Guys, I'm gonna pull the trigger on a mud motor this spring. I have decided on the make, it will be a long shaft. Here's my question, it will be going a 16/54 flat bottom. In looking at the manufactures recommendations they suggest a 25 but I'm thinking more of a 35. The boat is rated for a 40hp outboard. Will a 35hp longtail be to much for this boat? Thanks,

Go with the 35, Me and my buddy both have 14ft boats, He has a 25 and I have 20. our other buddy has a 16 ft and runs a 35. the 35 will be perfect for yours IMO.

I would say the 35 is a good fit for that size boat. I have a 15ft/23 hp combo. It does what I want out of it but the only thing I wish i had were more speed coming back after the hunt. But overall I'm happy with what my boat does.

How about some pics of these duck killing machines!

I'm no expert but I thought the issues with bigger mud motors was the weight more so than the power. Mud motors weight a lot more than a conventional OB of the same power rating and from what I've read, can really wreak havoc on the transoms and bottoms of "regular" aluminum boats. True mud motor hulls have beefed up transoms to handle the weight while bouncing up and down the road. Also, why go with a longtail over a surface drive?


.

I've got a surface drive mud buddy 55 mag. It hauls balls flat out. It's on a 17 54 Excel. I run 30 w me another guy a dog and gear. 3 full grown guys and a load 28mph. I love my mud motor. Do some research before you purchase, but I've been pretty pleased with my set up

Message sent

Pervis, does yours have reverse? I have a G3 with a 90hp outboard that I currently use but I can only run in about 12 inches and that is tilting the motor. I can cut about 5 inches with a jack plate but am thinking about a mud motor for duck season... Anyone run something like that?

Anyone ever put a surface drive on a bass tracker style boat? 0ne with a front fishing deck?

Yes mine has reverse. If your gona do a mud buddy get the new 35 fuel injected hdr (hyper drive reverse) I can run in inches of water cause the prop chews thru the mud, or the bottom. I've taken out the neutral safety switch on mine to where I can start in forward or reverse for crazy situation. My boat has a built in winch on the front also w two spud poles, so I can winch out of places that are too low to run or if I need to get over a large log blocking a creek or something. My boats a tank it ll go anywhere.

My friend runs an excel with the thick hull and it looks like a tank. My other friend has a gatortrax. I went with the G3 because it is like a bass tracker and I fish out of it from now until teal season (with a minor disruption for turkey season)

Thanks

I have a WC Custom 1854 with a 2014 36 EFI Prodrive. The boat is heavy with 3/16" bottom and 24" tall 1/8" sides. With an unloaded boat I can get 26mph. With a hunt loaded boat, 2 people and a dog the speed is around 20mph. It's slow but the trade off is that it is durable.

Here is a link to my boat with a few pics of it when it was being built.

http://www.wccustomboats.com/1854-stub-nose-with-bowfish-light-rail.html

Mud motors are meant to go on true flat bottom boats. Yes, they will work on a ribbed aluminum boat, but they are not ideal. Mudboats are designed to handle the different stresses that you undoubtedly will put on them (i.e. stumps, beaver dams, etc.)

I don't think there is a huge weight difference between the small block and big block engines, but the HP difference could have a major impact on your transom. I would do with the 35HP for that size boat, but would recommend beefing up the transom if it is a riveted flat bottom boat.

I run a 35 HP carb mud buddy with performance upgrades on a 1851 heavy mud hull. 35/36mph with just me and around 32mph with a hunting load.

I have the 27HP on my 14 footer. It is fine, but I wish I had a little more speed when on the open water. I'm thinking of selling mine. I don't use it enough.