new here, and have no idea which forum to post this question on, so it's going here I have a 17' Lund Alaskan deep V with a 50hp Merc OB engine. Most of the areas I hunt have been so shallow the last decade that the outboard is not useful...even trimmed up there's just no way to run it in this depth of water. So I'm wondering if anyone has used either a long tail or a surface drive on a deep V boat hull, and if so, how do they perform?

a twist...I do currently use the boat to fish a handful of times each summer. Does anyone use their duck boats with mud motors (long tail or surface drive) to fish as well with? I don't troll, but just need to get from point A to point B.

Thanks for any thoughts you have.

That's a lot of boat to push. I had a couple Alaskan 18's. You are not going to get any speeds out of it but it could be done. If you are almost able to run an outboard than you should go with a SD. That boat with a 35hp LT would be creeping at a snail's pace.

Probably be better off selling the whole setup and getting you a used flat bottom and some sort of mud motor. A production flat bottom and used Longtail would be light years better off than where you're at right now and wouldn't cost much. You'd be surprised where a cheap little setup like that would take you

I fish out of my boat.....

sent from the former Republic of Texas.

Why not? I fish with a long tail... Bass fish, run trotlines, catfish you name it... Why does it have to be a V boat with an outboard to fish out of it? My hull is a Mod V and while it's not perfect for a "mud boat" I rarely run mud... It works for everything I want to do with it.

Long tail and a $150 clamp on trolling motor... Done... Pic the prop up and troll or even pole where you want to go. Fish, camp, hunt, scout, run lines... You name it... I do it all in one cheap, ugly, slow, mismatched boat that supposedly "doesn't work" according to public opinion.

A Longtail on a Mod V, with big dumb float boxes... Runs 19-20 with just me and a cooler and 17 with two guys and a pretty standard hunting load including several shotguns, full ammo cans, blind, cover material, etc... And runs about as shallow as any "mud hull" I've been around. Not knocking anyone setup or saying mines perfect but for a cheap, second hand, thrown together rig mine does really damn good in my opinion.

The more I think this through, the more I'm coming up with a simple answer to my problem. My current boat (17' Alaskan) really is a great all around boat, and it doesn't draft much water at all. I often wade the boat into less than a foot of water. And it's outstanding for fishing in the summer. So your input has me thinking of a more simple solution....a big ass trolling motor! When I get in shallow enough where the OB is not feasible, flip down the trolling motor and go to town. Yeah, I would need one of the larger thrust motors, and a good reliable battery...maybe two? But this would solve my problem in shallow water, AND wouldn't interfere with my fishing style. In fact, a big ass trolling motor for fishing has been on my mind for some time.

Thanks for kicking this around with me folks!

That boat is still going to sit low as hell in the water. And while you will be ablt to "get there" that's nothing like being able to run there with the main engine

the motor gets you there....you dont need a motor once you are fishing except for maybe a trolling motor....... um....im driving my moms lexus to hunt in a rice field this afternoon....will it effect my hunt? If i drove my truck would the birds fly better? stop and think about what you are asking......

We hunt Green Bay, Michigan, and Superior and an outboard out shines a MM all day long. Unless the wind pushes the water out and no matter what your f*cked because it's all sand and MM don't like sand. We run a 20' alaskian with a 75 with no problems. Not sure where on the lakes you hunt but it's not a place for MM unless you stay close to shore.

I saw someone the other day with a big boat and outboard using about a 5hp go devil longtail as a kicker motor to get in the shallow area of the marsh. Just an idea.

consider a jet drive for your current ob and having a tunnel installed in you boat. I spent 10 days hunting alaska last year. We went 80 miles up river every day in a 20 foot gd sd boat with a 35 hp sd. That was a 15 mile an hour ride up river and a float or 20 mph run down river at the end of the day.

JD