Hey guys been reading on here for a long time and y'all have helped me with quite a few questions already.
I have a short transom 36 Prodrive and was wanting to get a craw fish skiff built for it. Wanting it around 18' long 46" wide and want a hunt deck on it. Here's my question what do y'all think about this set up being short transom and what are my pros and cons to the hunt deck? Thanks for any responses

I would go with 18'-19x46" just like you are wanting without the hunt deck.
The boat will handle it fine.
I had my prodrive on a hunt deck, liked the space, but hated the controls and throttle being so far, and turning right was a bitch!

You will be fine with a short transom, and you will like it.

lets see, short transom, hunt deck, maybe a casting deck on the front, and no rake so it flips you out the boat.

sounds perfect!!!!!

Hunt decks are fucking stupid with a ProDrive. You need to be close to the motor... Easier to turn sharp, reach the FPR lever, and pick the motor up to clear it.

Save the extra money you'll spend on a hunt deck, and put it towards a tall transom conversion for your motor instead.

Make it a 3 piece hull, with square chines and a 48" 3/16" bottom with 2x2 longitudinal bracing in the bottom. 18" tall 1/8" sides with catwalks for strength, and save your money on any catch me fuck me side crimps anyone wants to talk you into.

Nothing wrong with an 18x48, but 20x48 does everything better, and goes everywhere an 18' boat would.

And I will repeat this one more time..... Get square chines. If you are worried about sliding, learn how to drive.


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Good point Crews. but a 20x42 is a great size for a skiff aswell.

Damn good advice Crews. People worry too much about a square or single taper chine. They slide, who cares. A little tiller time and you'll have that thing whipping in and out of places you didn't think it was capable of. For a skiff, square chine all the way.

Thank y'all for the advice definitely some great points to think about. Dead animal, I don't know as much as y'all so I have to ask or I won't learn I don't have enough money to learn by trial and error so I'll let the guys (y'all) that know more tell me what to do hints the reason for I guess what you thought was a dumb question. But thanks again to all of the good advice I appreciate it.

there are no dumb questions, it's alot better to ask and get as much info as you can before you build something that you won't like.
it used to be about 250$ to switch a pd from short to tall transom. you will never regret it.

i run a 20x44 skiff. 18'' sides and 20'' transom. if i had to do it again it would have 20'' sides.
make sure u put a good catwalk on it so the sides won't flex and add a halfpipe or some hat channel on the sides if you are in the woods alot, it helps keep the sides straight.

if you put the floor braces side to side instead of front to back it will get all jacked up over time, depends how hard you are on your boat.

19 or 20' rides alot better than a 17 or 18' skiff. if you can pass with a 18' boat, the 20' boat will do it too.
i can't answer the huntdeck question, never seen or wanted one on a skiff. [just my opinion]



last thing, put some rake in that skiff, or it will catch a wave and throw you and everybody else out when crossing a wake or big wave. if you go to the landing and see 20 skiffs, they are all made differant, so go look around and talk to people and get an idea of what u want.
a llily keel is a must if you want to put a outboard on it and run lillies. i've seen folks run keels with mudmotors, they claim it helps.

uncle j on here has made about a million skiffs, might want to look at some of his.

good luck with whatever you decide.

i haven't looked into the tall transom swap for my prodrive i doubt its cheap... but based off what y'all are saying the hunt deck is pointless so thats out no question. Cat walks i didn't even think about until you guys brought it up so ill probably get some 4 inch ones. Longitudinal braces seems to be a crowd favorite of y'all and i understand why, i was going to get Extreme metal fabrication to build my skiff but i don't know if they charge extra for them or if thats how they build them naturally. I'm not dead set on EMF so if y'all know of someone (I'm sure y'all do) that builds a boat close to the same price I'm open for suggestions. don't want a bunch of BS in the boat i want a basic open floor plan. where i hunt mostly we spend a lot of time sitting in the boats so room to move without bumping elbows and crowded foot room will be nice. i do not know what a rake is so ill have to look that up i guess.

Rake is refereed to as the upward rise in the bottom of the hull at the bow. The less it rises the more chance you have a boat that handle poorly in rough water. Your Plowing through waves Vs riding on top. Cross waves suck when you hit them little bow rise and will push or pull the boat. The more of the boat bow that is out of the water more "control" you have. That is about as best as I can explain

i understand that thanks for the break down. so the bow rake is a must. I've read the topic of transom rake that y'all had and i really didn't get a answer. there were pretty split opinions. the reverse of the prodrive naturally lifts the transom so from my understanding i do not need this. correct me if I'm wrong.

I wouldn't worry about a transom rake or "cut back". I think they are pointless.


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if you get a skiff from extreme, just let them build it like they normally do. it will be fine. on that side of the basin they put plenty rake in their skiffs.

Here are some crapy pics..lol
He cut the transom down for my go-devil and added a oh-shit handle after these pics. I like an open boat.


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thats a good looking skiff i like the built in tank i talked to him Friday and got a quote I'm waiting to order when i get my paycheck at the end of the month thanks guys for the help