Is your 23 ported? If you want more hole shot and like your top end, have a prop shop port your prop. I had a laser original on a bass boat that was ported. Hammering down in the hole due to the porting taking the load off the blades, the engine got up in RPMs really fast giving me a good hole shot. I didn't even tuck it in, had the engine vertical for the shot.
Once on plane, as I was trimming out, and at around 30 MPH the slip stream across the blades had enough pressure to seal off the holes, forcing all the exhaust out the end of the barrel and it was like an old stick shift with overdrive.....engine immediately dropped in RPMs, boat lurched forward, and the boat took off....obviously RPMs coming on up with the increase in speed.
That's why, after learning of ported props, I always ran one....you get the best of both worlds.
