Looking to buy my next mud motor soon. I run Maurepas swamp ALOT! Bunch of timber down and close to no water. I have a 23GDSD that does really good in the timber but I would like a 35 for the speed and I could use reverse. FPR would be great! I hear bad things about Prodrive not doing good in any stumps or timber? Gatortail reverse just seems a little weak to me.?.? Dont want to start a war or anything I just wondering what the people who have Pro Drives think?

i got a 36 prodrive. if its not sticking up out the water dont worry about it

I tink ya herd rong.

Wait until the water goes down in henderson and i will give you a demo.

The only time it has ever been a problem and it only happened once so far...we ran a creek absolutely laden w/ fallen trees....first time out in my rig....we were inchin along....stop cut a tree...go 10 yards, cut two more etc. If you happen to get caught sliding barely over a log that fit between your transom and lower unit. Got off...took a little work and a few minutes. Just trimmed all the way up and got to work. That was an extreme case (post hurricane Rita) and has not happened since...run over laydowns and bounce of underwater stumps all the time with no issues. Some stick time and you'll learn how to hold the throttle/tiller where when you strike (severe hit) one the tiller will drop w/o takin your shoulder w/ it...it will bounce back up to hand, get a grip and keep rollin...glancing strikes ain't nothin but a thing....my .02

last note to add...I just didn't have enough steam to slide over back to back trees that day I got hung up

like T said..........once u learn how to hold the tiller and keep your legs out the way the pD will runn with them all.

I will say that a direct prop hit at 4500 rpm will kick your butt no matter what motor u got

Want to thank yall for all the honest answers so far. I just want to ask questions b 4 I spend 7 grand if ya know what I mean?

Buy a GD and a pushpole. It'll suck backin up but you wont have to dick with trim. Seriously, I run with Tongthrower a lot. The reverse rocks but I run a lot of timber and there is nothing like the GD in it. Not knockin other brands. I just believe having the ability to lift and put down the motor whenver i choose, a nice feature. Now thick veggies is a different story. The PD and GT seem to run a little better there because they are ass heavy and down bounce up as easy.

PD will throw ya outta the boat and break your arm, GT and Gd will tear off the sheet metal lower units (da GT will most likely kill ya too because of the 62.2mph speeds it can get now ) and MB will most likely blow a belt or not start at the launch, and if it does start up you'll hit a stump and the muffler and new carb will fall off .................













better off just get'n some oars

If we're talkin regular ol flooded timber...a PD can't be beat IMO....simply due to the manueverability....closest handling to an OB you will get out of all 4...I would never sacrifice weighted back for one application. There is NO comparison when runnin the thick between balanced/weighted back.

DO yourself a favor...as you said 5-7 grand is a LOT of money. Take time to demo all 4....if you can do it in your "backyard" and anywhere else you see yourself usin your rig and make an educated well thought purchase....you will be happier in the end-

Went frogging the other night with a friend who has a GDSD and I had to keep telling him to leave the push pole alone I've got reverse some habits are hard to break.
When I adjust my trim it only takes a second to get it where I want it with the push of a button.

Stop listening to Matt LOL





Actually I have been in some stumpy shit with mine with no troubles.

Remember that day we went riding Spanish Lake and everybody BUT Hunter got stuck.


They all have their pros and cons. Its all about preference.

Fork it! I guess I gunna try out a Pro Drive. I will see if they will let me demo one b 4 I buy.

I'm not sure where in Maurepas you run, but if it's like my lease in Manchac, you are better off with a longtail. I own a PD and wouldn't give it up for anything, but on my lease an older style Godevil longtail would be the better choice. There are some guys on here who hunt the same area so maybe they will chime in.

Since you run a SD now, you might be able to run the PD in your area. It all depends on how much water you have. We basically had no water and a hard bottom with stumps ever five feet. I was actually looking for an old GD to buy just for this lease but really it's mainly airboat territory.

Why don't you give us a better description of where you run?

If its the Cypress Hunting Club lease you better get a longtail. Ask Cash

If you're talkin about havin to back up OVER trees/logs and stumps with little to no water No Reverse is gonna get you out except gettin out the boat and man handlin it backwards

Now if its just a few stumps here and there and can manuver enough to turn around or get around thats a different story

The only two things I have come across that will stop FPR is dry ground and stumps or logs directly in the reverse path...it dont like sand and you'll burn a prop but if ya got 6-12" water and sandy bottom you can get out with FPR just gonna take time and work

Now as far as runnin timber...few of us were runnin the backwoods of caddo and water level varied an cypress knees all around with logs and trees in different places and had no problems with the PD and that was with 3 people and mostly full cooler...there was also a GDSD and MB there and didnt have to much trouble

Boat length, width, and chines along with motor and stick time all come into play when running the "backwoods"

just my .02