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Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?
http://www.mudmotortalk.com/mmt_v2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74933
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Author:  swflhunter [ Sat Jan 25, 2020 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

I'm back in the market for new mud boat and surface drive, looking for advice on the best rig for this environment.

We don't really have any mud at all, mostly relatively deep water (1' or more) with heavy vegetation. Boat would be used for 2-3 people hunting, fishing, frogging and joy riding in lake Okeechobee and in the everglades.

We don't have many boats like this down here, most of what I see are Excel hulls with Mud Buddy motors and they don't seem to be the most popular on this forum. I'm not very well versed on the different mud boats and motor options so I'm looking for some advice.

With a budget of around $15,000, what rig would you guys suggest I look for?

Author:  Will [ Sat Jan 25, 2020 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

I like a Prodrive best in heavy grass and vegetation. I'm in Tallahassee FL, if you're up this way holler and I'll take you for a ride in mine.

Author:  swflhunter [ Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

I'm looking at a Gator Trax 3 man Hide model with a Mud Buddy 50 mag sport v. I think the Gator Trax Hide would be a versatile rig for the water i'd be running in which is very protected generally but has low, thin vegetation that's hard to hide in.

Is there any decent resource for used values of these rigs? I'm looking at a 2016 with only about 74 hours on it and several upgrades but I have no idea what a fair price might be.

Author:  bluesky2012 [ Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Unless mudbuddy made a change to the sport V, those aren’t not well regarded motors. Handles breaking off while running, etc.

And no, not a standard NADA price or anything, and people seem to be getting prouder and prouder of their rigs these days and people are paying more and more insane prices.


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Author:  swflhunter [ Fri Jan 31, 2020 1:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Man, what happened to this place? A few years back I'd have had a bunch of feedback, now this place is a damn ghost town...

Author:  Bigbend [ Sun Feb 02, 2020 6:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Facebook killed most message boards. It’s a shame. I’ve stayed strong, still never had any social media.

I’d be looking for reliability in an Everglades rig (I’m originally from FL), that’s some super remote shit. I’d still probably lean towards a carbed motor. There was a guy that would post on here, Tgunn maybe? That ran the same area and ran an EFI but carried an extra wiring harness with him. EFI May have all the kinks worked out now, I’m just more comfortable with a carb. Stay with the big brands. I’m partial to Go Devil, but hate that the hulls have foam. You could get into a new GD rig with no carb or reverse pretty reasonably.

Author:  swflhunter [ Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Thanks for the reply. I too have avoided social media thus far, never been on Facebook.

Your advice about reliability above all is very good. You're right, I've been out there many times and thought, "if I break down right now, I'm in deep shit". Unless you've got satellite communication and a friend with a boat capable of getting out there it'd be a dangerous hike out though gator infested swamp. Whether I was 10 miles North of US 41 in the glades or out in the middle of the cabbage on the East side of the lake, it was a long way from dry land and a long way from help!

I had an Excel 1654 with a little Go-Devil 23 hp carb motor with no neutral and no reverse. It was definitely pretty reliable and it went through vegetation better than I thought it would but not even having neutral was a PITA at times. Picking up decoys, getting the boat onto the trailer, ect was a bit of a circus.

What motor is regarded as the most reliable nowadays?

Author:  kirk [ Wed Feb 26, 2020 9:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Frog that owns gatorglide is around there somewhere. I’m sure he could give some insight. If I’m not mistaken he has or had a custom boat that was built in Louisiana. Cc rig.


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Author:  stu [ Sat Feb 29, 2020 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

I hunt and fish the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee with a 18/48 Alumitech with a 35 swomp Longtail.
Mostly just weeds to contend with. I got the Longtail for the reliability but to be honest, the guys I know that run surface drive’s don’t seem to have any problems with them.


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Author:  Frog [ Fri Mar 06, 2020 9:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Just about any mud boat will run fine down here. We dont have the mud like SE Texas or LA. I have remote steering but a tiller will out perform remote for sure. For those long runs the CC is nice though! I have the GTR and love it, my buddy has a Prodrive and gets out of the heavy cover in half the time with ease, his reverse is hands-down better. I would owe either without question. Goddevil, Mudbuddy or copperhead will all work just fine down here. I have friends that will run nothing but copperhead, they love theirs.

Author:  WhoDat88 [ Fri Mar 06, 2020 9:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Gator Tail gets it done.

Author:  FireManDan1027 [ Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?

Personally, and I say this from experience, For the everglades I'd get an airboat.

I use to live in Broward and airboat was the way to go. Id get more places faster than any mud boat and when the glades start to dry up you ain't getting most places.

Okeechobee is a different story but with the water being low the past couple years there is some deeper water to run but I got buddies that have been begging me to come down with my airboat to get back where they cant cause that's where the ducks are

Author:  boatguy [ Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Best Rig for Everglades and Okeechobee?


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