Hello from the green timber of northeast Arkansas!

First time to post here and I am looking forward to interacting with everyone. Here in the near future I will be making the jump into the MM world and could not be more overwhelmed, excited, frustrated, pumped and confused all at once.

Looking into building a 1751 Prodigy. Go custom or go home.

Also trying to decide between a Mud Buddy, Pro Drive and Gator Tail... decisions, decisions!

This boat is going to be used and abused just like all its tin can predecessors. Banging trees in the woods on early winter mornings, rolling over logs and stumps in the spring and fall chasing crappie, skimming over sand bars in the summer with the family out on the river. Because of that, I'm looking for a tough MM and a TOUGH hull.

Looking forward to anyone and everyone's input, I'll be roaming all over the boards interacting with the various discussion AND *drumroll*

USING THE SEARCH FEATURE.

See y'all,

Cowboy

Well, you probably should have used the search feature before asking on what motor will be best
Go drive all 3 brands you like, and see which one you like best.
all of them are tough, and have reverse.

Il let you test drive my prodrive if you bring me on a hunt In that timber!

Don't do it. Run far far away from a mud motor

Biggest case of buyer's remorse you will ever have!

If you can run a short shaft outboard, do that.


Sent using smoke signals

Get a skiff for the point nose for that timber!!!
I definitely use my 18x46 with 35 gtr more than I use my fx24x72 with 150hp merc!
Btw I run timber a lot and there are places that will damage a outboard motor very quickly!
The problem with a mud boat is having to much fun and a little more upkeep than a regular outboard!

Second on pointed bow. And I mean pointed. You can't steer as well with a MM and if it kicks up in a hard shallow bottom at speed you cannot turn! Don't ask how I know that! Your outboard buddies may leave you in twisty tight trails in timber but you will never have to slow down for shallow water, logs and debri in the water like they do. That your time to take no prisoners!

Don't waste money on seats as your crew will be safer and more comfortable in the floor. We use turkey chairs which set on the bottom if we are cruising or the Yeti in front of the CC

I have a 1854 GT extreme with hunt deck pointed bow and a CC and 35 GTR. Reverse is a must. It's a tank but gets us there in style. You may want a winch as these boats will get stuck in the AR timber and they are not moving without a lot of effort. Most places the bottom is too hard to dig or reverse out. Also comes in handy to winch across roads also.

Good luck

Fuking rookies

Rookies maybe but totally different conditions Boudro....

Btw if your thinking 17x51 I personally go 18x54.

In the timber, I'd go 18x48 / 19x48.
Sure, you cant tell much difference from 48" bottom to 54", but it seems that the 48" bottoms are a little quicker.

Don't quote me on it, but I think majority of people who run stumps, have 3/16" bottom and 1/8" sides.
Not 100% though.

I'm in central AR. I have spud pole mount winch with remote control and power to bow and stern. I can pull forward and backwards. It's been well used and appreciated by fellow hunters when we are stuck or get across something. I first had it on a receiver hitch on the bow and only put winch there when needed but even pulling boat thru woods by hand if it hits a tree it's broken. So I went to spud pole mount and store it now. I also recommend rope not wire cable. Lighter safer and easier to work with.

i would imagine most of you timber guys have tillers vs CC for the better maneuverability, or am i wrong?

But you're going custom!
Console can be as low as you want. and normally the consoles are lower than the top of the motor.

In the stumps, I would want a console.
But I'd want a console over everything

I run a lot of stumps, 3/16 bottom and 1/8 side prodigy. It's tough as hell, and I'm a heavy dude running deep wAter stumps a lot . So most of the time I have to either slide off, or drive off. There is no getting out and pushing the boat off the stump. I don't see any problem with the 3 piece hull at all and it saves some weight

I modified my boat to a side console using Seastar hydraulic steering system it is 5 turns stop to stop, and is very easy steering at all speeds! I run Big Cypress River and Caddo Lake mostly and run the timber a lot with very few issues!!!! Like mentioned before just slower speeds in the timber, in process of replacing a 18x46 square nose with a 19x54 skiff with the 3/16" bottom! Its really about what makes your cookies crumple and what you think you need and want.

1. spud poles
2. cat walks
3. pointed nose for the timber
4. console(my preference)hydro steering
5. camo paint
6. 35 gtr modded (my preference)
7. some kind of storage +++(lifejackets, guns, anchor, wife's stuff, other miscellaneous BS)
8. ice chest full of beer and tank full of gas and nothing better to do but ride 0r hunt!!!!!

I run felsenthal over to the red (a little) and have a camp at bayou meto, and go a little further north.

I run a 1750 custom built by DFOU, with 3/16 bottom and 1/8 sides with a tiller GTR for the stumps in felsenthal it is awesome, for the trees elsewhere it is awesome, but it has a flat solid pipe nose that is 25" across, at slow speeds and a pointed bow you can't maneuver left to right as quickly as my previous outboard and 15ft boat, BUT, I can run over nearly anything 4 inches in diameter and smaller. it isn't a 38mph fucking mega, but it is a 29mph tank with 5 grown men and all our shit.

and where all these other fuckers want a boat that can cut on a dime, I keep it straight and either beat them or stay right behind them. And I hit what I want.

Justin my $.02,

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I ran a console GTR in the stumps and timber for a year and loved it. The pros outweigh the cons for me. If you know your run in the timber you can get through it pretty quick.

But if you run straight timber, i would probably go tiller.

I know you weren't considering it but figured I would throw my $.02 in!


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