well im about to finish my 13 lt and im looking for a boat cost effective but rides good has room for gear but right size for the engine i have been looking at the tracker topper 14 footer from bass pro shops but they have 12 footers all day long on craigslist for cheap i am just not sure what kind of boat these motors need ot excel anyrhing helps guys

No shorter than 14 and try to go at least 42 wide, maybe 36

A 16x40 is a good boat.

now whats the issue with the 12 i heard you say the 14 is goin slow so wont the 12 be better

Lt's run best with a long narrow boat. but less than 42" is not recommended just for stability. i like my 1438. i used to run a 12 upgraded quickly for the extra room. very hard to hunt out of a 12 and its still a pretty sketchy drive with an 11 hp lt. 1448 maybe skinnier, or longer would be good imo

my biggest worry is that im not gunn abe able to get the boat on plane im not trying to plow through the water i want to atleast slide up on top when in deeper water

The 1442 I have plows with two people and 4 dozen deeks...

My next boat will prolly be a 17x42
The longer/bigger your boat is the more area you can displace weight making it faster with a load.

23 horse with a 16 36

hey woodie you got any pics of yer rig i just picked up my frame this evening and wanna see pics of your boat and motor to get a feel of what im gunna be working with

Here ya go.... went and launched it just for you.

ive got a 12x36 for sale if u decide on goin wjth that size boat. ill take 200 for it

14ish alone

11.5 with 2 peeps and alot of gear

I've got a 1648 with a front deck and a 13hp LT with a 8x5 prop and with me and another guy I'm guessing I MIGHT get 10mph...... She's slow. Never ran it empty but she plows a lot of water.