I re-powered my 17'6 bass boat with a 115.  The 115 hole shot is pretty dramatic (i.e. the bow raises up pretty high), and wondered if a hydrofoil would help plane out with a lower bow rise and plane out quicker. Anyone have any ideas here? The new outboard also just has an aluminum 3 blade prop, so didn't know if moving to a 19 or 20 pitch stainless steel prop would help the boat plane out better as well.

 

If you recommend a hydrofoil or fin, what is the best non-drill type to buy?

The fin will help no doubt, but so would a stainless prop and that'd give you all around better performance along with better durability. The other thing that could come into play is the mounting height of the motor on you transom. Personally that's the first thing I'd check because that will change everything else. It's easiest done with a video camera and a test drive to see where the motor is in the water on plane and also when you start trimming. I know the prop is a much more expensive investment, but dealers will usually let you try out what they have in stock. A fin would be my last resort. That's kind of a personal thing though as most bass boats with a fin are looked at as under-performing and or under powered.

Oh and one last thing, you need to look at your rpms at WOT. If you are running on the low end of your rpm range or below it, a lower pitch prop is going to help out quite a bit in the fact that it's quicker out of the hole and will raise your upper end rpms.