I've done a small amount of hunting on the ETX lakes and I don't see how you could effectively hunt out there without a mud motor. Key word there is effectively. Yes, you can run a OB to a certain point and idle from there, but you're going to waste a lot of time that way and still run the risk of sheering a prop. Look at the guides that hunt up there full time. Every one of them has a mud motor and there is a reason for that.

I would run a mod-v mud hull with thick aluminum bottom to handle the stumps and timber you will encounter. The boat my brother and I run is a 1756 Havoc MST with a stock 35MB and it works great up there on those lakes. The two of us with hunting gear can run 25-26mph which is plenty quick I think. If we put mods on the motor we could really scoot. The boat has inverted ribs, leaving a flat surface on the bottom of the boat, but allows you to cut on a dime. It also tracks really well with a trolling motor, unlike a true flat mud hull.

I run 17 foot SBX with a 37hp mud motor and center console.

The biggest drawback is how fast it slides on windy days with an absolutely flat bottom. The second is speed during the daytime in the middle of the lake. Plenty fast at night, in the rivers and skinny water. Scary fast in some cases.

You definitely want to be back by the console in rough water. Water flows out the back very fast and its pretty nice to be out on a windy day and realize the water isn't building up at your feet.

I love the boat. It is everything I always wanted, but I duck hunt and fly fish in the same shallow areas. Your mileage may vary.

If I were to have a second boat it would be a Hellbender Bull with an 8hp outboard for solo hunting.

In 46+ years of various hulls w/outboards, hunting all sorts of water (stumps, reeds, rocks, timber, etc.), the worst I've done is dents, shear pins and transducers. With this rig I raise the jack plate and tilt the motor up and slow down when I get in the crap. I can feel stumps on the hull and swing the [censored] end around to miss it w/the motor. You can probably go faster through the crap than me w/a mud motor, but I bet I can get to the crap faster!

I'm in agreement w/most that there is no perfect duck rig for every situation, however I'm extremely pleased with my latest ride.

X2^^^

I took mine across white caps the other day, dangerous but paid attention and got through it,,, would not have wanted to do it at night

Ol yeller why do you need the hunt deck on the back of the boat?

Why did you opt for no tunnel?

Just curious what your pros/cons were...

Nice rig BTW

Easier to get the pup in the boat and if you happen to goose the motor in reverse it doesn't boil over the transom into the boat.
It's also easier to get my butt in the boat when my waders are full of water (yeah, I did!).

Rick aka Homey da Clown explained to me that if I hunt mainly reeds, grasses and that type of lake bottom, the tunnel will tend to funnel the reeds, etc. to the prop. He said tunnel was good for rock, sand, gravel, and shell bottoms. At least that is my understanding.

Thanks ol yeller for your help.

I have a 2000 Xpress with a 90 HP Yamaha. I fish with it all year, tough on windy days because it is so light, but it works and it goes where fiberglass boats don't; I have the dents in the hull to prove it. It works great for duck hunting, too. I often take 2-3 of us, dog, gear, into good duck spots.

Sold and have run in CC mudboat w/outboards with and w/o tunnel...the sidewall edges of tunnels in heavy veg, cattails, etc will act like grader blades and not let the rear end swing around when idling or a slow speeds..and yes they funnel it all to prop too. Tunnel, outboard and jack = rocks/sand/gravel runner. You will also draft more at the stern with a tunnel due to loss of bottom surface area. huntdeck = easy for old man to get in/out of easier too

I've been wanting one like this for a while. A center console with a mud motor in the 18ft range seems like a good compromise for stumpy lakes and more open water.