Pods on a Tunnel hull.
 

I was wanting to get some input on how aluminum tunnel hulls perform with floation pods. I'm looking at getting a 1548 with a tunnel.

It works. Makes it easier to take off in shallow water.
Reverse sucks on a tunnel hull, pods will make it worse.

Very true as I have them on my 1756 alumacraft tunnel hull. I know reverse sucks big time. I assume they do work in shallow water as I have a fifty hp Honda on the back of my boat.

Yea i guess you can't have the best of both worlds. I really want the shallow water performance in the marsh and on the river by the house, got run over a few sand and gravel bars to get to the fish.

Just so you know tunnel hulls are great but work best in mud. I have herd on hard surfaces they are hell to get out when stuck.

that tunnel is like dragging a 5 gallon bucket everywhere, longer boat comes up flatter

they used to make some 18x42 ventilated tunnel boats in cameron, styron? good marsh boats

I agree,short boats do not run as good as the longer hulls with a tunnel. Southfork 18x42 or 44 is the best running factory built boat on the market.

Karl Styron, in Creole. He is still a welder, don't know if he still builds boats. He built a lot of duck blinds and boats for Little Pecan. If'n you want him to build one, let me know. I can holler at him.

I had a 20 X 36 with vented tunnel and a 40 Merc. Ran great. Didn't feel like it was pulling anything behind it.

It ran like a normal boat in deep water. Ran like a scalded dog in 6" of water. In shallow water it would level off and scoot.

A 15 foot tunnel won't do what an 18 foot one will. Alweld makes a deep tunnel that's supposed to do pretty good if you take it and have a vent put on it like the southfork.

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Longer boats do better with a tunnel.

Wish mine was 2 feet longer

It's called footites. Everyone wants a bigger boat. Just like other appendages.

Thanks for the info, more than likely going with a 18'. Speed isn't a big deal, like to run shallow and get up in shallow water. What's ya'lls opions on southfork boats?

18 ft. would be the shortest I would get in a tunnel hull.
2 ft. is not much more cost on an aluminum boat.
Buy the right one the first time.

talk to ray about that custom, no kidding

may save some cash

Alweld builds a boat with a perfomance tunnel which is wider and shallower then standerd tunnel. I run a 15x48 alweld with this and it does well in open and shallow water without vent and from what i understand they were built for runnin rivers up north. You can buy this on alot of diff size boats from pretty short to nice and long and diff widths up to around a 52 wide

Yea i need get with Ray, could get it built with the exact layout i won't. I don't want to go to long cause i get in some tight spots sometmes. Would like to come ya'lls way sometime and try Lacaissene out.

And flats preform better than semi-v's

Karl is a commercial welder, he works on oilfield work boats and crew boats. I talked to him at the Fur and Wildlife Festival in Jan.
I will find out if he still builds boats.

Just sent his wife a message on FB.

Good deal, PM me the info if he's still building boats. Thanks for all the input.

LeBlanc's Boat Works in Erath builds some NICE boats. Mr. Bubba can build you any kind of boat you want and will do it to any specs you need.

I run a 16x42 with a 25hp tohatsu and i love it!! I would've liked the extra 2' but didnt think I'd get the performance with a 25. During duck season I'll load 4 guys, 5 doz dekes, and my 80 lb lab with gear and get up on step in 1 1/2' water easy, if the muds soft i can do it in 1'.

Shawn Braquet, i know i'm several years late on this convo but i was searching for the other boats like the one i ordered today from Lake Area marine and i came across this forum. I ordered a 16'x42" Alweld with a jackplate and 13 pitch Powertech Prop with cup in it on a 2015 25hp Tohatsu 4 stroke, with what Alweld calls a performance Tunnel which is about a 3" tunnel. My questions are, is your boat a tunnel or flat bottom? How do you like that set up with the Tohatsu, and also how come i don't see tunnel hulls with skegs welded in them anymore?

My first boat i bought 20 years ago Karl Styron built it...it was a 17'x36" tunnel made out of 1/8th"/ .125 gauge with a skeg in it with a 2 stroke Merc 25.....When fishing the Big Burns in it, it literally would go ANYWHERE i wanted floating turf didn't matter i could go anywhere except cross the highway ....lol Why don't you see tunnels with skegs around?

I have a the same 17X36 Karl Stryon, your talking about. I think the surface drives have reduced the need for deep tunnels with skegs. Outboards can run pretty shallow but they can't run shallow with lots of vegatation; that's where the mudmotors shine.

Also is anyone familiar with the 25 tohatsu 4 stroke conversion to the 30?