I want to get a new boat and motor to run shallow rocky streams. I am thinking of a 14' Jon with a mud buddy mini 14., or would a longtail be the best for this situation? Any help will be much apreciated.

I've never run in such "aqua-terrain" but I've read where conventional jet drive outboards are used. Before investing, see if the nearest marine or mud motor dealer will let you take a test drive or offer suggestions. Although they make prop protection plates and such for both surface drive and longtail motors, there are similar devices for conventional outboards. The reason I say this is you may realize you don't need a mud motor of either type if you don't have much mud or vegetation, you describe shallow water and rocks and if this is mostly clean water a regular outboard may manage. Take your time and shop around, get all the information you can, and again, test drive it!

I ran a 16' smoker craft fishing jet boat on the Sac River in 6"in of water. It had a 4.3L vortec. I would say a jet on an outboard would be best. It doesn't hang down as far as a standard prop outboard. You will loose a couple hp's with a jet but you wont be bouncing of the bottom like a longtail or a proped outboard would.

As mentioned before if the water is clear of weeds and mud run a standard short shaft outboard. I have a 1436 that I used to run the flint river around me with and all I did was take a pitch fork head and bend where it mounted to the handle. Then I made a mount that bolted to the wings above the prop and mounted it so the tines of the fork stuck down below the skeg. Run your motor on tilt and haul balls if your mount and welds are good she just kicks right up outta the water when you hit a rock or log.

^^ good idea there! I ran my boat like this for a while, minus the pitchfork, just kept the outboard loose and it would kick up without damage to the prop. I started running a lot of muddy bottoms and chewing up impellers so I got a longtail.

I wish I woulda never sold that 15. We'd use it walleye fishing in the spring and it moved 3 guys upstream fast. Oh well I spend more time in a boat in the fall than in the spring or summer so the home build longtail won the prize[url][url][/url][/url]