Greetings folks,

I just stumbled into this forum yesterday and am in the early stages of setting up a jonboat/surface drive rig for running shallow rivers with both sand and gravel ( hard ) bottoms and sometimes a few rocks to make it interesting.

I have used a 1542 jon with a GD 20 hp longtail for almost fifteen years and now am going to a larger jon and motor. I'm older and less steady than I used to be and a 35 longtail is too much for me, so I'm planning on a surface drive.

I have visited a few of your threads and realize there are more manufacturers/brands of surface drives than I thought. I have been planning to stay with a Go-Devil motor, but since I have no experience with these motors, I'll start with a very subjective question and that is "what should I look for and are these motors pretty reliable" ? Seems to me they all use about the same engines ( with a few exceptions of course ).

I'm looking at Alweld and a few other companies regarding a new 16-18' boat hull.

Regards, Vic

one of the first ? is do u want reverse?

Well, I've thought about the "reverse" option and it certainly is more convenient, but I'm used to the old fashioned "oars" for many uses so I'll probably continue without it.

Good question/consideration though......

Ypu can't be a caveman forever. They eventually go extinct.

Go get ya a Gtr and be done for hard bottom it works pretty well , more than what folks give them credit on here there are tricks to driving them on the hard stuff .. And as far as reverse goes my first one didn't have it but this one does and will never own another without it

I'm listening...........which ones have reverse ?

Gatortail and Prodrive are the only two with a proven system.

Next question...what is your budget?

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I'll only consider motors that have service as well as sales up this way.

This will be my retirement rig. I will spend what I need to - to set it up the way I want it.

Buy a Gatortail or Prodrive from Loreaville, Louisiana. Your soon to be retired so you can travel down here for service and vacation at the same time.

Well if you don't have a budget then get a custom hull built for a mud motor with exactly everything you want in it.

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and do u want a 35 at least cause gator tail offers a 28 too

sorry I meant 25

Do you plan to haul balls through the arky woods and bounce off stumps? If so, you're gonna want a 3/16 bottom. There are a number of great builders on this site that can fix you up right. If you're wanting this to be a retirement rig you can use at old age, I'd recommend a motor with reverse.

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Sorry confusing this with another thread. Ignore the Arkansas part. But if you're running stumps get 3/16 bottom.

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Hook me up with some bow huntin up your way and I'll hook you up with a Gatortail test drive

I'm in NE Iowa if you'd like once the water isn't hard I'd let you take my pro-drive/ phowler rig for a drive.

Vic,
You won't be disappointed by quality, performance or service if you go with Prodrive, GoDevil or Gatortail. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages. It sounds like this will be an investment you will have for a while so you should go to the nearest dealer and drive one. Call each factory and find where the nearest dealer is and set up an appointment for a demo. If the dealer won't do a demo forget him. He either isn't proud enough of his product to show it off or isn't interested enough in the customer to give good service should it be needed. Stick with the boat/motor combo recommended by each manufacturer. They have put in a lot of tiller time figuring out what works best for most people. Keep in mind that while your longtail preferred a narrow boat, the surface drives work fine on widths up to 60 inches. Boat length should be geared to the loads you will be carrying. A 16 X 56 will be slightly faster than an 18 X 56 with a light load, but when you start to put in Grandkids, extra fuel, decoys etc. the 18 X 56 will begin to overtake it. Unless you are into racing and bragging about your fast boat the difference isn't worth mentioning. After all those years running a longtail you will love the Surface Drive. Keep us posted on your experience.
stu

Thanks for the tips and feedback everyone. Now that the holidays are over and the different folks I want to discuss boat hulls and motors with are all opening back up - I will be progressing on the "whats and wherefores".

Even though all of my time and experience with mud motors is on longtails, they do offer some distinct advantages over SD's in some of the river and backwater situations I encounter up here. A 35 LT is definitely more than I can or want to handle as I assemble a rig for my "later years" , which are now through ??. I realize most of you guys are quite a bit younger than I am and you won't be where I'm at for quite awhile yet, so please bear with me. I'll check the motor dealers up here, but so far I'm only aware of Go-Devil and Mudbuddy Motors - and I favor Go-Devil at this time.

FWIW - IT'S DARN COLD HERE TODAY....-18 + WIND CHILL = about -40. On days this cold, you feel like you have a hatchet in your forehead when outside...and you can't feel your fingers soon after.

Regards, Vic

Hey Vic, it looks like you and I are shopping for the same thing. These guys have been very helpful. Let me know what you decide and if you find a local dealer that carries GT's or Prodrives.

my boat builder up here (Twin City Area ) wants to be a GT dealer, but was told he needs to move 10 units a year - hard to do when everything is frozen stiff for 7 months. The only other dealer in MN is about 4 hours away. another option is Beavertail, thier surface drive has no rewind option for the same price as the GTR. I drove a buddies Pro Drive and it was pretty darn nice, but requires a little more engineering to boats for all the fancy hydraulics and turning lower unit and I ordered a GTR, it looks like a simpler more robust design to me.
I am an old boy also, and thought I would only use reverse to clear weeds off lower unit, but when you really think about it you use reverse for a lot of other things hunting or bowfishing.

I have a GDSD 35 and it is not an old man's engine. Go with the GTR. Reverse and trim will be a lot easier on you, no offense.

If your not running thick vegetation then buy a GD.

You're in wisconsin, we have every major brand represented somewhere in this state. Pro drive dealers/Pro Staff all over, Gatortail in Montello, GoDevil all over the place, Mud Buddy.... Well who cares where they are, beavertail if you're into longtails, and BackH20 just across state lines in Minnesota (again if you havent written off longtails entirely). You have the opportunity to try them all within a few hours drive.

Mr Vic not to high jack your thread but why all the hast towards mudbuddy? I'm new to this mudmotor world as well so please educate me.

Vic where are you from MN? If so Winona has a GD dealer mainstream outdoors and Dover has a pro-drive and copper head dealer TNT marine. The owners of both are very nice people and would take you out anytime there is not ice I'm sure.


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Did Stu just say he's 73?

Keep at it stu . You're making us all proud .

H Finn