Looking to get a new rig for next season.

Here is some information which might be usefull in helping me make some choices. I hunt south Florida (Lake Okeechobee) which is primarily hard sandy/shell bottom, some mud, and lots of vegetation. I run quite a bit of open water to get to the marsh. I usually hunt with me (175 lb.), dad (190 lb.), and 2 young son's (55 and 35 lbs.). I'm used to hunting 3 adults out of a 14 ft boat, which has about 11 feet of cockpit space. I also have neck problems which will limit me to a boat that rides decent (tough to find in a flat bottom mud boat) but more importantly a motor that will not wear me out. I currently have a 14' Landau all welded with a 25 mariner on an ultrajack industries jackplate. It is a mean little set up, but it is @17 years old now. The last 2 years it has not seen any use due to the neck probs. Neck probs are requiring me to get a boat that will run shallow water easier now that our lake levels are being kept at lower levels.

I'm contemplating a 16 -18 ft mud boat (@13-14 feet of open cockpit), narrow width (up to 48"), and 21" to 24" sides, with a huntdeck. In your experiences what are the pro's and con's of the huntdeck? As far as a motor it will be a mudbuddy SD, PD, or GTR (longtails are to much of a workout though very effective w/hard sand bottom). What are your opinions on Prodrive? I'm not counting them out, but the ones I've been in don't seem to do very well over the hard sand bottom here.

I really need some input from the experienced mudmotor enthusiasts on this forum.

You looking for new or used
Thinking about selling my rig at the end of the season and going with a 20 X 54 with twin PD's

Nevermind
If you are hunting hard bottom you will want a longtail
Get with J he built a rig for a longtail a while back
Great set up

I've never run a longtail. Some of my friends do, and they say the longtails are a pain in the butt during long open water runs. How much of a workout are the 35hp longtails? What are some of the best speeds you guys have seen out of a long tail?
Several friends also have mudbuddy SD's and love them. The PD was fast, but was the worst performer in the shallow sandy areas. The longtails were by far the best performers in the shallow sandy bottoms, but top speeds in the teens would take me forever to get to some of the areas I like to hunt.

Thanks for the info!!!!

get a 36 prodrive !!!

Why the 36 PD?

I need more info than that. Everyone says theres is the best. I do know that the PD did not perform as well as the longtails in the shallow sandy areas. It was also only the second time the guy had ever driven the PD, so it could have been a rookie driver thing. I am leaning toward some type of SD over the LT due to less operator fatigue (neck/spine probs). I just need all the pro's and con's of operating an SD in shallow, sandy bottom, heavily vegetated areas. Also a recommendation on a lightweight, narrow hull, with @ 14 feet of open cockpit space.

1850 gatortail extreme boat with center console for your neck problems and 35 gtr with maybe stage 1 mods for best forward and reverse options in hard shallow bottom

Willet: Thanks for the suggetions.

Stop over and see Lamar Cox in Melborne, he has a few of our boats there right now he can show you. We are running boats down to FL almost monthly right now, we can build you anything you want just the way you want it and get it to you through Lamar. I would suggest a 17-1856 Phowler with console for your neck issue, rigged with a PD with auto reverse or a GTR Gator Tail. You will find that our flats will run rough water smoother then any semi vee out there. Our new V series will be out soon as well. Go see Lamar, he has years of experience with surface drives and just about every mudboat on the market, he will set you up with a rig that will work for you.

PW

Thanks. I've been to Lamaar's shop in the past, when the PD's first came out. Many of my friends purchase through him.

ib, I got my Gator Trax through Fast Duck Motors in Deland, FL. I dealt with Sid and he was very helpful in getting my boat rigged right the first time around.

I also run Lake Okeechobee on a 1750 Hunt Deck and I think it's the perfect size. I've gotten caught in 2 foot chop and it handled it well but not as good as a V bottom boat would have. The only problem is that in the shallows on the Lake, I think a V bottom will really hold you back.

Now, if you're looking for a boat with a console on it, I would go with a 54" bottom boat to make up for the room the console is going to take up.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I want the additional weight/clutter of a console. My buddies said I should not have any issues with a SD. They did say a LT would probably cause great fatigue.

The prodrive is the easiest to drive (as far as ease of turning) like a traditional outboard. I drive a prodrive and love it and for 90% of the places I run I wouldnt have anything else. However there are the times that I wish I had a GTR for the better performance in hard sandy bottom areas. It is the best in those situations in my opinion.

The GTR is very easy to drive in a straight line. However, because I'm used to a prodrive for easy turning, ive found that it takes a lot of getting used to turning a GTR on a plain square chine boat. I'm sure its alot easier on the extreme hull or a tapered chine hull. However, when I drove the GTR with a square chine boat it also took alot of strength to try and turn at wide open throttle. This is lack of experience, but I have heard that from several others as well but with limited experience. Because of this I wouldn't own a tiller handle GTR, ESPECIALLY if you have any kind of neck problems wether it be simple or major.

But I would own a console GTR in a heartbeat! The console really doesnt take up as much space as people think. It's not completely in the back but its also not in the middle of the boat. So there is plenty of space to still haul any gear you may have.

This is just my honest opinion for someone in your situation.

I would think a console rig would be the best for the neck issues and a reverse option would be a great as well as long as ya got the coin to get one. I own a mud bud so I cant speak to the others< ask around someone will let ya drive a few and decide.