Adding pods to a boat...

Ed L.

Ed L.

Well-known member
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Anyone have experience with adding floatation pods to a flat bottom? I like my mud motor but I'd like my boat to float a little higher. Do these things really help. Also will the boat still be able to be used with a conventional outboard?
 
I made some for my flat bottomed skiff. They floated the stern a little more, but it made it hard to get the bow up when I trimmed up the motor. Really noticed it in a following sea. I ended up taking them off. Something to think about if you deal with rough water.
 
We've put them on quite a few different style of hulls, from slick hulls to riveted jon-boats.

The biggest thing we've found is it's better to go longer than deeper.

Not taking the pods down to the bottom of the hull makes a big difference in the way the boat handles on plane & in turns.

They will flatten out the hull on a plane & increase the speed (I added 1 1/2 per hour to my 18x44 GD hull).

If you make your own, make sure to weld in a drain plug for condensation & seam leaks.

A 1/2 inch pipe thread works best.

A good coat a Frog Spit or Steel Flex will also add speed & reduce drag in the water.
 
I have contemplated the value of pods for quite some time. I have done a lot of Internet research as well as talked to several people that have had them installed.

I have no experience with mudmotors, but one thing I do recall from all of the reading was people being very displeased with the pods when used in conjunction with a surface drive mud motor. Don't know if you are running an surface drie or a long tail, but that is something to specifically vet out if you are headed that direction.

The way the pods are designed and mounted can have a significant affect on being able to get your bow up in a rough sea. Just something else to read up on.

Chad
 
I put pods on an AA broadbill and was very happy with my results. Mine were even with(an extension of) the bottom and extended back a couple feet. Then tapered from the transom down to only about 3" thick at the trailing edge. It came on plane quicker and floated in less water. The bow on that boat never got very high but was good in some snotty weather on Lake Erie. I've even thought of putting pods on my 14' tin boat. I know nothing about Mud Motors!!
John
 
Ed,

Do a search on Mudmotortalk.com

I read a few posts on their a while back. Not positive feedback on adding pods. The do add floatation but they also contribute to drag and can negatively affect handling according to some of the posts.
 
Pods are great in shallow or muddy water. They will assist in keeping the stern up but as noted will make trimming the boat with an outboard interesting. Pods are probably not the best idea in an open/rough water area. Check out Beavertail's site and instructions.

http://www.explorebeavertail.com/...ions/Pods-WeldOn.pdf
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Thanks for the input guys. Here's a picture of my playground. This is pool 16 on the Mississippi River. Paul, I have a 13hp Beavertail long tail on a 1442 Alumacraft riveted boat. Certainly not the intended use of either the boat or motor. It's Beavertail pods I'm considering buying and having a welding shop attach. I'll admit I'm not crazy about mudmotors but where I hunt I really need a setup like this. Most of the time I stay to deeper water during fishing season and run a 15hp Johnson on this boat and this is a great combination for one guy, a dog and gear for a lot of this area. Most of the open area in the left of the photo where I can get into the interior of the islands are full of stumps and down timber and the interior is silted in, shallow water as well as full of stumps and down timber. I've thought about a jack plate setup for the outboard but I'm afraid I'd just suck mud into the motor and ruin it.



Ron, I've read a lot of threads on mud motortalk that suggest not using pods with surface drives but then the Devlin boats that are so popular on this site basically have built-in pods in the design of the boats that have motor wells. That's another thought bouncing around in my head. How would this boat handle with a 12hp Copperhead or 18hp Dixie surface drive motor? The Copperhead has an aluminum frame and is reported at 81lbs I believe which is 5lbs heavier that my outboard and considerably lighter than the Beavertail. Unfortunately neither of this engines find there way to the Midwest often in order to demo on my boat to be able to make a educated decision.

I'm open to others ideas when it comes to hunting these types of conditions.
 
Ed, I built some pods for a 1336 jon that I was running a 13 hp longtail on. They made a world of difference for floatation and planing but you are pretty much dedicating yourself to the longtail if you install them. A buddy of mine reports that when he runs his pod-equipped jon with an outboard it feels pretty "skatey" and makes turning with some speed interesting! However at lower speeds they can help a lot.

I ran a 14hp Dixie surface drive on my sneakboat for a few months, it was fun to run and would go like hell when it was planed out but I really preferred the longtail. The smaller hp surface drives are really sensitive to how they are trimmed and how the water flow comes off the transom and I was constantly messing with the trim to keep it running right. I have heard good things about Copperhead motors but I haven't run one personally. Mudmotortalk is a good source of info but take what you read there with a grain of salt as most of the guys there are into horsepower and speed, but they do know what they are talking about when it comes to mud motors.
 
The #1 problem with installing factory, premade pods is they are really only really made for that builders hulls.

Find a welder in your area & have the pods built for "your" hull.

Remember, longer is better than deeper!!!
 
I have used three different long tail motors with slick bottom boats. I installed pods on one of my boats, and noticed it did float higher. The down side was the bow would tend to stay down and take on some water in rough weather, and the boat was harder to turn a higher speeds.

Adding up the cost of the pods, I would recommend trading your boat for a longer model rather than installing pods!

Miller
 
I have used three different long tail motors with slick bottom boats. I installed pods on one of my boats, and noticed it did float higher. The down side was the bow would tend to stay down and take on some water in rough weather, and the boat was harder to turn a higher speeds.

Adding up the cost of the pods, I would recommend trading your boat for a longer model rather than installing pods!

Miller
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Sound advise and probably the direction I should go. Thanks.
 
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