I'm new to the forum and have read up a good bit on hull/motor combos and what speeds they get. I hunt an area with a lot of cypress knees but don't have the cash for a custom hull with longitudinal stringers. I don't hit them a lot, but they're out there so I'm leary of using a riveted 1436 with a small motor. I could see a situation where I might actually puncture a hull like that. So a laterally braced hull is what I'm looking at.

This afternoon, I'm picking up a used 1542 F&F 0.100 with a rear bench seat and a small deck up front. Otherwise it's open (will post pics later).

My main desire is to be up on plane w/ 2 guys and gear, so 10-12+ mph. I'm thinking I'll need at least 18HP for this hull, possibly 23HP. Am I in the right ballpark? Would a 13HP possibly get it done? And yeah, I'll be scouring the classifieds here and everywhere else for a good used LT.

14 HP with a 8x7 prop will "probably " get you on plane and give 14 - 15 MPH.

Mark F. Cheney

you would be very happy with 23, should push it around 19 or 20 with a hunt load.

Up until now, I hunted with a 1754 War Eagle/50HP Johnson. I pretty much idle everywhere I go, so the 50HP is useless. I can get to the ramp an hour early, be the first guy to launch and still get passed halfway to the hole I want. If I use a LT, at least getting there early will give me some advantage by being able to scoot at a reasonable speed above idle.

Add to that, the boat is really bigger than I like to try to hide. It's great for fishing/jugging/trotlining, but I find myself fishing 90% of the time out of my 1436 with a trolling motor.

So the War Eagle is for sale. Anybody interested in a 1754 stick steer War Eagle, give me a shout.