Oh, to be 17 and bulletproof again. Thanks for all the replies. And the humor.

After we bust our way out to where we are going to hunt I pin the front of my GDSD up against the bank or a tree and blow the hole out with the prop wash. You talk about making a sweet hole. I grind the crap out to the ice with my rig.

The best hunting we get in Nebraska and South Dakota is when we break ice. I've had numerous boats (.100 and .125), and never had a problem up to 2" with any of them. I take a half inch at full throttle with my last boat (.125 excel) and never had an issue.

The fastest my boats have ever gone is running the river in slush. The boat rides high and gets good "traction".

20 years ago, a friend's dad used have a "mount on contraption" that was built out of 2 3/8 pipe that he used on the front of his boat. Worked fine, but I really don't think it's necessary.

I wouldn't worry about a mud boat in breaking ice.

get a mud boat and let er buck!!!

We break Ice all winter up here in MN on P4... to give you an idea my buddys 21ft boat will easly break 6" in feb.

I have me a thin ( 14 guage) flat bottom 1436... it froze a few years back in Texas (for 2 days, and the State damn near went crazy all over the roads). I was breaking any where from 1-2inches of ice out to my spot. Hunted till noon (had to break the ice every hour with the boat), and on the trip back I finally had the Ice split my hull. Luckily it did it some 75 yds from the boat ramp, and all it did was split the seam where it was welded together. Quick and easy fix, but that could have been much worse... The ice pushed in the sides of my boat till the weakest point (the weld) gave in. I also had 3 guys/gear/dog in the boat.

On a brighter note I shot a banded Mallard Drake that hunt, got to pick up 8 dead mallards on top of the ice (one walked all the way across to the opposite bank), and came down with the flu as well.

Ah the memories!!!!!