by Ray » Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:33 pm
I had a 20' X 36" Weldcraft. It had a tunnel and a 25 hp 2 stroke.
It was great for hunting ducks, but was lacking HP for Alligator hunting.
So I got a 40 HP 2 stroke Mercury. Great set up. Lots of torque, good to carry a load. But motor too heavy for shallow water take off during
duck season. I could move gators around to level the load. During duck season, I had to sit my friends on the bench seat. They didn't like
laying down at the front of the boat.
If you are using in shallow water, I would go with a 2 stroke. 4 strokes are great for fishing, but for hunting, I wouldn't go with the 4 stroke.
They don't have the punch for take off that the 2 stroke has.
If you go with a tunnel or just a jack plate, I wouldn't go any shorter than an 18 ft. boat. Longer boats take off better in shallow water.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten a 42" bottom instead of a 36" bottom.