I am looking at getting a duck boat, hopefully shortly after duck season. In this thread I would like to focus on a motor... I have some very broad questions and would like to hear yall's opinions.

I'm thinking a tracker aluminum 17 footer...

Can i get some pro's and con's and some sage advice from ya'll on the following:

Buy a package deal (hull, motor, and trailer) vs buying everything separately -?

MOTOR
Jet drive vs mud motor?? I definitely want one or the other. You can only get these in outboards correct??

I've been reading about jet drives, mostly just mercury and yamaha. Should I be looking anywhere else?

Buy used. Be patient and you can find a good deal.
I wouldn't buy a jet drive motor. You would be better off with a mud motor or regular outboard motor.

Buying used (for your first boat)will save you some money, and you don't have to take the hit on depreciation.

Look at Express, War Eagle, Triton, etc... Good reputation on the hulls of these boats.

Pike: Get an all welded boat and I mean all welded not one that is 90% welded with rivets in the transom like a Tracker. Go look at the brace in the transom of a tracker-----it is a piece of thin aluminum plate that has been formed. Good boats will have Rectangular tubing----at least one if not more. You will spend the same money for a Tracker or close to the same as you will for one of the boats mentioned below. There are dealers for these boats and used deals on Craigs list everywhere including in the DFW area. The boat must be at least 48" if not wider. The boat must be .100 gauge or thicker. Pay a little extra up front or find a good deal on a used one.

Look at these people for conventional jon boats with outboards:

War Eagle
http://www.wareagleboats.com/boats/category.asp?catID=1

Triton
http://www.hwmarine.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,16/Itemid,99/

F&F
http://www.fandfboats.com/

WeldBilt
http://www.backwoodslanding.com/index.html
(The boats here are all .080 gauge aluminum but you can get them made in .100 gauge.)

Seark Boats
http://www.seaarkboats.com/boat.php?measure=Standard&boat=1542SLD

Look at these people for short tail or long tail mud motors and boats designed to take it:

Go Devil
http://www.godevil.com/

Pro Drive
http://www.prodriveoutboards.com/

Gator Tail
http://www.gator-tail.com/

Gator Trax
http://www.gatortraxboats.com/home.htm

I know the owners of War Eagle, F&F and Seark. My mother was born and raised the town where they are built. I have owned a War Eagle. The are a great handling boat. My father runs an F&F---built like a tank. SEARK is a very tough boat as well.

I know Warren Coco at Go Devil. He is honest to a fault and will cut himself out of a sail if what you want is not what he can provide. My next duck boat will be a Go Devil with a long tail motor.

The other guys at Gator Tail, Pro Drive and Gator Trax are good people too.

Personally I think Tracker boats are junk. No offense to anyone that owns one. It's an entry level AL boat. If you put a mud motor on that boat it's A) Going to suck performance wise and B) you are going to beat it to H E double L if you run any sort of terrain normal for a mud motor. Then you will be looking for another boat soon. Also, ribbed bottom boats suck performance wise in the mud/shallow water. If you decide on a mud motor, buy a boat matched to the motor......meaning if you get a Go-Devil get a Go-Devil boat, if you get a Pro-Drive get a Pro-Drive boat, etc, etc. I mean who else would know how to build a boat to best match the performance of their motor better than the manufaturer???

I've never owned a jet drive, but I've ridden in a few. About the only place they shine is in shallow areas over rock or sand. If this isn't 90% of the area you hunt, I'd stay away from them. If you get in any vegetation the jet is going to suck it up and you are going to be cleaning the debri out of the motor on a regular basis. Also, a 40hp jet doesn't equate to a 40hp outboard. I forget the reduction numbers, but you get less power when you go to a jet vs the HP rating of the motor. Also, I don't think a Tracker boat is going to match well with a jet. In order to get the maximum benefit from a jet you need a boat with a tunnel from what I have seen.


Give me some more info on how you plan to use the boat and areas hunted, and I can give you a better opinion on what might work best for you. I'm on my 5th mud motor and 3rd airboat.

Sea Arks are badass!!!

Seriously, though. We've talked about this before. If you are looking at a DUCK ONLY boat, i'd say mud motor. Your old lady isnt gonna want to go out with you anyway, we have my boat as well (16' sea ark CC w/ new yamaha 50hp for those who give a damn) so I think you are talking DUCK BOAT.

Stay away from Tracker. I paid $4k for mine and Bass Pro wanted $13k for a 16' stripped down Tracker with a 25hp Tiller. Hell I only paid about $7k in '08 for my new motor.

Keep in mind that when buying a boat you are paying for the motor. That being said, boats made for mud motors are built much differently than regular hulls. They have more lateral support along with other features to hold up to the stress that you (with a mud motor) will put it through.

BarneyWho is right, my buddy on the coast's jet drive 70HP yamaha went about 25 mph max while I was at 36 with a 50HP. So yeah, you will lose power. And yes, vegetation will clog your pickup/intake.

He will be hunting in North TX lakes.

Take your time, look for something used on Craigslist or one of the forums (<-- better bet).

Last but not least...take it out for a test drive before you commit to anything.

All Welded For Sure...

if you are strictly going to duck hunt then Mud motor is your best bet.

If BarneyWho is willing to help you, listen to him. He will shoot straight with you and has been around the block on 4wd boats

There is a big difference between the upper list TopH20 posted and the lower list. The upper list are good boats but not made to be run thru the mill and beat to death. The lower boats are built to take a pounding and will run over stuff that will blow your mind (or it does mine). The upper list would be great for open water or idling thru stump fields and the lower list is going to shine in the shallow/stumpy stuff. The lower list boats will have supports that run from transom to bow and be 6 to 8 inches apart with side supports that will run from the sides to the bottom. Where the upper list will mainly have side to side supports.

What I might say is the "only" boat to own might not work for someone else. So the question is really broad and if you answer BarneyWho's questions that will help so everyone knows what type of boat to suggest.

Outboards are by far more versatile.

If you are strictly hunting skinny water, then get a mud motor.

I've been hunting the lakes in north Texas and the coast for a while now, and I can only think of one place that I could have used a mud motor.

Everytime you idle thru a stump field you could use a mud motor I know you do some idling or you would have a spare lower unit at the house.

I think you opinion of a mud motor set up would change if you rode in one.

I guess they are more versatile if you are a clear water pirate.

hunting blue bills

X2. Man, oh man if I had a mud motor last season the birds I would have killed. My buddy with the jet drive had a spot that you HAD to have a JD or MM to get to. Or else it was about a 3 mile walk through Salt Marsh. I knew EXACTLY where it was and could never get to it no matter what the tide was or how hard I tried. I am constantly worried up here in the lakes about stumps with my outboard. I'm gonna be pissed this year when I am idling through a stump field and some dude comes and passes me at WOT with a mud motor and beats me to the spot. I know it'll happen

After running a mud motor / Pro Drive on GD hull. I am going back to an outboard with a jack plat. MM's are great in certain applications but for speed, comfort and able to go out and get you back in rough weather; give me an outboard.

Guys, keep in mind Pikefall04 is my #1 hunting partner. I have a good outboard boat w/ jackplate that we use now. We'd be unstoppable with an outboard and a shallow runner.

even a pirate could use a mud motor from time to time...

This spot is about 1/2 mile run thru 6" of water/mud.


So is this spot.


I also run the entire north end of Lake X where the river comes in with this boat. It would be nice to have a mud motor there, though.

Good luck in open water on a windy day in your mud rig.

Moose you have a jack plate?

Dude you are just badarse. No way a mud motor could get to either of those spots!

^^I know a mud motor could get to those spots. The problem would be crossing the open water in the dark with a 20 mph wind in your face.

I also use this boat to crappie fish, etc.

And when the wind is blowing 30 and you're playing with your pud, I take this one.

No, I looked into one and I also looked into putting flotation pods on it, but decided against it.

I'd love to have a mud motor that I could swap back and forth with the outboard, but it won't work.

Judd is getting a ProDrive and I'm really looking forward to riding with him this winter.

If you only duck hunt in shallow water or you live on the coast, by all means mudmotor.

If you like to fish or have to run thru deep water, you'd be better with an outboard.

That is for sure. There has been times that we have been caught going back to ramp in high winds and waves that would be hell in with anything but outboard and wide boat.

You give all this advice and pros/cons without even riding or having been in a mud motor boat?

I have a pretty good idea which lakes you were on and I can get where you were and have the dekes set up and ready before you got idled back in there.

I guarantee you if it is blowing 20 your WE and my PD are both gonna suck, plain and simple. So it ain't gonna matter which one is better in rough water cuz all tin boats suck in wind....but I can run the shallow stuff where there aren't waves (if that water is available) so sometimes in the wind that mud boat will still be better

CONDITIONER IS BETTER

I honestly have no idea why someone would argue the point that, as a dedicated duck boat, a mud motor is not the clear winner, at least in our area.

You can argue speed, sure, but are you really going to run 35MPH WOT through a lake that is essentially just flooded woods in the dark? No. What happens when the spot you want to run to is just as shallow as the ride to get to it? Boom, stuck as soon as you stop.

No offense, Moose, but my boat runs pretty darn shallow and 6" is cutting it real close. I love my outboard and will prob never get rid of my boat. But I would love to have a surface drive motor, or a jet lower unit to swap, though, during the season. I've been in the situation plenty of times where I couldnt get to the 'honey hole' my friends with MM or JD told me about. I've also been stuck and had to pack it in through the slop and had to wait for high tide (or call a buddy with a DUCK BOAT) b/c I thought my boat could get somewhere.

You said it yourself, if Pikefall is wanting a dedicated DUCK boat (which I think he is) why wouldnt he want something that was a 'special purpose boat for duck hunting'?

Hang on! Moose is giving us a comparison on an outboard vs. a mud motor and hasn't even driven a mud motor much less been in one???? Hummmmmm.......my suspicions are confirmed.

I know what they do. We used to own an airboat, I know what they do.

You sure do know a lot about duck hunting in general for someone who has yet to enter his first season.

Airboats, jetboats, mudboats are all designed to run in shallow water and mud. They can do so because they don't have a lower unit sticking in the water. That lower unit is also the key to staying in control of the boat once you're out in deeper water.

I assume mudboats have a little more control because they actually have a skeg by the prop. Air, jet, mudboats are all special purpose boats for duck hunting. ie. not as versatile