Any of you guys had experience with rigging a mud boat
(Gator-Tail / Pro Drive) with a regular outboard? I imagine it should work just fine. Also thinking about how they'd perform with an outboard jet bolted to the back of one.

Yeh, they will be just fine. Just have to match up transom height.

I'd like to bring this topic up again. I keep getting drawn towards replacing my 1548 Semi-V AlWeld with a mudboat type by GT, Prodrive, or such. I just installed a new tiller 50hp Tohatsu short shaft TnT to replace the 25hp motors I've had before.

Let's assume flat bottom, about 1748 at least, if not 18+. Has anyone had some hard experience running outboards on these boats? Sure would like to hear pro/cons.

Some things I can think of:
Does the bottom need to have some runners or keel for use with an outboard for help in turning / not sliding in curves?
Are hulls like this any better worse on trim/tilt/planing? I'm not a fan of the bolt-on whale tail jobs.

Though I watched many vids and seen many boats & mudmotors up close, I've not ridden in any, not that it might make a difference. Its just that I like the look, layout, gear boxes, etc of these rigs. Today I saw some GT boats at the Lafayette Expo that I really liked, and thought the prices were fair enough. Mine would be used for general hunting/fishing/etc. An occasional open lake like Big Lake/Calcasieu. I might add I've had a lot of boats and experience, just none in these particular rigs. I do enjoy thoroughly researching thise closely before committing.

Thx much for any input.

Call gatortrax.. I know they have a lot of experience putting outboards on their hulls. But keep in mind this is a mudmotor forum so most people on here wont have to much experience with outboards on them.

Hey mnormand. I haven't run any other mudboat but a Gator Trax. I can tell you that it will not slide in a hard turn. I've tried it at 26mph which is as fast i can go. There are some pics or maybe a video on the gatortrax website gatortraxboats.com where they run with a 50hp yamaha and drive to the max. The rounded chines on there boats dig in and don't slide at all.

Very good stuff guys, thanks to all.

Another question, I see lots of boats with that top floor not going all the way to each side, its just basically a walkway. That leaves a pretty big crack to drop stuff in, trash/sticks/leaves to accummulate, etc. I know... have that now. Man when I finish turkey hunting the small bayous every year I have enough to start a bonfire!

I realize that can be some detail $ work to weld all the way to each side. If you bought your boat NOT done that way, do you wish you had ??

And everybody's boats drain well from front to back with or without the trash? Anything you'd do different?

Might call Warren Coco at Go Devil and ask him if he has any experience with prop motors on his GD boats. He has been in it over 30 years and seem most of what can be tried. For my part, I love my Go Devil Surface Drive 2054 and I have never had is slide with a 35 Hp SD. Tracks better than any boat I have ever owned an built like a tank. If you do get a mud boat I bet you like it but I can't see not pairing it with a mud motor. Just my 2 cents. Duckdon

It works good. We put a merc 90 on a 17x50. Thing flies. We ended up putting angles on the bottom so it turns

I am running a 1654 gatortail with a 25 yamaha on it. Thing flies i want to put a 40hp on it. I run alot in the marsh its hard to make the tight curves in the small bayous. I put in the mississippi river near simmesport too no problem in the river.