So, I found a good deal on a boat/trailer and bought it even though it was a semi v. Turns out, it's goes great with my LT. It's a 1542 point front semi v alweld. The motor is a GDLT 25.
4 people, 6 dozen ghg decoys, 5 guns, dog, full tank of gas and enough ammo to supply a small army, deep water: 13-14mph
3 people, no gear, full tank, deep water: 18
1 person, no gear, full tank, deep water: 20-22 depending on how rough the water is.
Just thought I'd share. Haven't compared this to other LT speeds but I'm very pleased with its performance

I'd say those are dam good speeds. Dont know of many longtails that run that fast.

You're insane for trying to put that much in that boat!

And I'm skeptical on speeds, but hey more power to you if they are really that good!

i say those are great speeds concidering the fastet my modded rig has ever been is 22mph in the shallows.

I concur. I had a 1544 alumaweld with a 25 GD LT and also hit 22.1 mph by myself...that was back in '99. The only "mod" was I tweaked the throttle to 4200 rpm out of the water. My present 1648 grizzly with a 27 Kohler MB LT gets me 20 mph by myself and 17.5 mph two hunters and gear. I only had three hunters in either vessel a couple of times and that's the max I will ever go.

I can hardly believe them speeds I have a 35 back H2O on a 1648 lowe and I only get 21 22 mph GPS speed with me, and the dog, dozen and a half decoys, gun, 3 gal gas, small battery, one small tool kit, and blind bag. if I ad 1 200 lb guy and gun and bag I get 16 to 17mph. All in deep water.

Speed update: 4 guys, dozen dekes, full tank, dog, guns and ammo, deep deep water - 15mph, bumped 16 a time or two

I have a Mudbuddy 25hp longtail and currently run it on a 1660 phowler, but have also run it on a 1448 mod-v jon boat. The motor pushes both boats about the same speed when I'm by myself and the 1660 is faster than the 1448 when I load it up with weight. You are getting speeds with 4 guys that i get when I am running just myself and my dog. When I run with three guys (300 lb, 230 lb, and me at 210 lb), my speed drops to about 10 mph in the 1660. My prop is in good shape and my rpms with three guys is about 3300 and 3700 by myself. I think your motor is well above average in performance. I wish I could get such speeds.

Only you know the conditions you run in, but I certainly wouldn't run four adults in a 1542 in deep water with a hunting load....especially with a dog. Even if the guys were all under 150 lbs, I still wouldn't do it. That is a lot of weight for that boat and it would be mighty crowded. It's hard to imagine where everybody would sit and where all the gear and dog would be while you are operating the longtail. I've run four people on my 1448 before, but three were my kids all under 8 years old and they weren't hunting, so they didn't have guns/ammo and they were small enough to all share the same bench seat.

mud run is coming up, hopefully you can make it and show that baby off.......

right on, my 25 gtr should be coming in the next 3-4 weeks. after the holidays Im going to get a boat ordered.

"My dog minds me without flaw."

I tended to believe your earlier claims, but that one is downright funny. I have a well trained dog and I belong to a dog club with some very well trained dogs, but I have yet in my 41 years to see a dog such as yours. Maybe Superman has taken over the spirits of both your longtail and your dog.

Wow....I've got a 14x40 Alumaweld w/ a 23hp LT and run about 13 mph w/ 2 people and hunting gear and only run about 10 mph w/ 3 people and gear.

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I've run my old boat ( 1448 with 20 GDLT) with similar loads and would get 10 mph if I was lucky. Of course the prop was shot.

Okay, just got back in from a solo hunt. I had a small battery, a large battery, 6gal of fuel, a dozen decoys, a shotgun, and me (280#). With this load I was running a steady 15 mph. I will tell ya that my prop is down to about 8 1/2" from 9.

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Well, my prop was freshly reworked when I bought it. Measures 9 1/8" across

and for the guys with similar rigs running slower, i suggest making your 2013 resolution to hit up a stair master a time or 2

and Hazel, his bitch, she dont move, its like he gorilla glues her ass in place before he leaves the ramp

This morning had 3 guys (150,375,240), 2 1/2 dozen decoys, full tank, guns and gear, 35lbs dog.
In deep water ran 9-10 into the wind, 12 along the bank in the shallower water.

I have a 14x42, 16 gdlt, me 220, step dad 280, son 85. Three guns, shells, 3 dz dekes. 13 mph deep water and 14 shallow. That was gps'd this morning.


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I am surprised what the 16 is capable of


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