This is my first real bass boat and have some things to learn. This weekend I managed to ruin the prop by getting into the mud flats. I haven't been impressed with the Nitros ability to get up and out of the water. After happening on your site by using a "Nitro" search it led me here and specifically to a forum question on the Nitro. I see now that it is underpowered. It will still work for me for a while but since I have to replace the prop I am wondering what I need to get that would help it out. I was told that the prop is more of a speed prop and that I need to go to something else. Remember that I know very little at this point so any help will be appreciated. This is the 90 horse Mercury motor and a 1999 year model. I have numbers off the prop if needed. Thanks

Sorry for the post in the wrong place. If someone can move it to the correct forum do so and I will check it out after work. Thanks

welcome to the Forum old Goat.  

Hookem

Matt

what size motor do you have and what pitch prop

I personaly see no way a 90 hp Merc can turn a 23" pitch prop on a 17 ft boat.  I'm assuming that is a 17'.

When you say it get hung up just as it starts to lay over.  Are you refering to it just boggs there or the motor revs up, the prop quits pulling (known as cavitation) and you have to let off the gas and let the boat settle back in the water.  If the latter is the problem, and it's one of the later model merc props them make different size plugs to change the size of the holes behind the blade and migth cure that.

Does it have a Tach?  If so, what rpm are you turning with your normal load at WOT (wide open throttle).  Do you know what the factory recommend Max rpm is for that motor? The motor should be proped so it will turn at or very near the max recommend rpm for that model with a normal load

As for measuring pitch, they do make guages to do that with but if you pull the prop nut and washer off, it will probably had the diameter and pitch cast into the prop just under the washer.

Didn't mean to jump into ya'lls post but just thought I would add a couple of comments and things to look for.

The prop on it is a 23 pitch. The latter of what you stated seems to be a possibility as I can let off and get the boat to come down some and then hit the throttle and trim it and move on. I guess I need to know what came stock on this motor/boat combination. This is a Bass Pro Shop combination that I bought used. I really don't need anything bigger at this point. The top speed i have gotten it is 53 and I don't need to go that fast. I just want to get it up on the water without having to monkey with it. I have really paid no attention to my rpm's since I knew literally nothing until today about all this pitch and everything. I've been trying to find my motor manual for info. I'm from the old school where you sit in the front of a flat bottom boat and crook a paddle in your left arm/shoulder and fish with your right as you go around the bank. I'm ready to move UP though! THANKS for any and all info.

I've fished a many a mile with paddle in one hand while fishing with the other.   With my first boat, for two years my trolling motor was me sitting on the bow, feet hanging in the water, my paddle in my left hand, rod and reel in the right.  I'm left handed, so it didn't take long for me to get dang good at casting right handed when I needed to paddle and cast at the same time.

With your prop, you need to work from a good known to the unknown.   First you need to be sure of the known, RPM at WOT with normal load and Max recommended rpm of the motor.  If it's already hot where you are, that's going to drop the rpm of the motor so that needs to be taken into account so when fall comes around, your're not over reving it.  The type prop you're running now, does it have the changeable relief holes behind the blades and still not sure if what your talking about is cavitation or bogg.  Is the motor reving way up and you have to let off or are you just letting off and hitting it again to help kick it over the hump.  Is the bow lifting real high and your having to let off to get it to drop?

No, It is not overreving. More like a bog. You let off so it will drop and then have to trim to compensate. If you compensate too much when it gets on down then you have to be quick not to overrev  the motor by lowering it a bit more.

I believe that you are going to find that the standard outboard for that boat is a 75 HP Merc.  I did a bit of a search and that is what I found.  That 90  HP should kick that boat up on plane and out of the "hole"  with ease.  Just a thought, are you trimming that thing all the way down when you start out? You say it bogs down.  I would make sure it was trimmed down and see if that won't get it on plane.  

I'm going to go with Ben here and agree, that 90 just won't turn that 23p to where you'll ever have any kind of holeshot.  Since blazing top end speed isn't a priority, I'd give a 19" prop a try.  Watch your top end rpm's though.