I'm new to running a mud motor of any kind
And I was wondering if any of you guys run a longtail in big water.
It s scares the piss out of me thanking about crossing big water when it's windy with a long tail.
You know them lake that get three foot swells.

thats no place for a longtail.

Idk if I'd want to run that in a Jon boat even worth an outboard

Hell no! Give me my calm, sheltered marsh waters. Let the stalwart few choose the open water for moronic bluebills. When a hard nor'wester blows, I hug the grass and stay in a sheltered area where the ducks will also hopefully find refuge. Ruff/Rough water is for the big cojones/foolhardy crowd.

Grow a set fellas. I've run 2-3 foot swells in my longtail and Jon boat, 1754 modified v, it's all about how you hit the waves.


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It's hairy but it can be done. I hunt in venice and with a south wind there can be 4&5 foot rollers in the river we have crossed in long tails and surface drives none of our boats are over 18'.

As you get older you ask yourself....."Is it worth dying for?" Duckdon

I avoid the big water if I can (1644 w longtail). Duckdon said it best. If we plan to hit big water I'll call buddies and let them know we will be in their boats.


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Yeah, well, if you have no option but big water I can understand. On the other hand, if I don't have to face it, I won't. Anyone who is foolhardy on the water will be a drowned sorry sob, big balls and all. I get enough aches and pain fishing with my in law on his contender on the big blue.

When I wake up in the morning to go hunting my thought process goes something like this.

1. If warm and windy, likely to go alone.
2. If cold and no wind, likely to go alone.
3. If cold and windy, likely to go if son goes too..
4. If cold, windy and raining ain't getting my ass out of bed.
5. If freezing I'll go if son going but extra careful to plan for worst case scenario, so no risky behavior. It takes a lot more energy in cold weather for an old man to set decoys and retrieve them alone. And if we happen to sink, I probably couldn't make it to where I could stand and warm up before hyperthermia would set it. I'd probably last longer than a younger man in freezing water because of my fat reserves but I wouldn't have the stamina to make it very far. Two years ago when the water level in Henderson was 15' during hunting season (currently it's at around 8.5') there were no places in the basin to take refuge if one were to have sunk his boat. It was very dangerous during the colder days. Couple friends hit stumps and had to cling to stumps until rescued. Both survived but one only by luck and the other because he was able to call for help with his cellphone which remained operable in spite of being submerged.

I run big water a lot.

With my LT I would wuss out in 3ft swells
1542 with a 20hp wasnt the safest thing for my ease factor.

I now run a 1648 with a 27 prodrive and have occationally been caught in those nasty lake Ontario swells around 5 ft.

I can ride through them but id rather not.

It is about how you take the waves but I have a mod V and it helps with those nasty rollers

On a flat skiff probably not going to happen

My 2 cents

Just be safe.


Brandon MacDonald

On the east coast we measure swell and wind chop differently. 2 foot will put most of you on the bottom. Additionally, the last time I did 3-5' in a Banks Freedom 17 with a 60hp honda the bilge pump didnt stop running for 20 minutes and my crew was shitting their pants.

Back to long tails, hard wind and tide combined with any swell is a great way to get bucked over holding onto a longtail. Once you have to correct your path and swing that handle over the gunwale your gonna learn a lesson or two about being a hero.

Im still waiting to see pictures of these jon boats out in anything over 3'.

I crossed dam b here in tx Sunday with 2ft whitecaps in a borel 18x48 with a 50 hoarse outboard ad it was sketchy! I have done it in my long tail, surface drive, both on 1542 alwelds and also done it in a gt boat (1848). Its not fun in any boat! It'll de make your ass pucker! It can be done, especially if you hit the waves just right. But when I know it's gonna bethat rough, I pick a launch that allows me to hit a lee bank ASAP

Most people don't measure waves correctly anyway. What they call 4 to 5s are more like 2 to 2.5s. I don't see any reason for taking a mud boat into seas like that. If it is that rough, I'll take the 21 foot Carolina Skiff and still be slightly stressed in 5 foot seas even with the 150 horse on the back.

My first ever experience with a mud motor was in a war eagle with I think an 18 hp longtail. A couple buddies invited me and I had no idea what it was capable of. We were in a rush to beat another hunter to a spot and didn't take our time looking out from the ramp. If we had, I'm sure we wouldn't have even tried to launch. I can't tell you how big the swells were because that was about 6 years ago, but I know we were lucky to not sink it. Fortunately, we were able to make it to the shore.
The main problem for us back then, and I think most longtails, is the inability to get enough speed to make it through such rough water. Even with a modded SD it's ballsy, but I'd never attempt it again in a longtail.

Running a 1542 with a 31 GDLT. Do a little hunting on the santee lakes here in SC. Wind gets up and the waves can get pretty big. Ant to fond of doing it but if u know what ur doing it ant to bad. ALWAYS wear ur kill switch lanyard and a life-jacket ( i got one of those mustangs that inflate when submerged). If at all possible go with the waves. If you time it right you can ride on top and makes for one hell of a ride. It seems to me that the slower you go the more the waves are gonna beat the hell out of ya. Keep a good steady speed and pay attention and you will be fine.

You guys all need to grow some. I hunt the other side a
of a very rough river and have never had a problem swimming over there towing my decoys . Pussies!


Oh oh oh , the N I G G E R is about to do another fukin speech. Time to put on a rerun of The wizard of OZ. I just love that sexy lil bitch.. hahaha

3'...that's when you go full throttle and don't let out of it!