I am thinking about going to a Hydraulic plate on my Pantera II would I benefit by going to a hydraulic plate?

Maybe...maybe not.
Advantage to the hydraulic:
you can change instantly for water conditions, when it gets horrible rough, you can drop the motor down to help with cavitating in big waves. Idling back in a shallow flat? Raise it up. If That's not any big deal, then the hydraulic is a waste of money.

I like Bob's the best, never had one of hundreds rigged ever fail.

Thanks Pat, trying to decide if its more of a want or a need lol

more of a want in my opinion.

there are a few reasons a hydr. plate is handy... like pat said.

extreme load variations (such as guides) a hydr. plate is nice.

most guys find a hydr. plate confusing and at times can be dangerous as you can easily take
the prop out of the water and blow it out. just gotta know where it needs to be for the
certain situtations that you may want to move it.

Most bass goys never move the plate. Tunnel flats hull will work their plate hard but that's a different conversation.

if you fish shallow water in the bays, a hyd is the only way to go. it's along the same lines as a power pole over a stick it pin.

Thanks for your input guys, no bay fishing in my boat lol Just trying to decide if its worth being able to change on the fly.... I fish a lot of different lakes and conditions change a lot. I have gotten a way without one for five years now and came a cross a good deal on one. Thought I would ask others before I pull the trigger.

I put one of Steve's 6" jack plates on my Sea Ark 1872CC and a bottom plate to mount the SI transducer to. Steve's manual JPs are the best, easily adjusted on the water with two wrenches that I carry in a storage space. It has a ratchet adjuster that moves in 1/4" increments so you can easily get back to your original position. The unexpected bonus was a three second hole shot. Not too shabby with an E-tec 90.

well if its a good deal, buy it, nobody ever got mad about adding value till their rig

"Good deal"??
Careful man, there are some junk plates out there. If it's a Bob's go for it, CMC is tweaky, Detweiler? Run away.

This is the first boat I have ever had a jack plate on and it came with the boat I could definitely live with out it. about all its good for is really rough water like pat said other then that i dont ever really touch it i go shallow i just tim the motor up 3 weeks a goo i had 8 people in my boat and i didn't need to mess with it at all but i dont go much over 4000 rpms 33-35 mph max most of the time i just cruse at about 25mph the boat will get up to 47 with the 150 that on there it just drinks gas though and i am scared to death to hit a log or stump with customers in the boat. i was with a friend and we hit one doing about 10mph i flew to the front of his boat grand the rail by the concel swang around and busted his wind shield in his CC jack up my back for a a month once in a while i will open it up and run wide open but no very often In my opion if you really just have to have one get a hydraulic other wise i dont see much point in them you have to loosen the bolts slide it up or down see how it runs then adjust seems like a lot of hassles but i cold me wrong I personly just dont think i need all that stuff on my boat jack place power pole they are just to much money and just one ore thing to brake and need fixed. if my jack plate broke tomarrow i could care less. it dent take much to drop and anchor or get you mmoter set up with out a jack plate how many years have they used boats with out them and they did just fine

I am not a bass boat owner, but I would say that (nearly universally) being able to raise and lower the motor from the helm is always a plus, not just trimming it up....but to each his own.