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 Newbie to mud motors need help 
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Post Newbie to mud motors need help
I started duck hunting hard last year in the swamps, creeks, and rivers here in North Carolina in my single wide jon boat. I plan on getting another jon style boat just double, or triple wide for all my gear and me.

However I don't want an traditional style outboard as it will be my duck boat. I mainly have issues with stumps, logs, and muck like mud near the banks and seems like it takes forever to get around them using a trolling motor, paddle or an outboard.

I have a 10' single wide jon for the swamps and plan on getting a 14-16 ft at least a double wide boat for hunting in the creeks and rivers. Both boats would be short transom.

Which mud motor style (long tail,short tail, or surface drive), brand, etc...would best suit me I would like to be able to swamp the motor back and forth between the two boats?


Thanks,
Blake


Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:54 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
14/16ft great. If it has to go on a 10 footer could be scary. Take a look at the swamp lites by backwater


Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:20 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
I thought I knew a little bit about boats, but can someone tell me what a triple wide jon boat is?

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Fri Dec 22, 2017 3:03 pm
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
What's your budget? Surface drive will be more comfortable driving if you are running any distances. You can get a gator tail boat motor package with a 25 hp on a 1648 boat that sounds like what you are looking for. And wtf is a double or triple wide?


Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
Boats are usually measured in foot length x inch width. So a 16 foot boat that is 48 inches wide at the floor would be 1648.

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Sat Dec 23, 2017 7:42 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
The smaller the boat the more benefit to a small longtail - example a 6 to 8 hp LT on
a 12' x 42" jon is a great lil rig - also light enough for one man to heave over a levy or
get you just about anywhere in backwaters....

As you consider bigger hulls you can consider the heavier surface drive designs... It takes
an 18' x 48" to balance the bigger 300lb 35hp SD engines.... But a 16' x 48" with a 23hp
longtail or surface drive is a great in between combo.... Pointed bow is a big asset in bigger
hulls... All three of these combos have served me well over the years....

Happy Hunting...

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Sat Dec 23, 2017 9:24 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
Check out Drake Surface Drives out of Fort Worth! Great company and they make very affordable Surface Drives starting at 6.5HP!


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Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:23 pm
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
Gigafowl certainly does make some mighty fine points for you to consider.

Remember that a- ten foot jon...is mostly good for paddling around and it's light enough to portage and can fit in the back of "most" pick up trucks. However why not realize that you need to decide and make an investment in your future duck hunting and get you a good solid built- 16 or 18 ft duckboat that can handle the type of MM that you can afford to utilize.

You will probably realizd that GDSD will be a great investment, and will last you a very long time, if you keep up- your mainance on your new rig.

With kind regards...I am...

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Mon Dec 25, 2017 3:08 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help


Mon Dec 25, 2017 9:14 am
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
My advice is to keep the 10 foot John boat as it is, and then purchase a 16 foot rig with a surface drive that you can use it all situations. I have a 1656 Havoc with a 37 GTR XD EFI and it runs just fine is creeks, rivers, or lakes in less than 6 inches of water. I just think having 1 main duck boat would be more beneficial than having 2, one of which probably having a small motor.

I also have a 1436 John boat with a 420cc Predator motor and a Beaver Dam Mud Runner kit i made myself for about $900 and put together in about 2-3 hours. Might be something worth looking into.

I’m no expert by any means but i hope it helps!


Mon Dec 25, 2017 10:49 pm
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help
Some people list jon boats as a triple or double wide like a 5.5 ft or 6 ft wide jon boat would be a triple wide. I ended up getting a 5.5 ft wide 16 ft long Jon boat. Now I need to find a mud motor for this 16 footer before duck season preferably. Ill take photos and post them up here of the boat soon.

I would like to spend as least as possible, but also want something good, and not going to fail me in the long run. I also need something that I don't have to worry about getting stuck right steady.

Whats the difference between a surface drive vs a long tail other than the design, and which one fits me best?

Ill be using the boat in the creeks,rivers, and in the swamps off the creeks. Lots of logs,stumps, old cypress knees, and vegetation here in N.C..

OH, and me and my buddy sunk that 10 footer in the pond this past duck season with a 6 hp outboard on back. So needless to say its going to be a paddle/sled boat.


Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:43 pm
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Post Re: Newbie to mud motors need help


Sat Jun 09, 2018 3:18 am
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Post Newbie to mud motors need help


Sat Jun 09, 2018 5:59 am
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