I was just wondering if anyone used hydrofoils on their bass boats. I just bought a 1986 Stratos fish and ski and it has one installed already. I have always found them great to help me get on plane on my older ski boats. My new boat is a 19ft. fish/ski w/150HP Evinrude w/ tilt/trim.  It also has a Max Force jack plate.  I'm not sure how to measure it but I think it's about an 8" jack plate with about a 6" set back.  My prop is 14 1/2 x 19p. I don't really think I need the hydrofoil. Just thought I'd get some of your valued opinions or theory's.

Get the right type and they work great with proper motor setup. About the best of the cheaper ones is the SE Sport 300. They go a long way at reducing bow lift and getting a boat on plane easier and with the motor set at the proper height, they don't slow the boat down because they are out of the water when on plane. I don't like the wider ones, that look like whale tails, they can bite the water on turns and make the boat do funny things.

If you don't mind how they look, you'll love it. Some people have a hard time dealing with the appearance part of them, they are not "cool" looking on the back of their shinney new bass boat.

A jack plate is measured by the amount of setback it has. If moves the motor back six inches form the transome, it's a 6" jackplate

Engine height (the distance the prop shaft is below/above the pad) is measured by parking the boat on a level surface, hold a level on the bottom of the pad and use the tongue jack to level the boat. Sit/hold the level on the anticav plate on the motor and trim the motor until it's level. Measure from the bottom of the pad to the surface and then from the the center on the prop shaft to the surface. Subtract the prop shaft measurement from the pad measurement and the difference is your engine height. Most average bass boats will run 2 1/2" - 4 1/2", depending on hull design, amount of offset and type prop being run.

I have the SE 300 on my boat and it made a huge difference in staying on plane at slower speed, but did add additional drag and did effect my top end speed.  However, I do not have a jack plate.

I would check and see what holes the motor is mounted in. A lot of dealers just throw the motor on and put it in the very top set of holes. I most cases it can be raised and many times all the way to the bottom set on a transome mounted motor. If you are dragging the hydrofoil your's is probably too low. It is recommended you have a water pressure guage before raising the motor very much though. Also, on a transome mounted motor, if you loosen the bolts holding the motor, make darn sure you put plenty of silicon back around the bolts before tighning. It don't take much a a water leak to totally ruin a wood transome is a few short years.

I have a whale tail on my fish and ski and it does seem to help get on plane on slow speeds.  I do think it slows broat down too.  I was thinking about jack plate but could not find anyone using on fish and ski.  I am trying to get better results when pulling tubers and people skiing.  Plus my boat seems to porpoise and trying to fix that problem.  The whale tale helps with that too but looking better over all boat control option.i have a charger fish and ski that is 20 long with 200hp