1975 Ouachita 16 Questions

First post! I just bought a 16' Ouchita jon boat. After taking her out for the first time, I want to make a few modifications.

1) Add a hold under the front casting deck.
2) Cut drain holds so water in the compartments between the benches can drain out of the boat.

Is it possible to cut through the front deck to make a front storage hold? I've read that in some boats the area under the front casting deck is filled with foam, and if you take out the foam to make a hold it can decrease your flotation by too much. I can't find much information about the Ouchitas though - anyone here know if its okay?

As far as I can see there is no way for water that gets inside the boat between the two benches to drain- the only part that can drain out the drainage hole is the area where the fuel tank and batteries live. This seems like a pretty major design flaw. When rainwater filled up the boat I had to pump it out using my kayak bailer. Is it possible to drill a canal through each of the benches so it can drain though the back?

Also, I take my trolling motor off when I'm trailering because it bounces A LOT. Is that normal, or am I just not mounting it correctly? It's a transom mount.

Thank you for the input!

There will be foam under the front deck. There should be cutouts at the bottom center of each seat for drainage. My '71 semi-vee has them. Mine are very shallow and get clogged up with debris easily through.