I actually haven't ever seen one.


I've been thinking about getting one.

The conditions I would use it in would be in tidal flats where to mud is so soft, it is balls deep every step.

From what I've read, I think I need the 'surface drive' over the long tail. Am I correct? I will also need to jump beaver dams and run over limbs and debris.

The surface drive will be perfect for all of that. You'll wonder why you hadn't got one soon once you get one. Best advice I can give on buying one is to try and test drive every single one of them. There all good motors, but all are different in one way of another, you just have to figure out what suits you best.

Not many mud motors in my area. I've seen one guy driving his a ways away from me. (or at least is sounded like a mud motor and threw a roost like they do in the videos.)


I really don't know where to start.


I think I'll need a 16' boat. I will be loading it up with people dogs and lots of gear so I will probably need high horse power.

I don't have a clue as to tell how many HP a guy needs. If we were talking jet boats I would say a 16' boat needs 90HP.

How do you tell on mud motors?

I'd suggest a 35hp block on Atleast a 16' hull. 17-18 would be ideal.

why the longer hull?

The longer hull will carry a load better. How about a better description of your loads, total weight and people? How wide were you wanting?

600# of men
100# dog
300# gear

Maybe sometimes as much as 1300#



This is what I plan on taking. this weight will not include other things on boat that are required by law in my state.

The ideal boat would be a 17 or 1854 with a 35hp

Then get a damn 14 foot boat and put 1500lbs of ass and gear in and have a blast.

You can plane in the mud.. You'll get better speeds on shallow water. You'll want a bigger boat to carry a load. It's not that much harder hiding a bigger boat. I've got a 1542 longtail rig, and run my dads 1854 gator tail quite a bit during season too, and it's just as easy to hide the bigger boat as it is my little longtail. You'll regret not getting bigger if you don't. The extra space is nice. You'll have way better luck with a boat built for a mudmotor with a slick bottom and verticle bracing. With what your describing you'll be doing, you'll need something strong and a mud hull is the only way to go.

Clyde, you'll definitely want an 1854 and a 35 surface drive with at least mikuni carb and custom exhaust. You will also want hydraulic trim. That is a LOT of ass for a mud boat/motor to handle. You'll probably get cams/ ported heads, etc, eventually. You can save yourself some money building your own boat.

As far as hiding the bigger boat vs. load carrying, I'd go with the bigger boat every time. The only way you're gonna plane 1300 lbs with a 14 or 16 foot hull is with an extremely modded motor, and your talking serious cash.

Spend some time on the review and motor forums and you'll get an idea of what mods are capable of producing as far as loads go, and what boats perform best.

another option is 2 smaller boats, if you can convince a buddy to invest in one as well. you can then hunt 4 out of one boat, but run to and from the spot 2 in each boat.

Woods,

It is unlawful in OR to pull doubles with a passenger licence plate and DMV will not put PUC plates on my pickup, I've tried. I've gotten away with it before running farm plates but every time I've ever done it the police pull me over and think and let me go. The problem comes when we go into Washington because Washington does not recognize the Oregon farm license plates.

Maybe it would help you understand if you knew that these motors are not like regular outboards. A 35 hp mud motor is probably comparable to a 25 hp outboard. They also weigh a lot, a 35 is around 250ish pounds. To move the load you're talking about a mud motor is going to need as much surface area as possible to prevent plowing and being potentially dangerous should you encounter a nasty storm and some heavy chop. An 18x52 would be the minimum I would consider with that load. If your not hunting out of it just park and throw some camo net over it and walk away.



Remember that these are not outboards and can't be thought of in the same terms.

We usually just throw that Camo burlap from academy over the boat. Covers it good with a little veg. Thrown on top

i can step 1200# in my boat with a stock motor on a 18X48. by no means does it jump on plane or a speed demon. it runs like 19 with that load. i put around that weight in my boat twice a year. The beginning and the end of duck season my boat is loaded down. The rest of the year i run between 500# to a !000# on a normal hunting day. just depends on how many people and dogs i have with me.

What kinda boat do you have anyway mason? I've never seen you post a picture of it or anything

nonc j

We all here try to help all the newbies with there rig questions, then after a few posts they all seem to think they are the next F.E. of the MMT.

Use the search, there are days worth of information on these rigs out there, start readin.

1854 with a modded 35... I had 4 adults and 4 dogs in my rig the other day... still got on step even with the dogs wandering around the boat and messing up the weight balance. Last year before I modded my motor I had 800lbs of fish in the boat with 3 adults and 1 kid, the boat would NOT get on step and would only turn 2300 rpm WOT...

I run a 14x48 and after you load it with gear there is only room for 2 adults. We have had 3 adults from time to time and it gets a little dangerous in any kind of chop. If you’re going to have more than 2 people in the boat then go with a larger boat. As far as a motor goes get as large a HP as you can afford.