Hey guys, new to the mud boat scene but jumped right in. I have a 16x48 War Eagle with a 32hp ProDrive. Seems like it is is a little heavy in the rear - do the flotation pods really help out?

No, save yourself money and misery and get a 18x48 mud hull.

X2....or just a mud hull. Don't have to be that exact size

Been there, done that. Would not recommend it. Sell it while it's still in good shape and get a hull built for the motor.

Another vote for a mud hull. If you want to keep your War Eagle, you could move the battery and fuel tank to the bow to see if it helps the weight distribution.

I just bought some pods from Boyd welding in Florida. I have an Xpress 16x50. Made huge difference in deep water take off and now the rear of the boat drafts about 6" less than before. Cost a lot less than new boat.

Depends on what he can get for his boat and how much he can pick up a new or even used hull for. War eagles are not super cheap and they are a good match for an outboard, he may be able to make the switch without spending much money, maybe less than it costs to install pods. That hull will never perform properly with a pd on it no matter how much money you spend on it anyway. Now is the time to bite the bullet. Better to get what you can now, than spend more money on it, still not be happy, and then have to settle for what you can get after you've started hacking it up. JMO. Like I said, we've been down this road before. A hull designed for the motor will outperform that war eagle in pretty much every scenario.

I have attempted that battle already even with a 18 fott boat. Just listen to these guys and get a mud motor hull. Don't even mess around. Waste of money as far as I am concerned.

Pods may help, but check with others that went with pods on a Prodrive. I am almost certain pods will not allow u to ratchet the reverse around. The pods will get in the way . IMO that's alot to give up for what u hope to gain.