Your Prop

[Bduck]

How many of you have damaged props? I keep a close eye on mine and make sure I don't get to close to the bottom. A damaged prop can really put alot of vibration into your lower unit and over a period of time can cause bearing failure and crack the lower units housing. Little dings can be filed out carefully without taking away any of the props integrity, but if it has significant damage, it would be worth putting it into a prop shop or replace it as soon as possible. A prop shop will restore it to its original spec's. Also, another issue I have seen on several occasions is the prop not properly seated. More vibration issues. I have informed some other boaters about this because I have spotted it. The lock tab for the prop nut tends to get offset while tightening the nut. This is where you have to pay attention that it is seating while you tighten down. If you have a flat locking tab, the nut will seat ok, but some tabs are designed for the nut to fit inside it. These are the ones that throw things out of whack. Whenever I bought a used boat or motor, this is an area I like to pay attention to. Always make sure your prop is secure and take a look at the nut. Even if a shop does some work in the area of your prop. They get them offset too.

 

[SuperD]

I use a prop guard on my trolling motor so I can get in tight to shore without worrying about my prop. My big motor has polished the tips of the prop on a couple sand bars but never hit anything hard with that one yet,

 

[BlackTalon]

damaged prop?

Yeah, I messed my prop last trip but I was sturgeon fishing. I got a little too shallow and now I am paying the price ($115 to be exact) and I don't like it. I will probably not be so adventurous again. I guess you got to push the comfort zone every once in a while though.

Evan Harris

 

[Bduck]

I use a prop guard on my trolling motor so I can get in tight to shore without worrying about my prop. My big motor has polished the tips of the prop on a couple sand bars but never hit anything hard with that one yet,

My kicker sits up alot higher than my main motor. I sometimes worry about floating debris or something submerged for either motor.

 

[SuperD]

Last year my wife had a real hot fish on and it was kicking her butt at the back of the boat. It darts for the motors and goes head first into the prop. It even hits it hard enough to kill the motor. When I raised the motor, the fish was wedged between 2 of the blades. laugh hyst NO PROP DAMAGE! laugh hyst

 

[Bduck]

Last year my wife had a real hot fish on and it was kicking her butt at the back of the boat. It darts for the motors and goes head first into the prop. It even hits it hard enough to kill the motor. When I raised the motor, the fish was wedged between 2 of the blades. laugh hyst NO PROP DAMAGE! laugh hyst

Did it tenderize the meat? laugh hyst

 

[Full_Monte]

I've been pretty lucky with my prop. Same prop since 1988, and still looks good. That is most likely due to not using it very much because of work. I do a lot of beach parking of the boat, too. That said, I'm going to try a different pitch prop than the stock one this year. I fish lakes that vary from almost sea level to 7,500 ft. The engine loses some power at high altitudes, and stalls more at low speeds. I'm thinking that a lower pitch prop will help. I thought about changing the jets in the carburetor, but can't find any info on it.
Prop is 11 1/2 pitch. On order is a 10 pitch.

 

[SuperD]

Full_Monte, the prop will certainly help. But back when I used to have a carburated boat, I'd carry a screwdriver onboard so I could make slight air/fuel mixture adjustments for high altitude. Turn the screw ever so slightly in either direction and you could just hear it run better.

 

[Bduck]

I've been pretty lucky with my prop. Same prop since 1988, and still looks good. That is most likely due to not using it very much because of work. I do a lot of beach parking of the boat, too. That said, I'm going to try a different pitch prop than the stock one this year. I fish lakes that vary from almost sea level to 7,500 ft. The engine loses some power at high altitudes, and stalls more at low speeds. I'm thinking that a lower pitch prop will help. I thought about changing the jets in the carburetor, but can't find any info on it.
Prop is 11 1/2 pitch. On order is a 10 pitch.

It will definately help. It'll bring bring you out of the hole quicker as well. An old boat I use to have I went from a 19 pitch down to a 17 pitch for pulling skiiers and there was no bogging down. It was labored to get out of the hole with the 19 pitch.

 

[Sportfishinsteve]

I destroyed a prop one morning just off the ladders at Strawberry when the water was high. Hit that small island to the East of the big one...barely submerged. Had to troll in on my kicker motor. Since then I'm more careful. And...I always carry a spare these days. I now have a stainless on my 200HP Yamaha. I had it fine tuned last year by a prop place