I am looking at doin a duck boat on budget for next season. I am in KY and we run everything from the deep & wide Mighty Ohio river to cypress swamps and muddy backwater. I know enough to say that there is not a do all boat motor combo but would still like to try and be as versatile as possible. I found some very good deals on express boats 1752 and am considering a surface drive for it. Love the idea of a GTR but like I said on a budget, I found the boat for $2200 brand new and have access to a used trailer, so know need a cheap motor........ Interested in some of your guys opinions.

Get a boat made for a mud motor and you will be happier in the long run. Running cypress and backwater you want a strong braced longitudal braced hull or you will just hook the bottom all up.

Look for used motors that have been maintained and not hopped up. Go over the outdrive really well to ensure its solid and well maintained, on motor- have a compression and leakdown done on it.

Only do that if you can't afford a mud hull and you need a boat. My outboard wasn't reliable anymore and I needed a new motor and had enough for the gtr but not a whole rig and I didn't want to buy used. Is my set up ideal? No but it gets me where I want to hunt and more importantly it gets me back home and I could afford it with out a loan. Now I absolutely want another boat made just for a mud motor but I'll just have to save and be patient


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I hear you deadbird8 but don't have the funding to fork out 12K plus for mud hull and a SD. Was hoping I could get by with the express for a few years and still get where I want to go. I am able to a lot of my own mods and thought about beefing up the transom for starters?

Get a Grizzly. If you look hard enough you can find one for around $1100. I have a 1654 and it does great running rough water to no water. It's a mod-v, but I still get 31 with a SD.

I just got another quote on a 1756 express .100 gauge hull &24" sides with 21" transom for $2500 brand new. It a flatbottom boat and all I read on here is the best performance with Sd's is with a true flat bottom boat ( other than a true mud hull of course)

The xpress will be fine. No, it doesn't have longitudinal bracing, .125 or 3/16 hull, all the options or layouts the mud hulls do, nor the true flat bottom. Will it be serviceable for at least a couple years, yep. If you don't hit a lot of stumps at 20+ mph, it'll do well for a long time. Is it the best option, nope. Is it the best option for someone with a small budget, quite likely (along with alweld and weldcraft). one of the better complete overall setups I've ever run (in how well it runs very shallow and deep, with up to 3 people with hunting gear) is a 27 mini on the back of a 20 year old 1546 xpress. It's not fast by standards on here, but it's done every single thing asked of it, without ever having to be dragged out of a bind. If it got in there, it got out. And it gets into some very shallow hard bottom areas. It just doesn't get in too big of a hurry.

If it's in your price range, and you want it, roll with it. It'll be fine.