Looking to buy a mud motor

[Down South Gratton]

I don't much when it comes to mud motors. I have always grown up with water cooler outboards. I have a 1648 G3 flat bottom boat. I have a 25hp outboard on it now. I normally have 2-3 hunters a dog and gear. I don't need to go to fast but I don't wanna buy somthing and then less then a year later but upset with what I have. Also what do people think about long shaft VS surface drive. Thanks for any help

[Blake Williamson]

Don't buy one unless you going to go buy mud boat hull and motor and no less then a 35hp...... You can take that for what its worth....

[GreenheadJim]

Don't buy one unless you going to go buy mud boat hull and motor and no less then a 35hp...... You can take that for what its worth....

X2

[lipsplitter39654]

x3

I sell them and I have never had a guy call me and say My 35 is too big.. Not even once. but so many people say I want a 23 or 25 and I spend an hour telling them they don't want less than a 35 and then they buy one and want to trade it in. if you have a 15 foot boat then get a 35 if you have an 18 foot boat get a 35 etc etc..

forget a longtail. buy a surface drive with reverse and power trim. buy one that is manufactured within driving distance of you. for us in the southeast that gives you 3 options. gator tail, go devil (no reverse or power trim last time I looked) or pro drive.

gator tail or pro drive will work fantastic. just totally different designs but both well built. hope this helps.

oh yeah if you want a new one don't wait til july or august or September. 14-16 week wait time right now from the factory. even if they say 8 weeks.

[Down South Gratton]

This is prob stupid but what's a mud boat haul? I'm boat is a flat bottom. With a slight raise in the front.

[Blake Williamson]

This is prob stupid but what's a mud boat haul? I'm boat is a flat bottom. With a slight raise in the front.

Its a true flat slick bottom with no ribs on the bottom.


Gator Tail, Pro Drive, Gator Trax, Phrowler, or a custom made hull from either WC Customs or Uncle J would half to be one of my picks if I had to buy a hull. Far as motor wise if you got the money I would go 35hp GTR from Gator Tail for my first pick or Pro Drive. Reverse is handy to have an the GTR is instant verses where Pro Drives you half to spin the motor 180 degrees and takes you 10 sec to do…..And I know Mud Buddy makes a reverse to but you can place an order today on one of them and hope and pray that in Dec of 2014 to have your motor….. And as much trouble as they seem to be having out of them I would tell you to stay away from them for another few years.

[hntrpat1]

I ran in a 1436 riveted jon with a 27 pro drive with two grown men and my two boys, we did fine. It really depends on what kind of stuff you'll be running. He only runs catahoula lake which is like the marsh with a somewhat hard bottom. Now my Ive been running a old 1644 go devil skiff with a 35 GDSD and I've run the mississippi river to salt water marsh with it and it does good.

[Anatidae]

This is prob stupid but what's a mud boat haul? I'm boat is a flat bottom. With a slight raise in the front.

Mud boat HULL is what he's talking about.

They are basically 'flat-bottom' too........but without ribs........just slick. The rake on them starts different places on the hull depending on the design and individuals' performance criteria (basically, what terrain you want to use it in - i.e. timber, river backwaters, marsh, open water....or combinations thereof).

Jimmy is correct on some things and I agree that a 'reverse' feature comes-in handy. Otherwise, your reverse is a pushpole.

In my limited experience (surface drive mud rig for 2 years)........

I have seen some longtails go through some incredible stuff - stuff I had doubts about attempting with a surface drive. But as you become more experienced with their respective capabilities, you learn pretty quick........or you'll become very edept at winching tactics (knock on wood).

I WOULD go with a stock 35 in a surface drive (as opposed to a 'modded' - souped-up - motor). I think the only benefit to the modded motors is to push heavier loads (like on big hulls). My impression is that they can be extremely temperamental and unless you are mechanically inclined, can be costly to keep running correctly if you don't have a good friend in the motor repair business. But you can basically take your motor problem to a good lawnmower guy - the outdrive portion of the SD is something different.

There are plenty of folks that put mm's on conventional jon or mod-V hulls.....and they do OK. But the greater advantages of a mud hull are strength (less hull deformation - hooking - in the stump stress area right under the drivers seat - that's the balance point of a boat and motor combo), how low/high it sits in the water (either at rest or running) and it's load-carrying capabilities (relative to how high it rides in the water at different speeds).

Jons and such just get beat-up with SD's on them - not-so-much so, with a longtail. Putting a heavy motor (of any type) on a .100" thick boat hull (or less) will beat you hull up QUICKER in the stump stress zone. They are typically just not designed for the weight of a surface drive engine and don't perform as well as a 'mud hull' in certain situations.

You might go with a longtail (on your present hull) unless you are going to be in deep mud/shallow water situations. I've seen'em handle vegetation unbelievably well. Then you can upgrade to a mud hull if you want to go with a SD.

As Jimmy said - there's a waiting time on both boats and motors right now. But there are a lot of used rigs being sold. I would research what you think you want, become familiar with the market (pricing and availability) and wait for a good opportunity on a used rig.

Here's a link to some informative videos by Gator Trax.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo25XR ... ture=guide

Good luck

[swamprooter]

Down South....before my 2 cents...why do you think you need a mudmotor?

[medic11]

Damn it boy, that Coast Guard money must be burning holes in them pockets.

[Down South Gratton]

Yes my boat has some ribs on the bottom. But after every hunt I have to push my boat around the pond. In about 1" of water and 6 feet of mud that I sink in. It is making picking up the decoys no fun and I don't look foward to ending the hunt because of the work that's about to begin. This purchase isn't going to happen this year I need to build up some cash first.

[swamprooter]

1" of water and 6' of mud answered my question!!

Antatidae, blake and others voiced my sentiments. I own a big 19' Phowler and PD36'..My rig is very heavy and very expensive. Instead of bragging what it will do, i will tell you what it Wont do!
1. Push a load fast against a current. ( 2 man max on Mississippi River) against current , i am about 7-10mph. I basically do not get on mighty miss with it unless i go diagonal from point a to b.
2. I plan every docking for future departing. Reverse takes minutes so i use a push pole frequently to off because of time it takes to get in reverse.
3. Mod V hull is performance killer...stay away.
4. LOUD!....PD muffler stock couldnt be put in a better place to ring ears
5. Tiller handle vibration is 10x that of outboard. something to consider if your haul is long....MudBuddy i know has less vibration.

Top Things it will do I like
1. Pull me backwards off of any log jam or stumps. PD is 100% full power reverse. I use this countless time every season
2. It cranks!!! lawnmower motor...simple.....anyone can work on it including me!...crank it at camp camp all the time to keep it fresh.
3. Props cuts through vegetation and 3" ice like a chain saw. I hunt a lot big water when it freezes....i can chop through ice and blow out a hole if needed.
4. motor kicks up on logs and stumps....never worried about knocking my lower unit out.

If i was only hunting a "swamp" or brake.....i would buy a smaller surface drive like a Copperhead (10hp) on a 16/48 flat bottom mud hull pointed bow with no gun boxes etc. just open hull......

[Hambone]

If i was only hunting a "swamp" or brake.....i would buy a smaller surface drive like a Copperhead (10hp) on a 16/48 flat bottom mud hull with no gun boxes etc. just open hull......

I hunt the aforesaid swamp or brake. We deal with extreme mud, very low water (at times), stumps, fallen logs, heavy aquatic vegetation, cypress knees, etc. For what I do, a 16/48 slick bottom Go-Devil boat and 23 horse Go-Devil longtail is absolutely perfect. To kind of paraphrase a Howlin' Wolf song, it's built for comfort, not for speed.

[Down South Gratton]

So if you'll were in my shoes... Stick with what I have now 25hp outboard and push pole. Or save up and get the mud motor. I also use the boat for other things in the summer time.

[Anatidae]

My views:

All around use hunting/fishing........outboard rig is a staple item in a variety of terrains. A mud rig then becomes a 'luxury' item unless ALL of your hunting/fishing is done primarily in shallow or tidal areas, or areas with underwater obstructions.

I WILL offer this: Until mm manufacturers develop an engine designed specifically for the demands of that sport and market, there will always be job security as a lawnmower engine or mud motor repairman. If Yamaha ever made a mud motor......I'd BUY one.

My wife and I waited about 5 years before we bought a mud rig........to see who was going to emerge as the front-runner in the mm industry. Now that we've settled on, and bought one, I think it is safe to say there are about 3 or 4 out there that cater to a variety of 'needs', levels of performance, and service. They all have different features/advantages/tendencies. So I don't think anybody has really emerged (in my view) as the clear all-around 'front-runner' in all these categories.

I've come to realize that 'speed' doesn't always trump everything else (unless that's your 'game'). However, REALIABILITY DOES. And I think as long as I am able to troubleshoot problems and get back to the landing, I'll be happy with what I've got. Otherwise, I'd be a nervous wreck wondering - what's the next source of anxiety besides where to hunt, tomorrow.

Therefore, the best scenario is to have an outboard rig AND a mud rig.........as 'back-ups' to each other.