Here goes. Ya'll all line up to throw rocks.
I have a 19' Cat and I went against Shoalwater's suggestions and put a 4 stroke 115 Yamaha with a 4 blade prop on mine. They told me they wouldn't be responsible because the boat wouldn't perform the way it was made to. 1) I have never had my boat overheat or have problems with the low water intake on my motor. 2) I don't know how the hole shot could be any better. With 3 adults and an 11 year old, it comes out like a charm. 5 is too many in this boat. 3) With the 4 blade prop I have given up some speed but I am not in that big of a hurry most times. 35-38 at 5400 rpms. 4) I downsized from a 23' Shallowcraft to this boat. It takes the rough water better than that boat and I would have to agree on being very comparable to the 22 Gulfcoast. Best friend has one that we fish out of. 5) I wouldn't trade for any other boat on the water. It is exactly what I wanted and performs like I hoped it would. I never fish out of the boat and spend lots of time in very skinny water. My only negative is that it doesn't perform well at all with a livewell full of water. I am a artificial fisherman and my livewell doesn't get used. A few times we have bought bait for my kid's to fish under a cork and it changes the performance of the boat a bunch. I would buy bigger if I put water in the livewell. The extra weight is tough on the hole shot and the 115 4 stroke.