I'm running a 30 year old Fisher Marine aluminum bass boat with a 90 hp. Had the same problem of not getting enough of the boat out of the water. I changed props....same issue. I finally put a 6 inch manual jack plate on and it was a ton of difference. Experimented to get the ideal height. The jack plate serves more for the set back than anything else. 50 mph out of a 17 foot aluminum boat with a 90 aint too shabby. But the ride is so much better!
It's not for getting on plain or up to max speed.... the jack is commonly used in salt water fishing when fishing the flats. It is used to navigate shallow water on flats.. they will grab enough inches per rotation for a hole shot in a short distance in shallow water. A backplate doesn't have enough offset to help with top speed. The prop will create cavitation... tin boats need to be brought up to Higher rpms before adjusting trim in small increments, allowing the boat to come up to speed for each adjustment. Iv used backplate for a long time with different makes of boats...it's what has worked for me...
Solid video man. One suggestion I would make to you is to pick up a TH Marine electronics mount so that you can put your front graph directly over your trolling motor tray. You’ll open your deck up and won’t take a chance on tripping over it. I had mine mounted the same way you do in this video. Just an idea!
Awesome man you’ll love it. You have an Instagram page by chance? I like to sync up with other 198P guys as it’s great to have others as resources to bounce ideas off of.
@@fish4kbcf I sure do. It's fishing_with_bam same with facebook and twitter. i'm more active on instagram. Definitely like syncing up with other owners as well. Have you checked out my other video i did? I've only got two right now., but i've got a bunch that i'm going to have out here in a few months. All are tips and things that i have done to the 198.
I’ve tried putting a lot of my heavier tackle in the back of the boat . But I got more speed with the weight in the front . I also have an ultrex. I have a hydraulic jack plate as well. And I would not own another boat without one. I love being able to raise my engine in shallow water.
Today I was out and it came in handy. The lake is really low, I had to raise the engine with the jackplate to get to a part of a dock that was barely in water. Hard to picture unless you were there but I’m glad I pulled the trigger on it when I did.
U could play with ur prop now try 4 blade or differnt cup size and have it racked . 3 blade play with cup size also. Nice boat thinking getting one there nice
Great info in this vid. I'm only getting about 52mph out of mine, thought I would see closer to 60 or at least a solid 55. Would love to see more detailed video on the trash can mod. Keep the videos coming!
I was fishing last night and looked back to see if I was throwing a rooster tail, never really looked before. Remembered you made a comment about it so I wanted to let you know if I was. I was not throwing one. Not sure if I was before I added the jack plate.
Honestly, I can’t remember anymore. I want to say it was like 3 inches or so, but I could be completely wrong. I did know too but It’s been years and that was 4 boats ago. If it pops in my head or if I find the book I had it wrote down I will let you know!
I’ve heard that. When I bought mine the dealer said any jackplate would void the warranty. My buddy bought his last year (new) and it came with a 6 inch jack plate. When I called ranger about my boat plowing water they said a jackplate could help but wasn’t for sure if it would, when I asked what size he said “nothing crazy”. So I don’t know. I guess It comes down to what do you feel comfortable doing to your own boat you know. I’m ok with doing my work so I’m not worried about it. Hopefully I don’t come across any issues but if I do I will let everyone know. But so far so good.
You been very generous to answer a few of my questions and I thank you. I have one more if you don’t mind. Just got my jack plate in. Do you recommend a particular position to mont it? As far as height?
Ask as many questions as you want! I had the Jack plate connected to the boat on the middle hole, which made the plate even with the top of the transom. Then I put the engine on the jack plate with the second hole down from the top. Watch the water pressure, sometimes when running it won’t pick up water as well as it did before since it sits higher. Only on take off from what I noticed. But if you play with it enough you will find that sweet spot in planing out that will work. If you have too much issues with it then you can mount the engine on the first hole.
Thanks for sharing this on the Ranger Aluminum Boat Owners group! I’m seriously thinking about selling my Ranger 198vx (glass) and getting the 188 with the 115! Thanks again!
Hey there! I apologize for the delay in the reply. I run the jack plate all the way down. When on plane the motor can't pull in water if it is raised any. Though I haven't tried since I added a fourth battery.
I did not have an issue with them getting wet and I fished in some pretty heavy rain a lot. They did stay wet but every boat I had was the same. What I would do when I got home was to use a wet vac on the carpet and dry them out as much as I could. Then leave the compartments open for a few days. That usually does the trick.
When they did get water in the compartments it was usually from me opening them up while it was raining. To clear up how they got wet in the above comment. I didn't have water get in if the lids were closed.
You can get them straight from the factory with a jackplate now. I’ve called and verified with ranger if my boat was good or if I voided the warranty, and they said I’m fine. No warranty voided.
Definitely need a jackplate. Go with a manual. I got the hydraulic and I have never needed to use it. But your situation might differ. Price differences is a lot
@@4greenb yes it is. i've not built one on the website since they added the option. So i'm not sure what company they use. but if you have a question on it let me know.
It’s not really about going 5 mph faster, it’s more about being on plane properly. The extra mph is just what happens when your boat is riding correctly. I normally ride around 40 ish once I get on plane. Depending on your body of water faster might not be safer. I’m on the lake of the ozarks, and if you’re driving fast during the day when the big cruising boats are out then your in for a back breaking ride. Plus driving at max RPMs constantly is (debatable) bad for the longevity of your engine. No offense taken, thanks for the comment!
Sorry for the lateness of the reply. I don’t remember off the top of my head but I’m pretty sure it was the second hole from the top. I will double check for you.
@@buddybrock4296 did you try any other level's? I put it on and never adjusted it from that position since I was happy with the performance I was getting. I'm not sure if the other hole positions would be better or not.
@@chadstancil440 no problem. I tried different pitches and different props. This one was the one that gave me the best ride. Also the 3 plugs that are in the prop I experimented with taking them all out, then only a one, then two out.... keep them all in if you use this prop.
@@chadstancil440 what year are you looking at? The 2020's at the local dealer by me all have jackplates on them. I got mine new in 2017 and they said they can't put jackplates on them because it causes performance lost. now they all come with one. Once the motors break in and the adding an ultrex to the front the boat starts to plow through the water. Jackplates fixes that. If you you got any questions man I can help.
I'm dealing with the same problem of pushing water and a big roost running trimmed all the way up to get 52mph @ 6k rmp, with the same boat and motor and light load. Ranger is having my dealer lower the motor on the transom but not sure if it will fix. Did you try to adjust the motor on the transom before you added the jack plate?
I did. My engine was placed up to high initially. I lowered one hole at a time trying to get it to work. It did a little better but it was still plowing water. @6k rpms you will be pushing 60mph with a jackplate. the manual says 5800 rpms is the max, but i find myself going 6k rpms without noticing because of how smooth it rides now. i've dialed it back now to 5500 rpms to keep the engine from having problems. But i have pushed it close to 7k rpms just to see if it would.......it does.
@@FishingwithBam Thanks for the info! I only have one more bolt hole to go, but if nothing else I will bite the bullet and go with the jackplate, if your getting lower rmps and more speed that's a win win in the long run. Do you by chance know your speed with a tournament load?(full tank, live well, gear and a co) I'm only seeing 45mph at 6k rpm.
I use a Folgers coffee container that my wife gave me for a trash can. Cut a hole in the lid and bottom of the can. Hold in place using your butt seat post. Its a no cost trash can...
Sometimes I think about it, but I fished out of one that did have the second console and it got in the way of casting more than I thought. I’m sure if I had it I would get use to it and wouldn’t even notice. Now my buddy on the other hand constantly reminds me that I should have got it when we are flying down the lake on cold mornings.
I would go with the 198 if I only had those choices, but that’s because of the lakes I fish and all the tournaments I fish. If you take away tournaments and I was just going out to fish a few hours on a quiet lake then I would go 188.
@@mydogdidit Hey Bill. If you fishing a smaller lake or maybe even a large lake that's not as busy, and you don't travel around fishing tournaments then the 188 is a good choice. It is cheaper and fishes the same as the 198p. You lose a little room and speed with the smaller motor but if you're not racing to your first spot in the morning I don't think you will miss it. If a tin rig is what you are wanting its not bad. Vexus, Xpress, and cresliner also make a boat in that price range and size as well. The Xpress is a good choice. Vexus is almost identical to the Ranger (unless they have changed things in the last few years).
Sorry for the delay in my response. Bow lift is perfect. I was plowing water before I added the jack plate, water spray was in front of the console, now it’s behind the rear storage boxes. Zero chine walk.
At first it was the price for size of boat. Glass boats at this size are in the $50K+ range for base models, then add electronics, and trolling motors you can get in the $60K+ range. I paid $32k. They do sit higher in the water since they weigh less. You can get back into some pretty shallow water. Lift your engine up and your trolling motor and your can get into a few feet of water.
I'm running a 30 year old Fisher Marine aluminum bass boat with a 90 hp. Had the same problem of not getting enough of the boat out of the water.
I changed props....same issue. I finally put a 6 inch manual jack plate on and it was a ton of difference. Experimented to get the ideal height. The jack plate serves more for the set back than anything else. 50 mph out of a 17 foot aluminum boat with a 90 aint too shabby. But the ride is so much better!
Hmmm I wonder if a 190 Tx Tracker with a Mercury 90 could run 50 with a jack plate?
It's not for getting on plain or up to max speed.... the jack is commonly used in salt water fishing when fishing the flats.
It is used to navigate shallow water on flats.. they will grab enough inches per rotation for a hole shot in a short distance in shallow water. A backplate doesn't have enough offset to help with top speed. The prop will create cavitation... tin boats need to be brought up to
Higher rpms before adjusting trim in small increments, allowing the boat to come up to speed for each adjustment.
Iv used backplate for a long time with different makes of boats...it's what has worked for me...
Nice boat bro just left u a sub 👊
Hey thank you! I appreciate it.
@@FishingwithBam no problem checj me out when u have a min
Solid video man. One suggestion I would make to you is to pick up a TH Marine electronics mount so that you can put your front graph directly over your trolling motor tray. You’ll open your deck up and won’t take a chance on tripping over it. I had mine mounted the same way you do in this video. Just an idea!
I’ve been debating that for a while now, I wasn’t sure if it was worth it yet but you’ve got me sold. I’m ordering it now lol
Awesome man you’ll love it. You have an Instagram page by chance? I like to sync up with other 198P guys as it’s great to have others as resources to bounce ideas off of.
@@fish4kbcf I sure do. It's fishing_with_bam same with facebook and twitter. i'm more active on instagram. Definitely like syncing up with other owners as well. Have you checked out my other video i did? I've only got two right now., but i've got a bunch that i'm going to have out here in a few months. All are tips and things that i have done to the 198.
I’ve tried putting a lot of my heavier tackle in the back of the boat . But I got more speed with the weight in the front . I also have an ultrex. I have a hydraulic jack plate as well. And I would not own another boat without one. I love being able to raise my engine in shallow water.
Today I was out and it came in handy. The lake is really low, I had to raise the engine with the jackplate to get to a part of a dock that was barely in water. Hard to picture unless you were there but I’m glad I pulled the trigger on it when I did.
@@FishingwithBam I fish shallow a lot so I know exactly what your talking about. My jack plate has saved me a lot of money in props!
U could play with ur prop now try 4 blade or differnt cup size and have it racked . 3 blade play with cup size also. Nice boat thinking getting one there nice
How's the front deck, for room
Great info in this vid. I'm only getting about 52mph out of mine, thought I would see closer to 60 or at least a solid 55. Would love to see more detailed video on the trash can mod. Keep the videos coming!
What motor are you running? Do you have a jackplate? I’ll shoot some more stuff to show how I did the trash can better. It’s extremely beneficial
@@FishingwithBam 2019 with 150 Pro XS. No jack plate, but next upgrade after seeing this video. Thanks again!
I have the same issue and engine throws a major rooster tail.
I was fishing last night and looked back to see if I was throwing a rooster tail, never really looked before. Remembered you made a comment about it so I wanted to let you know if I was. I was not throwing one. Not sure if I was before I added the jack plate.
@@swampdonkeyatv2876 wat holes are your motor mounted in.. I have the same motor you have
Great video. What do you think your prop 2 pad is when you get 60mph? What is the elevation there?
Honestly, I can’t remember anymore. I want to say it was like 3 inches or so, but I could be completely wrong. I did know too but It’s been years and that was 4 boats ago. If it pops in my head or if I find the book I had it wrote down I will let you know!
Would you care to send me pictures and where and how high you mounted your jack plate on the Ranger 198p
Unfortunately I don’t have the ranger anymore. But I can do my best and answer any questions for you. What year 198 do you have?
I was told by a ranger dealer that anything more than a 4 inch will void the warranty from ranger on the hull
I’ve heard that. When I bought mine the dealer said any jackplate would void the warranty. My buddy bought his last year (new) and it came with a 6 inch jack plate. When I called ranger about my boat plowing water they said a jackplate could help but wasn’t for sure if it would, when I asked what size he said “nothing crazy”. So I don’t know. I guess It comes down to what do you feel comfortable doing to your own boat you know. I’m ok with doing my work so I’m not worried about it. Hopefully I don’t come across any issues but if I do I will let everyone know. But so far so good.
If speed was my #1 criteria, I'd jump up to glass. Rt198p is fast enough for me. As long as it catches me fish, that's all that matters.
Speed is not my #1 criteria. Performance is. If your boat is performing correctly a boost in speed is one of the outcomes.
If you spend the money to buy a boat that is suppose to run between 56 mph and 60 mph . That’s what you want it to run.
You been very generous to answer a few of my questions and I thank you. I have one more if you don’t mind. Just got my jack plate in. Do you recommend a particular position to mont it? As far as height?
Ask as many questions as you want! I had the Jack plate connected to the boat on the middle hole, which made the plate even with the top of the transom. Then I put the engine on the jack plate with the second hole down from the top. Watch the water pressure, sometimes when running it won’t pick up water as well as it did before since it sits higher. Only on take off from what I noticed. But if you play with it enough you will find that sweet spot in planing out that will work. If you have too much issues with it then you can mount the engine on the first hole.
Thanks for sharing this on the Ranger Aluminum Boat Owners group! I’m seriously thinking about selling my Ranger 198vx (glass) and getting the 188 with the 115! Thanks again!
They are good boats. They have plenty of room to fish. They ride smooth too.
I have a jackplate now .. wat number in inches do yours run the best..
Thank you sir in advance and great video for the 198p boat owners
Hey there! I apologize for the delay in the reply. I run the jack plate all the way down. When on plane the motor can't pull in water if it is raised any. Though I haven't tried since I added a fourth battery.
Ten 4 then thank you for the response
Love your video man but let’s talk about that background ...wow
Do you have an issues with the storage compartments getting wet or staying wet? finding mixed reviews.
I did not have an issue with them getting wet and I fished in some pretty heavy rain a lot. They did stay wet but every boat I had was the same. What I would do when I got home was to use a wet vac on the carpet and dry them out as much as I could. Then leave the compartments open for a few days. That usually does the trick.
When they did get water in the compartments it was usually from me opening them up while it was raining. To clear up how they got wet in the above comment. I didn't have water get in if the lids were closed.
What’s your top speed fully loaded with water in livewell?
In this video I was still in my 2017, I averaged 63 mph. I have 2021 now and I'm actually editing a video showing that speed.
looking at this boat but don't wanna deal with this problem and then voiding my warranty to fix it
You can get them straight from the factory with a jackplate now. I’ve called and verified with ranger if my boat was good or if I voided the warranty, and they said I’m fine. No warranty voided.
@@FishingwithBam awesome gonna go look this weekend dealer 2hr away that info just helped a lot I'm not buying one without jackplate
Definitely need a jackplate. Go with a manual. I got the hydraulic and I have never needed to use it. But your situation might differ. Price differences is a lot
Fishing with Bam I’m building it right now on there website is the hydraulic jack plate and set back plate same thing?
@@4greenb yes it is. i've not built one on the website since they added the option. So i'm not sure what company they use. but if you have a question on it let me know.
Do you think a 4” would be enough?
Sorry for the delay. Any set back will add a benefit to the performance. I have a friend that has a 4-inch manual jack plate. His boat runs well too.
Thank you for the reply
What size prop are you running and what hole is motor mounted on jack plate
23p tempest plus and the jackplate to the boat is on the second hole from the top and the engine to jackplate is also on the second hole from the top.
I'm new to bass boats..no offense, but what's the big deal of going 5mph faster or not? Thanks.
It’s not really about going 5 mph faster, it’s more about being on plane properly. The extra mph is just what happens when your boat is riding correctly. I normally ride around 40 ish once I get on plane. Depending on your body of water faster might not be safer. I’m on the lake of the ozarks, and if you’re driving fast during the day when the big cruising boats are out then your in for a back breaking ride. Plus driving at max RPMs constantly is (debatable) bad for the longevity of your engine. No offense taken, thanks for the comment!
Will you tell me what holes your motor was in before you put your jackplate on
Sorry for the lateness of the reply. I don’t remember off the top of my head but I’m pretty sure it was the second hole from the top. I will double check for you.
@@FishingwithBam thank you sir .. that is wat works for me.. me, loaded and 3/4 gas I get 59mph..
Thank you for the great video
@@FishingwithBam 1 hole down from the top is wat works for me
@@buddybrock4296 did you try any other level's? I put it on and never adjusted it from that position since I was happy with the performance I was getting. I'm not sure if the other hole positions would be better or not.
@@FishingwithBam I'm happy with wat I'm getting now.. second hole down from the top
what height is your jackplate set at please?
did you just drag your boat up the boat ramp. watching you hitting concrete i would have cut that out that dose void your warranty
I have a keel guard. Factory installed. Completely ok to do.
Not completely ok to do in my book! Factory keel guard installed or after market.
@@talltimber4577 no body gives a fuck about your book
@@williamarmstrongj1635 😂👍
What prop are you running?
23p tempest
Thanks bro.
@@chadstancil440 no problem. I tried different pitches and different props. This one was the one that gave me the best ride. Also the 3 plugs that are in the prop I experimented with taking them all out, then only a one, then two out.... keep them all in if you use this prop.
@@FishingwithBam thanks again. I am looking at a 198p and the dealer said I would lose speed with jackplate, I thought he was crazy.
@@chadstancil440 what year are you looking at? The 2020's at the local dealer by me all have jackplates on them. I got mine new in 2017 and they said they can't put jackplates on them because it causes performance lost. now they all come with one. Once the motors break in and the adding an ultrex to the front the boat starts to plow through the water. Jackplates fixes that. If you you got any questions man I can help.
I'm dealing with the same problem of pushing water and a big roost running trimmed all the way up to get 52mph @ 6k rmp, with the same boat and motor and light load. Ranger is having my dealer lower the motor on the transom but not sure if it will fix. Did you try to adjust the motor on the transom before you added the jack plate?
I did. My engine was placed up to high initially. I lowered one hole at a time trying to get it to work. It did a little better but it was still plowing water. @6k rpms you will be pushing 60mph with a jackplate. the manual says 5800 rpms is the max, but i find myself going 6k rpms without noticing because of how smooth it rides now. i've dialed it back now to 5500 rpms to keep the engine from having problems. But i have pushed it close to 7k rpms just to see if it would.......it does.
@@FishingwithBam Thanks for the info! I only have one more bolt hole to go, but if nothing else I will bite the bullet and go with the jackplate, if your getting lower rmps and more speed that's a win win in the long run. Do you by chance know your speed with a tournament load?(full tank, live well, gear and a co) I'm only seeing 45mph at 6k rpm.
With 2 people and full tournament load, full tank of gas and live wells full I get around 55mph. If I’m by myself I get between 59-61
@@FishingwithBam I have the same setup minus the jackplate. Speed with load and 3/4 tank of gas is 53 mph. Pushing a lot of water... Sucks
I use a Folgers coffee container that my wife gave me for a trash can. Cut a hole in the lid and bottom of the can. Hold in place using your butt seat post. Its a no cost trash can...
What rpm are you turning? I have the same boat and engine and I’m only getting around 47mph. It doesn’t seem to get up in the pad as it should.
I can push 6400 rpms but I keep it at 5000-5400 rpms. When i didn’t have a jackplate I was getting around 47mph as well.
Hey Bam. Thanks for sharing
Any regrets not getting the second passenger console ?
Sometimes I think about it, but I fished out of one that did have the second console and it got in the way of casting more than I thought. I’m sure if I had it I would get use to it and wouldn’t even notice. Now my buddy on the other hand constantly reminds me that I should have got it when we are flying down the lake on cold mornings.
👍. I’m on the fence myself but leaning towards the extra room as well. Your set up is sweet. Again thanks for sharing and replying.
If you could buy a new boat today, would you still go with a 198p or would you go with a 188p?
I would go with the 198 if I only had those choices, but that’s because of the lakes I fish and all the tournaments I fish. If you take away tournaments and I was just going out to fish a few hours on a quiet lake then I would go 188.
@@FishingwithBam Say, why do you say the 188, I am curious... boat shopping!
@@mydogdidit Hey Bill. If you fishing a smaller lake or maybe even a large lake that's not as busy, and you don't travel around fishing tournaments then the 188 is a good choice. It is cheaper and fishes the same as the 198p. You lose a little room and speed with the smaller motor but if you're not racing to your first spot in the morning I don't think you will miss it. If a tin rig is what you are wanting its not bad. Vexus, Xpress, and cresliner also make a boat in that price range and size as well. The Xpress is a good choice. Vexus is almost identical to the Ranger (unless they have changed things in the last few years).
Why drag a 35-40k ranger to the ramp that’s just wrong
I use a keel shield on my boat. It’s made just for this. The 70k Fiberglas boats do this as well. It’s completely normal.
How not to put a boat in the water. Why drag it on the bottom? Lol
You know what a keel guard is right…
@@FishingwithBam still not the best way to do this
@@OkieOutdoorsTV TH marine Z-launch cord. It’s really ok man.
Do you get pretty good bow lift and is there any chine walking?
Sorry for the delay in my response. Bow lift is perfect. I was plowing water before I added the jack plate, water spray was in front of the console, now it’s behind the rear storage boxes. Zero chine walk.
I do have a question why did you choose aluminum over glass? Just curious and also is it true that aluminum can get in skinner water?
At first it was the price for size of boat. Glass boats at this size are in the $50K+ range for base models, then add electronics, and trolling motors you can get in the $60K+ range. I paid $32k. They do sit higher in the water since they weigh less. You can get back into some pretty shallow water. Lift your engine up and your trolling motor and your can get into a few feet of water.
Thanks for the info Bam