I am wondering if a Backwater EFI 37 (or smaller) long tail will work on a 16 foot gator hide? I hunt with 2 and some times will with 3. I currently have a 14 crimped jon boat with a 18 hp go devil. the boat is starting to grow to many holes to keep up with. I lay down in it when I hunt, so I am considering a 16 foot gator hide. I never go in just mud flats, but shallow water with mud bottom (in and around Galveston bay) and some sand bottom to get to the hunting spots, so i'm not concerned about straight up mudflat performance. I am willing to give up the lightness of my boat to gain the better hull and blind of the gator hide IF I don't loose a s**t load of performance by going to a heaver and WIDER (62") hull. I would also like to flounder gig off season is why I would like to stay with a LT. I have tried to do a search, but didn't find what I am looking for so any thoughts would be appreciated.

Yes it will work , frank the tau. , runs a 35 backwater on a similar size war eagle boat. , he's running mid 20's. With his set up.

H Finn

I have read that your boat really scoots Finn. You don't think a 37 will be to big?? I was told that it can never be to big but that wasn't about a long tail if u smell what im stepping in..

Gator hides have 35 on them (surface drives ) mainly , so that longtail will not be too much weight wise. As far as size. , I'd go with the biggest you could afford. , that way you won't have to upgrade later . I run a 23 because my rig is pretty small , only 15'. X 36" duck skiff. . It's pretty much perfect of my set up .

H Finn

I'm at the point where I can either stay small and light ( like I am now) and keep the bennies because of it like a motor that still has pull start, don't have to have a BATT, can get the boat unstuck my self and can reach more excluded places to hunt.... Or I can step up to a little bigger hull ( but better hull ). I am just really concerned with the size difference. Frank's boat is only 48" wide. The gator hide is 62". That's a big difference and I don't know how that factors into boat speed and performance with a LT??