Trying to clear up what seems to be a recuring question! I've run my longtail 23 since 1998 on several different boats.

1 . LONGTAILS RUN BEST ON A LONG, NARROW BOAT!
2. LONGTAILS RUN BEST ON A SHORT TRANSOM!
3. A LONGTAIL WILL RUN IN THE LOW 20'S AT BEST1
4. A LONGTALI WILL OUT DIG EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE MUD!
These statements should be carved in stone SOMEWARE!

If you are trying to run your longtail on a short, high transom boat, you'r just beating you head aginst the wall.

My 23 is almost 5 MPH FASTER on a 16 x 36 Carolina Skiff (heavy) than on my 14 x 48 Allweld

Couldn't of said it any better. Run a 35 long tail on a 1656 go devil boat and wouldnt trade it in a heartbeat

Mike, good points. We don't have much mud here, excepting some floating mud rafts that will seize you up unless you hit them at high speed and even then you may not get through. Down here its mostly hard bottom, shallow water, and veggies. This is why I still run a longtail. My good friend got a 35 SD MB and put it on his "ancient" rivetted 1652 Seanymph. It's a pretty good match but in four years he's had more problems with that motor than I've ever had with my three different longtails. It's great for long runs, turning, trailering, speed,etc. but we've got it stuck worse than I could ever get my longtail stuck. I may upgrade to a 35 longtail in a couple of years, I don't really see the need for a shortail, and the higher cost is prohibitive. I have driven my 27 HP MB since 2004 and it works great but it is a workout. How much harder will the 35 be compared to the 27? I am looking with interest at MB's proposed 35 SLT with the reduction gear. I do plan on moving from my 1648 to an 1848 "real" mud hull. I would like to stay with the .100 gauge, it is heavy enough. I may have to travel to Lousiana to get one built like that . I welcome any comments or suggestions!

We used to run a 25 till it was stolen then we got a 35. Once you get used to it it isn't bad at all. And about driving to la to get the boat, we had go devil ship our boat to us here in north Florida. I absolutely love that boat and go devil customer service is incredible.

Quack, a friend had a 1644 GD boat a few years ago but sold it. He said it was tough to steer and heavy. That would be my only complaint about those .125 gauge boats. We don't have cypress swamps and I find that gauge overkill for our conditions. My 1648 grizzly in .100 gauge is heavy enough(395#). I previously had an alumaweld (now Xpress) 1544 that was a good boat with a 25 longtail and it was .090 and was plenty tough. I would love an 1844/1848 in that gauge. I have two friends who run older rivetted (.072 gauge) Lowe MV 1648's with longtails and apart from one or two minor rivet leaks, those boats have held up. They are light and strong. If I faced submerged stumps, beaver dams and the like, I would obviously think .125 gauge a requirement.

Or people boobytrapping blinds with rebar to keep you out of there blinds! Hunting here in north Florida can get pretty damn competitive . Knew a guy who pulled into a blind with a 15 ft g3 and rebar punched 2 holes in the boat. He barely made it back to the landing. Along with old run down blinds, stumps, and random submerged fences on a few lakes, I like have that extra bit of metal below my feet.

.125 and longitudinal ribs is your friend in the swamp and the best insurance you can have. There is no advantage to a thinner hull on a mud boat.