Ok guys...first want to say hello since im new here. Ive read and searched til my eyes are bloodshot and have learned a ton on this site. I currently have a 1754 war eagle with a 50hp yamaha. I was planning on selling the motor and putting a 35+ hp sd on it but have decided to sell this boat and start all over. I run alot of small rivers here in south mississippi that are nothing but sand and get pretty shallow in the summer. I also venture onto the Mississippi river some and as yall know it can get rough quick! In the winter most of my duck hunting spots are shallow and stumpy and i have to cross a good bit of open water to get there. I have confused myself about what kinda boat i want or need. I have been thinking of getting f&f to build me a 1860 with a slight v up front but that transitions to flat bottom in the back. still dont know what kind of motor i want. i know i want reverse...does the 45 mag have reverse? what are the pros vs cons of gtr vs pd?? which is the best to mod and what mods would you do? also opinions of tiller vs remote steer? any help or input is greatly appreciated

1st, welcome aboard. 2nd, a 45 Mag is a MB, so no reverse. 3rd, the pros & cons of a GT vs PD will vary from one location to another. Each motor will out-perform the other in the right elements. 4th, I prefer tiller vs console because all of the controls are at my fingertips. My buddy has a console rig, and to me it's more of a PITA to try to take off in it because the controls are spaced out. To me, it just seems like ya need about 4 hands to take off, and 3 hands if ya tryin to run a spotlight after ya get on step. I know this isn't always the case, but just tellin ya about my personal experience & preference.

Ask yourself- do you really need a 60" wide bottom? Thats a wide boat for a MM to push.

On PD vs GT vs MB vs GD its a Ford/Chevy thing- drive them all and make your decision.

On mods- Exhaust, heads, carb in that order. If you want more, go to BPS and get the internals.

I have a 18x60, it's very stable and has a lot of room, it handles choppy water well. It is a little harder ot hide than a narrower boat, I'm thinking about putting a phamton blind on it next year.

yeah...i may could step down to 1754ish boat but with some of the water is run in i would want a boat at least that wide and it would have deep sides and a tall transom...or a hunt deck or something of that nature. what are some options about the v front vs flat bottom. i want something that will handle shallow water and stump but still take the rough water of the mississippi...

In your original post you mentioned that you primarily navigate shallow sandy areas. I don't know about the rest, but my mud motor isn't exactly a standout when it comes to operating in sand. IMHO Jet drives are for operating in sand and gravel. Mud motors are for operating in mud and vegetatation.

With regard to the hull, you may want to look at a Phowler Extreme V, or something along those lines with a v to break the waves and a flat bottom for the shallows.

Best of Luck with your purchase.

You dont want any kind of v in your hull, it will grab into the grass and wont slide over stumps sideways as easily.

I run a 13 hp. longtail on a 1442 in the exact conditions you stated minus the river (25 outboard) and I would never own another outboard for runnin those conditions. The only thing I miss from an outboard is speed but a 25 ob and a 35 mm are about the same.

You have to use common sense when runnin sand, if that prop is coming into contact with the sand it will wear fast. Get out and push before you run up into and inch of water and that mofo is stuck.

Mod V front and flat bottom does well in the areas you plan to run. I had a 1754 Excel with 24" sides and tall transom and it did well for me running alot of the types of water you describe.