I have been looking for a long time, have been wanting even longer. Finally looks as though sometime after the 1st I'll be able to purchase. I just want some opinions on brand of boat and motor to go with. I don't wan't a longtail, it is possible i will have it in less than 6in of water at times, i want a roomy boat with good storage. Let er' rip!

There's no boat better than Gator Trax, may be boats that are cheaper but not Better.

And as far as motors go,, it's really about the low unit from each brand but all will be packing Briggs.

Iv only ever ran longtails... my last one had 24hp duals and the only thing that would stop it was packed sand or rock... handled open water well but it was a big boat and you didn't want to shut it down from full speed or you would swamp the boat... learned that the second time I had it out lol. Just got another one just mini version with a 14ft and 10hp just mainly cuz I got it at a good price and all I will need.

The surface drives are beast though... handle well and other than being loud and a bit slower id have no problem taking one out fishing or just funning around.. the room is the main thing.. if you want one to handle well the less boat the better... I see it as a true ATV in the water world..

Bottom line the thing I like about surface drives the most compared to a regular outboard is how easy and cheap an air cooled engine is to maintain... I never had to resort to a trolling motor or someone towing me in with my surface drive... and had it happen more than a few times on my old bassboat... A regular outboard engine is like a space shuttle to me

I still don't understand that... that's one thing I would change about them if I could... Id rather have a Kohler or Kawasaki imo

A custom is the route I would go next time if you could wait for it. I would contact Brothers, Uncle J or Pete in Tyler (this is who I would want to build it but the others good). That way you get exactly what you want.

If I was to do it again I would pick a Gator Tail too. I really liked the reverse on my ProDrive but it was a pain and I think the GT will run shallower in the mud we have around here. LA is a completely different ballgame.

I knew Muddy's post would say Gator Trax lol Navasot- are you saying a surface drive is slower than a longtail? I have two buddies that run Excel F4's with mud buddy black death's, one runs a 4500 the other a 5500... yes they're loud, but we have passed a many longtail's on the way to the X

Na I ment surface drive compared to running a reg outboard. Yeah the longtails are anything but fast lol. My old dual rig was quick for a longtail set up but it was either idle or full speed it was hard to control at half speed

I still hold true to my last statement about mud rigs. You will do better putting your money in a small 2 stroke Yamahammer, and pole your way into where you want to hunt. I have run every mud motor possible. I love them all, even the slow long tails. I am not bashing them for dislike. They just don't afford what the market hype has presented.

Look at all the websites. Watch the prop drop right down in the silt mud and they take off like it is an accomplishment. News flash//// They send film crews far and wide to find what is reffered to as "Video Mud". You start realizizing that the first time you come off of plane and can't get going again even when in 4 inches of water. The mud below is not the right kind of mud and you got a load, you are limping and pulling that boat out. That is when you start getting an education about these boats.

I believe in the end you would be far better off buying a good aluminum hull, center console with a good brand new 2 stroke or even 4 stroke. I stepped off of my last mud rig in May. I hated like crazy to see it go. I love the boat but I have been chasing a better edge that was just never going to be found with a mud rig. I don't worry about getting stuck now though

solid statement

I love my 1859 Gator Trax/ 55 Mud Buddy

Gator Trax for boat handling and design, the motor could be debated all day long, not going to touch that.
Some are dinosaurs and some have new technology, all will get the job done though.

Dead on. I have been running a GT for the last 3 years. Love the boat, but you have to be sure there is enough water at your final destination to turn around and get back on plane.

What I like about mine and where I run, once on plane I can run in some pretty shallow places to get to my duck holes. Maybe up a creek or something. The way the motor is built, you don't have to worry as much about the lower unit as an outboard. They have a guard on them to protect the prop and bounce the motor up if you run over something. The prop doesn't sit far in the water.

You have to learn how to use the boat and make it work to your advantage. You can slide it over sand bars, or a small patch of ground. Things like that. But don't go thinking you're an airboat! lol That is my next purchase...

I'm running a 1754 Uncle J with a Mud Buddy 5500 Mag. Love this set up and Uncle J built me the exact boat I wanted.

A 1750 or 1850 is the best bang for the buck and best overall use mud boat.

As far as motors go; Gator Tail, Go Devil, or Mud Buddy. Drive them all and look at the different options to see what fits you best. I went with Mud Buddy because of the dealer, Homey Da Clown. I have received nothing but GREAT service from Rick.

Pro Drives just aren't designed to run in shallow, hard bottoms. The drive angle was designed for the LA swamp and bottomless mud.


Now, to those who say go with an outboard as you are better off in our conditions. I do not agree. do the surface drives live up to the hype? NO, but what they do that an outboard won't is give me the confidence that I can run a lake or river without worrying about clogging up the water intake of an outboard or damaging the lower unit.

9 times out of 10 I will beat an outboard boat to the spot as the outboard will shut down well ahead of the spot to push into it. Now, at the coast over shallow grass flats, an outboard tunnel hull is the way to go!

One of the longest post you have ever made

The red I would debate with you, blue not so much. A prop in the mud is a prop in the mud. I don't care what color dress you put on a pig, it is still a pig.

Oh ya, between a GT and Pro-Drive.

GT is belt driven and the belt has a lifetime warranty. Pro-drive is gear driven. I think the Pro-drive may have a little more "umph", but wouldn't say much.

What I liked about the GT over Prodrive was the instant reverse. If you use it for fishing and think you are going to back up much, then that is a nice feature. But after you put a trolling motor on it, you'll get better maneuverability out of it and that reverse doesn't mean much. I hardly ever use my reverse anymore...

That is not what I said at all. I did not refer to any one specific item, I made a general statement of what I have learned about mud rigs after owning and running them for 20 years. Not one boat will do everything for all. I know you can't understand what I am saying until you get absolutley tired of running a mud rig. One day you could stand back and think "Dang it just isn't worth giving up what a I could have just to run shallow." Heck my Dargel 15 foot scooter with a jack plate and aggressive tunnel hull would put most mud rigs to shame. That was a great boat.

Well drive a Go-Devil(dinosaur technology) and a Mudbuddy or Gatortail and tell me there is not a big difference just in comfort alone not to mention nuetral, power trim and other minor changes. I drive both each week and there is a huge difference in these motors however they both get the job done.

mohunter stop being so on the pick all the time.

I have driven all three and owned two of the afforementioned three. The most comfortable to me was the Go-Devil. Just because it is simple does not mean it is lacking, I saw and still see things the other way around. When it comes to motors, the simplest is best.

My Go devil had both nuetral and reverse. Push the tiller handle down for nuetral and turn the boat around for reverse. In all the hours I clocked behind a tiller I never once thought to myself "Dang I wish I had nuetral and reverse". If you need these items then you are doing something wrong.

Wayne,

You did say in your opinion a person is better off with a tunnel hull outboard boat vs a mud motor.

I was just disagreeing with you, that's all.

I've run tunnel hull outboards and they have their place, but their place isn't where I hunt mostly. Coastal waters are a great place. A lot of times I would run my 22' Pathfinder over my mud motor at the coast! I wouldn't run that boat anywhere close to the places I hunt outside of the coast though.

I've run outboard jets and they have their place as well, but again it's not in the places I hunt. Vegetation is the outboard jet killer and most of the time ducks are where there is vegetation.

For the majority of places ducks like to be a mud boat or an airboat is the best option. I would like to have an airboat to compliment the mud motor.

As you said, no one boat will do it all!

I really have no need or desire to debate this, just giving my opinion of the choices to the original poster.
I offered in a PM to the OP to come out and drive both a Godevil and GatorTrax/Mudbuddy rig at a lake close to me, that I would supply, so he could make his own decision.

I do agree reverse is a waste, however around dogs and kids for me nuetral is a plus, just my opinion though.

mohunter,

I rarely debate brand of motor either. I have friends with Go Devils, Pro Drives, and gator tails. They will all go from Point A to Point B.

My general statement when it comes to motors is, 'drive them all and look at the options. Pick what works best for you.'

I am with you on your last statement about dogs and kids being around, neutral sure does give me piece of mind.