I am interested in hearing peoples thoughts on the difference between a tunnel hull and a V hull . I will be fishing in Texas around Port O�Conner, Rockport and the South Padre Island. I mainly want to use this boat as a poling skiff to flyfishing from. I understand that tunnel hulls allow you to get up and plane in shallower water. What other differences are there between a V- Hull and and a tunnel hull?
I was getting geared up to get a SUV17 and then I heard about the new Cayenne from Ankona. I am wondering if a tunnel hull would be better suited for the for the Texas Coast

I could not imagine trying to fish in the places you listed without a decent tunnel setup.

Advantage of straight V hull: Faster, smoother, handles better, backs up better.

Disadvantage: You will be limited to 20% of the water.

Here's what makes the difference: A proper setup tunnel hull will allow you to use your eyes to navigate. If it's a dark (grass) bottom, you can go through it (not necessarily get up in) With out a tunnel, you can't.

It depends (doesn't everything?) For the areas you mentioned tunnels will allow you to POSSIBLY get up on plane from a shallow start - but at POC they will BEAT you to death crossing the bay, if its mainly back pocket fishing along ICW, tunnels are great, but a tunnel actually sits LOWER in the water as opposed to a full displacement flat bottom - Majek, Shallow Sport hulls dominate the area you are looking to run in - Look at Transport boats they will run in wet dew -

A well designed FLAT hull with a POCKET (not full prop) tunnel will actually run shallower than a cat or tunnel hull

Huh?? I've never seen ever a pocket tunnel hull that can operate with the prop completely above the bottom of the hull.

It's all a matter of priorities and compromises. I won't compromise on shallow water abilities, so that's what I have, you might not be as willing, so you'll want something different. Thank goodness we have choices.

A lot of the fly fisherman in the Rockport area and fly fisherman that come to Rockport use:
http://www.hellsbayboatworks.com/
http://www.maverickboats.com/
http://www.rangerboats.com/models.cfm?gid=39&mid=6575
If you can fine a Gordon it's a copy of the Hells Bay, they are no longer made. My buddy has a Gordon.
The above boats will put you in 6-7 in of water. You will be able to fish the back bays.

I agree with Pat's first comment.

I agree with Pat. A shallow draft/tunnel hull boat can run in deep water, but a deep water boat can't run shallow.

I'll give up the speed and ride quality to be able to fish where I want.

I did have a boat with a tunnel you could disengage with an air vent. It worked surpisingly well.

I agree with Pat. A shallow draft/tunnel hull boat can run in deep water, but a deep water boat can't run shallow.

I'll give up the speed and ride quality to be able to fish where I want.

I did have a boat with a tunnel you could disengage with an air vent. It worked surpisingly well.

In my experience pocket tunnels like what Kenner use, don't typically give you much advantage. I'm with Pat. I'll add, go with a full tunnel or none at all.

Navigating by sight might not be understood, but once you understand, you'll be able to tell the difference between 4" and 2" of water...which is easily the difference between getting into that back lake or staying out with the rest of the potlickers.

My last tunnel prop hull, I could easily run through anything but rippled up shoal water, now I can run through anything but oil slicked shoal water (less than 2") which this time of year is the difference between having contee to myself or sharing it with fifty of my best friends. South padre/mansfield is even easier, it's the difference between running the white sand or staying out in the grass. You don't need a smooth ride when you're in 8" of water...

Yes you are right Kenners pockets are worthless (as is the boat)

You aren't going to find a WELL DESIGNED pocket tunnel in a mass produced rig

OK lets do the science - the MORE hull you have in CONTACT with the waters surface off plane, the higher the boat floats, the FASTER the hull will run -

ON a full prop tunnel the object is to RAISE water up into the tunnel while trimming motor up into the slipstream while on plane, the disadvantage is that the hull sits LOWER in the water when NOT on plane - AND added surface friction SLOWS the hull DOWN

On a true Cat hull only the sponsons contact the water, and they float lower as well, you run them with a chopper surface prop and low water pick-ups

So say you want to pole into that back marsh - a flat displacement hull will float across that 3" of water off plane and poling along where generally speaking some tunnels drafting six inches at rest is gonna have to blast into a back pocket to get there spooking fish.

A V Hull won't get you probably in less than a foot of water depending on level trim

Full flat hulls will beat you to death, true cats generally won't and full prop tunnels are a mix of the two.

The OBJECT of any tunnel whether pocket or full prop is to RAISE water above the bottom hull - good boat builders can make a pocket perform as well as most any full prop tunnel -its a matter of hydrodynamics in the hull shape.

Any time you'd like to test your science, we can do it less than 100 yards from the Seadrift boat ramp.

No arguement with you Pat - I was giving him information he asked for not opinions - there are hundreds of hulls designed in Texas and Florida that will met his needs

Your scooter pictured I know will RUN and float across 5" dew, and its PRIMARY function serves gettin shallow -

And MY opinion (for a boat for myself at POC is multi purpose,) back bay, flats, Pass Cavallo or offshore - hard to have your cake and eat it too --

However I run a custom inboard sport jet - which will run in 1" of water on plane but can't float in less than eight inches -- would I recommend an inboard jet - NO - because of 8" draft, but it will get up in that 8" deep water as well as not tear up the grass

If you couldn't tell, mine is a jet, not a prop. Biggest difference between the inboard vs outboard jet? We've modified them to run through matted grass, hard to do with the sportjet.

I wasn't even going there with the jet vs prop thing, it's not even close.

Ah HA , couldn't see the pump in the shadow - so I "assumed" you were runnin a prop - you know what they say by assume --

I can run through grass and sargassum floating but I do occasionally have to use the stomp grate - wasn't aware anyone had perfected grass running with an OB pump.