The 2009 season brought many things to light as usual but probably the most time consuming was boat setup. A few points to remember here; bass boats use a lot of fuel. Decreasing drag improves fuel economy. Time is of the essence; a 10 second hole shot will get you to the spot last. Outboard wear and tear; a ten foot rooster tail will get you to the outboard service tech much quicker !
Some prop tuning and boat setup will improve your efficiency on the water. I've found some props right out of the box are not cupped well. Send your prop to the doctor. Not only to repair nicks/polish etc. but have it cupped. Experiment with the pvs tuning to get the hole shot dialed in. The pvs system does not effect you on plane. It is critical though for prop spin up.
Weight distribution; if your prop is cupped well and the correct pvs plugs installed for your load, you can move your heavy gear forward in the boat. The weight forward contributes to the "fall over" on the hole shot and with proper cup, will not effect your bow lift on pad. Of course if your carrying 500 lbs of tackle up front this may be an issue !
Prop to pad height; most of us have been there. Here's where the jack plate comes in. All bass boats are not created equal. I start at 3.5 inches below pad when I'm setting one up. Tune it from there by watching rpm and water pressure.. When you start to loose speed on the GPS yet gain rpm and drop water pressure, you've gone too high. Back it down at 1/8 inch increments to find the sweet spot. Forget your trim guage for now. Don't even look at it until you've found the spot.
Here's the real tough part; Leave your rods at home ! Boat setup up is time consuming and laborious. Its really easy to suspend the setup runs and start pitchin at a stump. You'll be glad you did it though. You'll launch better, save fuel and have a more stable boat ride.
Contact Jeff at www.menofbass.com for more information.
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