I am looking at buying my first mud boat and i wanted some advice. Im thinking about a longtail which im still kind of unsure about over a surface drive. Im looking at backwater 27 or 35 hp with a 16 or 17 foot boat. Any motor advice? also Hull advice. Flat front, mod vee? brand? Id like a welded boat and id like to try to stay under 10k for the whole set up which i know would be hard with a surface drive. Thanks guys

What types of area will you hunt? Right now i run a 1438 flat bottom with a 13hp homemade long tail and she runs good. This next spring I'm getting a new one. Bigger and faster. with the mud boat I would stick to a flat bottom. some boat manufacturers however make flat bottoms with a nose that come to a point and in timber that would work nice.

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1842 is in my opinion the best hull size for a big block longtail.. Don't know about the 27. But I know for a fact a 23 lt runs great on a 1738

Also need to know how many guys.

3 guys max usually the dog also. I live in Wisconsin so most of its weedy backwater some muddy spots we go to

I've morphed from a 1436 to a 1544 to a 1648 and now I would like a 1848 with a 35 HP longtail because I run in shallow waters with hard sand/marl bottoms, and I would like better performance and more room when I hunt 3. A surface drive needs thick mud and a bit more water. BackH2O is up your way and everybody likes them and that will probably me my next LT. Since your hunt with 3 plus a retriever and gear, get an 18' hull from the get go or you will be sorry. Btmannin is correct in the 1842 though I fish so I want a bit more side to side room and stability, I would go custom, meaning Alweld because I don't believe you need the Gulf Coast "tank" hull (.125 gauge), unless you like to abuse you boat or jump beaver dams daily , I believe they can build one in .100 which is strong enough and light. Heck, I know a .072 rivetted hull would be fine for me and you can always fix rivets easier than welding an all-welded boat. I say 18' open hull because if you start adding gun boxes, extended decks, etc., you quickly are back to a 16' or less hull inside space though the longer hull will be better. I think a new 1844/1848 alweld jon in .100 plus the BW 35 HP LT should run around 8K, of course the trailer will be another K! I bet there is a good condition 17 or 18' used hull in your area and you can get it for cheap and then slap a new BW 35, coat the bottom with steelflex or gatorglide, and cruise in style.