Hey all, My name is Cameron and Im in the US Army and Im getting ready to deploy to afganistan. After i get home id like to get a mud motor for my boat, for hunting down in the Santee, Sparkleberry Swamp area. I currently have a 15 foot Sea Ark from 2000 and a 40hp yamaha from 1985 and i run the motor pretty hard through some tough stuff, well tough for an outboard last duck season i went through 2 props. any sugestions on what kind and hp motor to get?

Thank you very much for your service!!!

It would depend on the transom angle your boat has now. Any motor would work but for the best performance its always better to try an match the boat with the motor esp a surface drive. Surface drives usually run in the shallows and mud with a flat bottom.

Are you thinking a longtail or a surface drive?

Thanks for your service. It would be best just to get a whole different rig.

I have a mud buddy for sale with very low hours 35 hp hd sport


Sent from the baddest mudmotor out there

I had a 35 gt on same hull run great

I have a cam and head work to the motor but it came out the hole real good , top end did 33 with 2 ppl , with three ppl and gear boat still did 30 .. Only modification done to hull was built transom up to 20" for a tall transom motor bc I knew I would eventually get a gator tail hull.

Save your money and get a true mud boat. I'm also from that area(Sumter). I also run sparkleberry swamp . Even though your boat will work it's just not made to hit them stumps at 23-27 mph with a SD. After a season of that you'll be looking for a new hull.
If you looking at longtail motor then I think you'll be fine for a while. There not a speed demon but do better in the tight stumpy shallow hard bottom timber.


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Do like I did ..you already have a boat .. Buy the motor you want and put it on your boat.. Once you pay of motor or have extra money go ahead and get a new hull , but you will be fine running any motor in that boat.. Ppl always gave me shit saying that hull is gunna get beat to shit , I had one hook after 6 years of having boat and it was caused from hitting a floating tree in intracoastal at moc 2 lol

Brady - solid advice.

SNACKMIX - do us all a favor and come home in one piece.

Be safe brother.

BM.

What ever you do stay as far away from MUDDY BAY MARINE as possible. Those guys dont have a clue what they are doing and you will never have a reliable working motor from them.

A buddy of mine has a GDSD on one and it does very well.

anybody think any motor over 35hp would be too much? I like going fast haha

U ain't gunna get a mud motor over 35hp unless you do motor work

Just wanted to say that I'm back and I'm picking up my boat tomorrow with a 2015 GTR 35hp

Good to hear you made it back. Thanks for your service. Enjoy the new gatortail, your going to like it.

Hey welcome back!

Welcome back solder! Good to see you kept your head down and made it back alive. Not go enjoy blowin around in the Santee with your new gtr! You'll love it.

Thanks for your service!
Todd

Went on the first ride today, only 45 min cause the water on Lake Murray was a tad rough but I'm loving the GTR. This motor is so much more of a difference than the outboard. It def takes a little of manhandeling. The reverse isn't too strong though. And I got some grass built up on the prop is there a trick to get it off? I'm guessing just don't go as slow through the stuff?