Well, I will be gettin a boat a built in the next year or so for my LT then upgrading to a tall transom PD later.

I am pretty set on a 17x42 but a skiff or a bateau?
I run in the woods alot of the time and I think the skiff will split the brush a lot better than a pointed bow, I also like a skiff because you don't loose so much length in the rake like a bateau.

I grew up around flat bottoms and just want to try something different this go around, everybody says the skiffs don't do well in chop but I will cross borderline white caps and boat wakes a good bit of the time too, if there is a learing curve to doing it I can handle it.

I've also noticed some skiffs look different in the rake than others (like a Breaux and Acuion) is there anything behind that other than preference?

Are there any other pro's or con's I am missin?

Swamp skiff like brother breaux has a lower rake, the higher rake seems it would take a bow wave better without wanting to dive into the wave. the flatter rake skiff does take experience, especially crossing waves, the nose wants to dive , load correct and learn the feel of the boat, you will be ok. I only have used the flatter rake skiff and it planes a load out really well with a 40 merc. with 13 pitch prop, 1742 skiff with 1,000 lbs gets on plane really well.

If u r experienced n a boat, u will learn a skiff easy. U might get thrown on the floor a time r 2, but that's how u learn. As far as rake, down here u will c as many different skiffs as u could imagine.

Yep I just explained it wrong. more outward rake makes boat more stabile. The boat will have more reserve buoyancy to better right itself.

"Reverse Buoyancy" Is that another word for sinking?

I gots a Mudbuddy no reverse anything here.

I have a 18x44 skiff I'll sale

negative buoyancy = reverse buoyancy. reverse sounds better though.

Skiffs in the thick stuff are the sh*t. It depends how much rake you put . We call a skiff with no rake a plunger. Make sure you don't get one like that, it will throw you out eventually

With the sides angled out more there is more buoyancy pushing against it to keep vessel more upright, compared to straight sides. Higher sides in either application would help "load carrying". The skiff with angled sides will carry more load because of the fact buoyancy is pushing against more surface area. Anyone that has drove a skiff with straight up sides and turned hard knows what i mean, on step on the side. Thats not a good feeling , let me told you. I believe that some skiffs sacrifice angle of sides for bottom width in order to maneuver through trees better and still carry a load. Next step is to break out the Stability formulas and get everyone confused.