish. sorry for the run on sentence, just trying to give any info I may have to help you decide.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I wanted a JP on my Egret Moccasin 210 but was talked out of it by Frank (builder). Apparently my boat has a 23" transom and a 20" shaft motor and thus "it's not needed" and since additional weight on/aft of the transom is never a good thing by itself; with "little need" and 50lbs of extra weight to consider.... my transom is still naked. 

To my knowledge, there is no Moccasin in existence with a JP. There are plenty of 2011 and 189 with them due to the pad on those hulls and/or running bigger motors.

While my gut tells it would be useful, this is one of those times I have deferred to someone that I'm sure knows better than I do and that has every reason to sell me something else for more money but chooses not to.. It not a transom strength issue either... boat is rated for up a 350hp motor.

Just FYI for other Moccasin 210 owners with the Zuke 200.. they come mounted on the 2nd hole (3 from bottom). I found this to run shallow but wash out in turns with little trim with the stock 3-blade prop. I know run a 4-blade and moved it down 1 hole. Some guys have dropped it 2 holes all the way to the bottom hole that provides more bow lift and is better offshore but I thought it was too low inshore and created too much drag.. No idea how guys with the new Mercury 225 are running it.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

I insisted on one for my Skull Island. The new owners tried to talk me out of it. They said it wasn't needed and they recommended against it, but gave me what I wanted. After driving mine they said they were going to start putting one on all of their new builds.


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## Vincent A Sawchuk (Jan 29, 2019)

hlane09 said:


> Does anyone here have a jack plate on a Maverick HPX-V? I'm also considering getting one


I had a Bob's jackplate on my hpx-v17 with a 90 SHO and I removed it. I have had a jackplate on pretty much every boat and skiff I've owned in the past and in my opinion typically a jackplate is the way to go but the hpx-v17 just isn't designed to have one... A couple of the issues I experienced on the hpx-v17 were.

1. Porpoising, increased squat in the stern of the skiff.

2. When trimming the motor all the way out of the water the steering ram would hit the fiberglass on the motor bracket just above the motor mounting strap and cracked it. 

3. My skiff has a custom 41" poling platform from the factory (standard hpx-v17 height is 36" when the skiff has a 70hp and 38" when the skiff has a 90hp or 115hp) and still if you weren't carful and had the motor jacked up above 2" the top of the cowling would hit the underside of the poling platform.

Also I probably gained back .5"+ draft after removing the jackplate due to 4.5" less setback and removing the weight of the pumps & plate off the transom and rear hatch.

I hope this helps.


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

Setback is leverage....a jackplate definitely adds bow lift. A good thing if your hull can benefit from it (usually pad hulls). But that can also lead to porpoising on others, especially flat bottoms. The more setback, the worse that problem is. Some add weight up front, but that's kind of a band aid. A prop with a lot of stern lift will push the nose down to counter the bow lift (and negate the porpoise) in many cases.


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## Nick_TX27 (Apr 27, 2021)

permitchaser said:


> Bob's
> I use my JP all the time. To tweak the motor to get more RPMs or run in 1.5' with it jacked up 6" yes the cav plate is still in the water. It's a Bob's from 1997


What cavitation plate are you using?


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## Kirc (Jan 18, 2020)

NealXB2003 said:


> Setback is leverage....a jackplate definitely adds bow lift. A good thing if your hull can benefit from it (usually pad hulls). But that can also lead to porpoising on others, especially flat bottoms. The more setback, the worse that problem is. Some add weight up front, but that's kind of a band aid. A prop with a lot of stern lift will push the nose down to counter the bow lift (and negate the porpoise) in many cases.


nice to see someone realizes that, "Setback is leverage"....we did a full blown custom on our tower bay boat years back, and the one thing we did not do was a jackplate for just that reason, the boat performed flawless when finished, but,.....I am positive the jackplate would have been a mistake for that build. In contrast the two small skiff builds recently done the jackplate has been an awesome addition for overall performance and function.


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## Az Iron (Nov 5, 2019)

Have CMC power one on my Gheenoe, like 4wd, you can (mostly) live without it but sure nice to have when needed.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

I added one to the 2014 HB Waterman 18 non-tunnel I had, and took it back off.

PROS
1) Better control and efficiency idling in shallow water without tilting engine.
2) Better getting on plane in shallower water than without.
3) Better efficiency and slightly higher speed with less steering torque at correct height for load/speed.
4) Can run skinnier water on plane. (Skinnier than boat would float.)
5) hit less rocks with engine skeg

CONS
1) hit more rocks with boat
2) get stuck when motor overheats while crossing extended shallow areas without special low water pickup.
3) motor cowling hits poling platform if its not made for having jack plate. And raising poling platform is harder to climb up/down. (But you might see farther.)
4) increased draft idling around due to added squat.
5) increased hull slap at spray chine extension due to increased squat.
6) another thing to breaks and require maintenance.
7) increased length requirement for garage storage

PROBLEM
Four stroke Yamaha F70 is too heavy for the Waterman 18 in my opinion. I was too at that time. (255#) And I don't think it was originally designed for a 25 gallon livewell in the aft center.
Waterman 18 was best with a two stroke 70 that weighed considerably less, and for persons weighing under #200. (USCG uses around 150# per person for capacity ratings.)
Current HB standard for new Waterman 18 is 60 HP, and no livewell.

SOLUTION
I've got a side console Pro on order with Tohatsu 60 short shaft on micro jacker.
The Pro is 5" wider at the stern chine and can handle more stern load.
Tohatsu 60 is over 50 pounds lighter than a Yamaha F70. And I'm 50 pounds lighter now too.
30# House battery will be in bow compartment to offset 30# jackplate. Fuel tank size reduced to make room for house battery.
Micro jacker will have the Hull Marine Products upgrade.
Engine will get Smackdaddy's low water pickup modification, and a shaw anti-cavitation plate.
Stainless steel trim tabs will be replaced with carbon fiber tabs.

RECOMMENDATION
If you don't NEED it, don't get it.


Full Up









Full Down


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I never thought about carbon fiber trim tabs. It can't be that much weight can it? Are they quicker to react?


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Yes on jack plates all flat bottom or tunnel skiffs. 
I still have HB OE stainless trim tabs for sale in the classifieds from 2019 Pro. 9.5 lbs. Carbon tabs are 12 oz


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Have you ever tried to pole of a flat against the wind


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

Vertigo said:


> To get on plane, your motor needs to be at a certain height relative to the surface of the water. That height is the same with or without a jack plate. What a jack plate will do is allow you to raise your motor once on plane. Because a tunnel hull allows water to flow higher over the prop *when on plane*, jack plates give the most benefit on tunnel hull skiffs as the motor can be raised as much as 6" *once on plane*. As another plus, on any skiff, a jack plate will also allow you to raise your motor when operating at or around idle speed. I think the Heron 18 is not a tunnel hull, so, if that's the case, you won't be able to get as much advantage with a jack plate. Is being able to run 2 inches more shallow on plane more benefit than the extra weight and complexity? Only you can decide.


Was just checking to see if someone already posted this and you nailed it!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Micro Thinfisher said:


> Was just checking to see if someone already posted this and you nailed it!


I’m sorry but he’s wrong. I have a video of my skiff performing a hole shot trimmed perfectly flat and jacked up on 6 which on my boat is prop above the bottom of the hull and I do a straight line hole shot using only trim tabs and throttle, no trim or moving the jack plate. Vertigo just hasn’t been behind the helm of a true properly set up shallow water skiff so he believes it’s not possible.


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## Ckirk57 (Sep 27, 2009)

I have a 18’ SeaArk tunnel without a jack plate. I’ve always wondered about having one but hate to add the weight and setback. I’m running the Mercury 60 with the smaller gear case. My current running height looks like this. 







This is the middle mounting hole. I have ran it at the top 1.5” higher. It blows out allot and loses efficiency. Right now if I get in a skinny situation I just trim to them moon until I get over it. But in the back of my mind I still wonder about adding a Bob’s jack plate with a Jack Foreman propeller and a compression plate. 
my boat is a super light setup so I just hate to screw a good thing and spend a fortune… I think I’d rather put the money towards a mud boat.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

Ok.. JP experts.... since my flats boat has a 23" transom and a 20" shaft motor with no jack plate, and the motor is mounted on the 2nd hole from the bottom with standard 3/4" hole spacing, is this the equivalent of running a jack plate up 3 3/4" all the time, but without the set-back?


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Half Shell said:


> Ok.. JP experts.... since my flats boat has a 23" transom and a 20" shaft motor with no jack plate, and the motor is mounted on the 2nd hole from the bottom with standard 3/4" hole spacing, is this the equivalent of running a jack plate up 3 3/4" all the time, but without the set-back?


Some of it depends on where the mounting holes are drilled through the transom.


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

Every prop has a sweet spot. Most are sensitive to within a 1/4". Not only is removing the motor to adjust motor height a pain, but bolt holes are 3/4" apart. You can't dial in your setup without at least a manual plate.


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