I have a 6.5 Copperhead motor and really like the thing. My only complaint is that where I hunt there are a lot of cattails and reeds and those thing get wound around the shaft in front of the prop and really hamper the performance. Problem is, and this is the same with a friend of mine that has a Copperhead 18, those motors won't turn a full 90 degrees to either side, and because of that it's nearly impossible to reach the prop to clear it from inside the boat. If I'm in deep water where I can't get out of the boat, about the only way I've found to clear mine is to tilt it fully up, turn it as far to one side as it will go, and then lean out across the transom out over the water and cut and pull on that stuff to get it off of there. That's a bit awkard and not too safe actually.

Has anyone else encountered this problem, and if so do you have any ideas as to how to prevent that or a method to make it easier to clean the prop? I'm afraid that one day I might slip and fall out of the boat, not a good thing to happen when it's cold and nasty outside. Does anyone make some type of cutter or blade that can be mounted on the shaft housing down near the prop that can cut that stuff and prevent it from winding around the shaft to begin with? I'm also concerned that all that wrapping and binding around the shaft could possibly damage the rear seal and lead to further problems. I'm looking for something that will minimize the reed wrapping and/or make it easier to get to the prop for manual cleaning. Thanks in advance.

Sale it save your money and get a GTR. When the cattails wrap around it put it in reverse and WALA the cattails come off.

Not gonna happen. The smallest motor GTR makes I believe is a 23, that thing would swamp my little jon boat. There are certain advantages to having a small motor like this. I just wish I could figure out that prop wrapping problem, that's a real pain at times.

I think all MMs have this issue. But the ones with reverse and get it off.

I had the same issue when hunting in the lilly pad lake of Lake Bouef. Only thing I did is what you are doing. Tilt up, turn the motor as far as it'll go, stretch out over transome with knife and cut them out.

Raise the prop out of the water and hold it to the chip for a second, works for me.

Thats where the HP of a bigger motor helps