Can someone point me to threads/discussions where the whole "is a MM a good choice for me?" topic is discussed?

I live in the Southeast Texas Coastal belt where I like to saltwater fish, but am intrigued by the idea of using a MM to get into the back marshes to chase Reds/Flounder as well as also getting back into duck and goose hunting in the winter.

I have a couple of young kids (3 and 5) and want to start them out, so boat stability is always an interest. Originally, I was only thinking 16-18' Jon Boat with a 25-50 HP tiller type boat. However, the whole MM thing popped up and looks interesting.

Also, how well do these set-ups run in the bays and on sand flats? Plus, I can't seem to find what the pros/cons are of the LT vs direct drive is.

Any help is appreciated.

Pros: They can go where outboards cant touch, you dont have to worry bout clogged water pumps, and they are fun to have.

Cons: Mud motors are slower, harder to drive, louder, and you will be more likley to kill yourself once you see where it can go

Sand will eat up a prop in no time, you have to watch out for that and make sure the water is deep enough the prop doesnt come into contact with the sand

Longtails are direct drive. no neutral, no reverse, just forward.
They are harder to drive and tune in, slower than surface drives, but cheaper than a surface drive.

Surface drives can be belt or gear driven and have several options like nuetral, reverse, and power trim. They are fairly easy to drive, can go up to the low 30's.

I suggest a hull built for mudmotors if you want the best performance
If I were you a 17x54 and 35/36 hp surface drive would be my choice.

Wider boat = greater stability. My 20x60 is about as stable as they come.

briggs you have no earthly idea how lucky you are to get two straight forward, non-smartass answers in a row. Good job guys, couldnt have explained it better myself

Yep. Thanks and the straight forwar answers are appreciated. Just want to make an informed decision for a boat I can use year round to hunt and fish out of and one that is enjoyable for my kids to go with me.

One other question - how well do these things do on mud or sandy mud flats with scattered oysters clumps? The kind that are scattered about like landmines every 20 yards or so...

where you live in at in SETX... lots of guys live in that area and most of them would be more than willin to let ya come ride with them so you can see some first hand experience. it dont matter what kind you want to drive, someone has it in this area...