IM looking into getting my first duck boat with a surface drive. I got buddys with 35 mud buddys on big hulls but im not wanting to spend 20k plus on a new boat. I found backwoods landing in alabama has a 1648 crawdadII that i really like the layout of and all. The whole boat is made out of .080 aluminum so i know its gotta be light as hell. Theyre reccomending a 23 copperhead on it. My concern is that im a big guy about 350, and i normally hunt with 1 or 2 little skinny fellas so figure a load equivalent to 4 skinny men at most times. Any body have any experience with a 23 coperhead pushing a load like this? im not looking for a racer i just wanna know that i will be able to get on plane and run thick hydrilla and lillys down here in centrl fl. we dont really have the mud flats like louisianna and missisippi. Im also not scared to buy a stage1 kit from BPS the same time i buy the rig. for 1800$ it seems like a no brainer. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Couple things....

First and foremost, you don't want .080 aluminum on a mudboat. Some will argue to run thinner aluminum based on terrain but unless you plan on only running it where you'll be able to go with an outboard, forget about that thin boat. Some are fine with .100 if you only run straight soupy mud or deep water but I honestly consider .125 to be minimum for most types of running.... Unless you want to replace the hull completely every season or two.

Also, you don't have to drop that kind of cash ($20K) on a good rig. I didn't spend near that much on mine with lots of options and even fuel injection on the big block. Consider other brands. Check out GoDevil's website and play around with the 'customize a package' page and see what you can get for the money.

-where exactly are you located? What type of running do you want to do? Any specific reason to want/need the small block other than price? You will not be happy with the performance with a 3-4 man load with a 16ft boat and small Hp motor...

im in central florida. everything we run here is just thick hydrilla and lillys. no need for a .125 boat in all honesty. i really would like to find a used rig with a 35 on it in the 16 or 17' range. im not going to jump on anything when im ready ill have until next season to decide but ive read a ton of good things about the copperhead pushing a big load very well. i just read where on a demo day they put a 23 on a 1744 phowler extreme 1744 (all .100 guage) with 1100 lbs in it getting 17 mph. thats impressive. i was thinking with a stage 1 kit and some gearing it would be a bad little rig on such a lite hull for the places i hunt

with a stage 1 kit your looking at a 6or7 hp gane. then you would have a 30 hp 140lb motor on a super light hull.

No 23 is built for a big load don't let the dip shits tell you that. A guy your size is going to want a pretty decent size boat and a big block. Shop around. Regardless of what you hear keep it as light as you can. Those heavy boats look good in open water and on a trailer. There not duck hunters in Fla. There wannabees. Pretty but not hunters. They like to talk trash but they don't go.

I have a 23 hp mbsd on a 1648 hull. It does 16-20 mph with me(165lbs) and a buddy the same size and fishing gear. Once I hunted with a buddy similar to ur size and the boat wouldn't get on plane. Prob 5-7 mph just plowing. Get a 35 with a stage 1 and now ur talking.


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Everyone is right. The 23hp does great when you have a light load (my would go 28 solo in shallow water) but with alot of weight they may have a problem getting on plane, which probably has alot to do with the smaller size boats they normally go on. I never had a problem getting on plane in my 1544 with 2-3 people and a hunting load. I recently upgraded to a 35hp but honestly had alot more fun with the smaller boat and Copperhead, it just works well on jon boats. Plus its nice to be able to buy brand new and not worry about buying someone elses junk.

Any real reason to not want an 18' boat? The weight difference won't be enough to break the deal vs the same boat a foot shorter. It will carry the load you're wanting much better. These small Hp engines (even the 35+) are sensitive to load and weight movement. More planing surface on the hull makes it easier for the smaller engines to plane a little more weight.

A .100ga 1844 with a 35SD of your choice sounds like more what will get your job done. Much better than a 16' boat and a 23.... If for some reason you are hung up on using a short boat, consider a 1660 or even a hair wider. It'll carry the loads your describing much better than a 44/48" bottom.

Get you the best the first time around.Don't do like most of us and buy 4 rigs before you wake up and smell the roses This is a 17/54 Extreme hull with a 35 pushing it!Get the GatorGlide on the bottom also.This is a GatorTail boat and GatorTail motor,Matching rig is the ticket.Stock with boat empty it ran 30 mph all day long,Now motor has plenty of goodies in it and runs 37 empty and damn near that with 2 guys,Dog,and hunting shit.Good Luck with your purchase


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I'm going to side with the guys here.... you will be much happier with a 17/18 ft boat and a big block. I had a similar rig to what your talking about and it was nothing unless i ran solo, and i'm #100+ less than you. Stage one is not going to overcome what that hull can't handle. I agree in central FL if your not an idiot that you COULD get by with the .080 hull. I personally would look for a .100 hull. If price is your deal, search for a used hull fitting your needs and then go get a new motor. I think overall you need to think safety here. that load on places like the lagoon, jesup, harney, some of the bigger runs in the St Johns..... your just not going to be safe regardless if you can or can not get on step!!

First of backwoods landing in n. Bama are retarded, they will sell you anything and have a excuse for everything. I met a guy up here that has a 12hp copper, and they sold him a 1652, and said it would plane out..... They also sold a buddy a trailer two feet two wide. Imo if your dead set on weldbilt go somewhere else. Just my .02

Barling boat sales in Fort smith, ar sold me my .100 weldbilt 1648 for 1950. Nice people

It's simple. get a mud motor. shoot ducks in the face.

18 with the huntdeck

perfect thank you.

Mottled:

I hunt here in FL (Lake O) and understand your aversion to a .125 hull. The truth is you don't need a .125 here in Central/South FL unless you're running around cypress or flooded pastures with old fence posts. I have a .100 and after two years on Lake O, I don't have a single dent in the bottom of my boat.

Either get that 1848 Extreme or, head over to Miller's Marine in Ocala and look at the SeaArk 170 (48") or the 180 (52" bottom). I have a custom-built 16.5x46 with a 37EFI, and this weekend my buddy ran his Mudrunner 170 with me. It's a nice hull, I like it. It turns well and I like that center keel on it; it helps it track well and doesn't hang up on vegetation.

Don't even mess around with a small block if you're 350lbs and plan on hunting with anyone. Don't even waste your time. I had a 25GTR on this hull before the 37EFI and could hunt three fine but all of us are under 190lbs. The torque is really the difference, and it's a big difference.

Tgunn, what kind of speeds are you getting with the 37 gtr? Who built your custom hull?

Solo with a light load I had 31.7mph on my first trip out with that motor. THe next day I had 32.4 but it was downcurrent. Holding 31mph isn't a problem at all in deep water. With the wife I had 30.7 and holding 30 was easy.

The motor is still in break-in and I would expect a little more out of it after 10hrs or so, plus it's hot and humid right now.

Jay Dore (Instagator911 on here) built my hull; he posted on the thread to which I posted a link. I have a build thread on here somewhere, back around August 2013.

If you want a copperhead, I built a fella a 1548 1/8" hull with floor, seat and small deck. Boat runs about 26-27 with no load and said he can keep it 20+ with whatever load he puts in it. I believe it's a very good size for the 23.






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