2012 Nitro Z-8 Set Up??????/

Frank T Sanchez Jr · Jul 19, 2016

Hi everyone,

I am hoping one of you could suggest a remedy to this problem.
I am new to Fiberglass bass boats. I had a 2008 Xpress H51 with a 90 Yamaha before this.

I purchased a used 2012 Nitro Z-8 with a 10 inch manual jack plate, a 2012 Mercury 200 Pro XS and a 23 pitch tempest plus prop.

The boat runs really wet. I am throwing water in every direction for what seems like forever.

The motor was set 3 3/8" below the pad.
My top end was 61-62 MPH, but I had a rooster tail about 15 feet high until I got up and it would drop to about 2 feet above the motor after trimming it all the way up and the RPMs were at 5700 to 5800. Water pressure at 18 lbs. This was all with a full 60 gallons of gas, No water in the live well, full load of tackle and about 170 pounds in the driver's seat.
But it is a wet, wet, wet, ride. Trimmed all the way up the water is breaking only about a foot behind the driver's seat.

After playing around with different props (25 pitch 4 blade and 3 blade) and motor height, I have settled with the Tempest 23" 3 blade, the motor set at 4 1/8th" below the pad and I lost 1 -2 MPH and about 100 rpm.
The boat handles a little better, but everything else stayed the same, except there's a little bore boat out of the water.

Any suggestions on the setup to get more boat out of the water and a little more speed.

Or am I wanting more than I can get out of this 200 Pro XS?

Frank from Louisiana

Kirby Wilson · Jul 20, 2016

A 200 hp motor is really not enough motor for a Z8. Also you should be throwing a rooster tail no tallergies that the motor. It sounds like you are not getting enough lift on the boat.

Frank T Sanchez Jr · Jul 20, 2016

Thanks Kirby.
I kind of figure that but wasn't sure. The boat is heavy and rated for a 250.
Thanks again.

South Texas Joe · Aug 3, 2016

Frank T Sanchez Jr said:
Hi everyone,

I am hoping one of you could suggest a remedy to this problem.
I am new to Fiberglass bass boats. I had a 2008 Xpress H51 with a 90 Yamaha before this.

I purchased a used 2012 Nitro Z-8 with a 10 inch manual jack plate, a 2012 Mercury 200 Pro XS and a 23 pitch tempest plus prop.

The boat runs really wet. I am throwing water in every direction for what seems like forever.

The motor was set 3 3/8" below the pad.
My top end was 61-62 MPH, but I had a rooster tail about 15 feet high until I got up and it would drop to about 2 feet above the motor after trimming it all the way up and the RPMs were at 5700 to 5800. Water pressure at 18 lbs. This was all with a full 60 gallons of gas, No water in the live well, full load of tackle and about 170 pounds in the driver's seat.
But it is a wet, wet, wet, ride. Trimmed all the way up the water is breaking only about a foot behind the driver's seat.

After playing around with different props (25 pitch 4 blade and 3 blade) and motor height, I have settled with the Tempest 23" 3 blade, the motor set at 4 1/8th" below the pad and I lost 1 -2 MPH and about 100 rpm.
The boat handles a little better, but everything else stayed the same, except there's a little bore boat out of the water.

Any suggestions on the setup to get more boat out of the water and a little more speed.

Or am I wanting more than I can get out of this 200 Pro XS?

Frank from Louisiana

South Texas Joe · Aug 3, 2016

I would try a Fury Prop ...on my 2015 Z9 with a 250...it's beats the Tempest prop it came with hands down...summer or winter it's quicker out of the hole and on top end ...I had to raise my motor an inch higher than it was set by the factory to get the best performance ...