Need some cavitation plate advice please.

[su_jumptd]

Hello all,
I've been getting my boat ready for saltwater fishing here down at the Texas coast. I looking to buy and install a cavitation plate for the shallows. Looking for some advice on which brand and type to get. I've got a 2002 22' Travis Fish Master bay boat with a 2003 Suzuki 140 on it. I've also got a CMC power lift.

Don't want to by the wrong one or one that will not be good for my setup.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

Are you talking about a "Whale's Tail"? This is a wide piece of plastic that bolts to your engine's "anti-ventilation" plate (just above the prop) whose purpose is to assist in lifting the stern of the boat at low speeds and while hole shooting.

That brand has been around for at least 10 years that I know of and apparently it works successfully or it wouldn't have survived the test of time.

Where on the coast are you going and what are you going to fish for?

If you have never had your rig in salt water, it won't be the same boat when it gets back, nor will your fishing tackle.

Mark

 

[Capt'n Chris]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

Are you referring to something on the order of a "whale-tail" or some other method to increase the size of your AV ("cavitation plate")? I'd never do it! The mfgr. of your motor has millions invested in its design and if it was intended to be modified they would have already done it. They can also entice someone to use it as a step...yes, some would use it in that manner even with the motor in gear. In fact, those apparatus can cause unwieldy steering performance, cause overheating by starving the water intakes and can snap off the cavitation plates on your motor....and most have to be installed by drilling. If you were trying to sell your motor at some point, and you had made that modification, I'd walk away. In fact, the mfgr. probably has a warning against modification of the motor. I;d have to look at my Suzuki booklet, but most others include that verbiage.

 

[su_jumptd]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

Thanks for the quick reply,
Good question about the whale tail. I've got a 22' bay boat with a regular vhaul, no tunnel or anything like that. I'm using it in Port Aransas and some of the parts there are kinda shallow so my intention is to use my CMC power lift to lift the motor in the shallows and wanted to get a ......shallow blaster thing.....I'm guessing, so that my cooling system will get enough water. Am I explaining my self correctly? By the way, this boat has been in salt water before with no problems....at least not any I can see.

 

[surrender]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

Are you referring to something on the order of a "whale-tail" or some other method to increase the size of your AV ("cavitation plate")? I'd never do it! The mfgr. of your motor has millions invested in its design and if it was intended to be modified they would have already done it. They can also entice someone to use it as a step...yes, some would use it in that manner even with the motor in gear. In fact, those apparatus can cause unwieldy steering performance, cause overheating by starving the water intakes and can snap off the cavitation plates on your motor....and most have to be installed by drilling. If you were trying to sell your motor at some point, and you had made that modification, I'd walk away. In fact, the mfgr. probably has a warning against modification of the motor. I;d have to look at my Suzuki booklet, but most others include that verbiage.

Really not a function of how the motor's cav plate is designed. Some boats need extra lift to help get on a plane faster. My older McKee jumps right on a plane with a "whale tail" Has nothing to do with the motor design. I would rather go with something adjustable like a trim tab setup but for the money it works great for me. As far as selling the motor, I think most would sell the motor and boat as a package and if the tail makes the boat/motor combo perform better like mine it would help sell it. Trim tabs would be better but I would rather not spend the coin on this boat.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

What he's refering to is a large fin that's attached to the outboard above the AV plate. It - very basically - makes the AV plate much larger. Adds lift, captures water normally lost and adds better water for improved prop bite. Most of the time these are used in conjunction with a low water pick up and a hydraulic jackplate. They do not do the same thing as a set of tabs.

They're very popular on boats made to run in extremely shallow water, they work very well on fishing boats with tunnels. Obviously the set up has to be correct otherwise they create more drag than without one. Properly used they work very well for what they were made for.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Need some cavitation plate advice please.

Thanks for the quick reply,
Good question about the whale tail. I've got a 22' bay boat with a regular vhaul, no tunnel or anything like that. I'm using it in Port Aransas and some of the parts there are kinda shallow so my intention is to use my CMC power lift to lift the motor in the shallows and wanted to get a ......shallow blaster thing.....I'm guessing, so that my cooling system will get enough water. Am I explaining my self correctly? By the way, this boat has been in salt water before with no problems....at least not any I can see.

Well get you some poppin corks and live shrimp. Get out in the bay, preferably over an oyster reef....we used to sound for them with a pole, and when you smell watermelon, start casting.

Good luck,

Mark