Who has a jack plate / tunnel hull?

Also, I'm fighting between a 18' and a 20'

Any suggestions?

Mainly hunt lakes/bays with a few rivers mixed in

My 5500 is directly mounted to my 1850 with 20" side flat bottom

Not I.

If you are getting a huntdeck, don't forget they are not counted on the length. My 1750 is like 18'8"

Do not get a tunnel hull, big mistake with a mud motor, I am sure Kent will tell you that, tunnels are for outboards.
A jack plate is not needed, the motor has a power trim.
18' is the sweet spot for these mud rigs, Fooshman is correct, the hunt deck will add 20"s to the length of the boat.

I have enough trouble trying to turn my boat around in small creeks and its 17 feet long, I could not imagine trying to turn a 19'8" 0r 21'8" boat around in the same conditions.
You will find out that weight is also very important in these rigs and Gatortrax boats are already heavy, a boat that big will be tough to push off the trailer when you cant find a ramp or trying to get on step with 4 guys in deep silty mud.

I would go with the 18 feet boat with at least 21" sides hands down.

Ended up nixing the mud motor after talking with kent.

Now looking along the lines of a 18x62 CC with the hunt deck. That's why I'm looking at a tunnel hull

Deciding on what to build is tough!!!

I can't help with that setup, an outboard is not even an option in all the places I hunt, I am always looking for less than 6 inches of water and I ain't pushing a boat for a 1/2 mile to hunt like I used to when I was young.

You will be happy with a GatorTrax boat either way.

I think a Gator T with a tunnel and a 2 stroke is as good as a man can buy. If you use it only for the times you duck hunt, them mud motors are good options. If you are using it for fun, fishing, and duck hunting, 2 stroke all the way. I am willing to bet your 2 stroke with a jack and tunnel will run 6 inches of water all day long.

Main reason I got a mud motor is because I hit a lot of stumps. I was all ready to get an outboard for my Momarsh. I made a post on this forum before a bought it, and everyone talked me out of it, and I'm so glad. I worry about damaging the boat vs the motor. If you are not hunting stumps, different ballgame.

And bigger boat is harder for everything, harder to hide, harder to get unstuck, harder in narrow places, etc... I for sure like hunting out of my momarsh a lot more than my gator trax, just everything is easier.

I know it will run 6"

But I'm going 4 stroke not two. 2 strokes are becoming obsolete imo

I started really thinking about it and realized I'm gonna use this boat 10 months outta the year not just 3

And we hunt lakes and bays not really sloughs so having a nimble boats that can run in 2" of water isn't necessary basically I need a bay boat that I can hunt out of and bow fish

2 stroke 4 stroke is all good

Sounds like you know what you want now, enjoy the boat.
I have my Gatortrax for duck season mostly and run different stuff than you do. Lots of standing timber, driving over laydowns and beaver dams in creeks/rivers, and very long runs in shallow water in sand and silt due to our low lake levels. Most of the stuff I hunt is 2-3 inches of water and I can jump on plane in the silty mud with a mud motor.
Different ballgame hunting the coast like Wal and yourself.

I have a bass boat to fish from the rest of the year when I need to go fast so not an issue for me.

Enjoy your boat.

There is an easy way to drive through stumps with a regular motor. Kick the motor up and go slower There is a guy on here with a gator T and a 2 stroke. He has posted pics before. The one I remember, the boat is beached and there are a lot of stumps and dead trees. There were rods in the rod holders. To me that is as all around as you can possibly get. That boat will hit rivers, shallows, fish, duck hunt and ski behind it even. A 2 stroke motor will push a boat harder/much faster and with taller sides, the ability to take big water with confidence. I limited myself for so many years because "By God I am a duck hunter and I have to go shallow and Yada freakin yada". I don't know what you other guys will experience after 2 decades of mud motors. I finally told myself the truth and that truth is I was limiting myself from a whole lot of boat useage because of the "Duck hunter" image. I also know not one boat will not do it all. Therefore I try and keep 3 boats on hand at all times. Now 4 with the pontoon duck blind build. Some of you may never agree but that is what I truly believe.

Good luck finding sub 130hp 4 stoke with the lowend and weight numbers of a 2 stroke.

Plus and minus of the tunnel... Tunnel drafts more at rest, tunnel runs shallower. Where you hunt get a tunnel and etec

Jasbs runs a gator trax with out board

Bobo I would agree with you about the 4 strokes 5 years ago but they really have come along way

Buddy bought one when they first came out and although quiet it was a dog.

Two friends bought 4 strokes last year and they push the boats great with less noise and alot better fuel economy.

The technology with them is finally getting right

I been in Gdoggs outboard with jack plate a few times going thru the stumps, we would creep thru them pretty much idling, and every time motor hit a stump he was cussing. Another time with another member, we could not even get thru a stump field in his outboard. I have ADD, don't have patience for all that, I like to motor thru the stumps and not worry about hitting them, and I will hit stumps hard several times on every hunt. I go up to 15 mph thru stumps, Mohunter goes full throttle, I'm not that crazy, maybe one day I will work up to that.

Outboards also don't like lilies or hydrilla, or mud.. air cooled is a plus in shallow water

They have come a long way in the upper HP's SHO the new merc etc. it's trickling down for sure.
What about a jet motor?

Majority of his hunting will be coast. If he gets a tunnel, cav plate, jack plate and Skagg protector.. Only 2" of that skag will actually be below the hull on plane.

No doubt guy, you have to admit that was a fun ride though, although a short one. Remember what I told you, by next year you will be doing the same, it's either idle or full throttle for me whether I am in the open lake, stumps, mud, silt, veggies, tall flooded grass, or standing timber. I love running my boat thru and over everything, I like to test the limits of what it can do.
They will stop pretty fast when you hit a large tree dead on at 25 mph though, always try to bounce off trees and not hit them dead on. My Gatortrax has hit some dead on that would not break over and I have no dents in the front of my boat though, these boats are a beast. I will have to say my Godevil boat was just a strong also.

Don't know much about jet outboards bobo

My fear would be sucking up sand/mud in the impeller

Any vegetation or mud and that jet will get bogged down. I ran a jet for 15yrs...they are great when running rock/gravel or hard sand, but suck vegetation and mud into the impeller and bog it down. I switched from the jet (40hp powerhead/28hp at pump) to a mud motor(MB 5500) and have more power, faster, air cooled, etc...

much better with the mud motor for the stuff I hunt. Need an airboat now to hunt more effectively where I've been hunting the last 2yrs, just don't have a use for one outside of duck season.

Like wal said, there is no one perfect boat, but I think outboard/tunnel is about as all around as you can get for the areas you described.

well guys I think I finally found the boat.

18x62" CC with a 140 hp Suzuki with a powerpole, hybrid front end and huntdeck

Gonna look real similar to this boat without the side catwalk

I think you will like it. I don't think the hybrid will make that much difference on ride from what I've heard. Just loose a little fishing room.

Make sure you get a pergo switch.

I've ridden in a couple at the cost, most say it isn't that big of a deal. Takes two seconds to clean it out.

whats a pergo switch?

kent (sales guy at gator) has talked me out of several expensive options but was adamant the hybrid front end is a must have for the coast and bigger water. plus I like the way it looks

Oops auto correct Perko switch so you can shut batteries off when not in use.

Also do some research on aluminum and salt water... galvanic corrosion

Ditch the carpet on the trailer and go with something that doesn't hold water.

The little things can save you a lot of money when you resale