Hello everyone, I am new to mud motors and just acquired my first one for damn near free. It's either a 29hp or 27hp kawisaki mud buddy. It's gonna go on a 16' lowe. I know it needs a new fuel pump so that is the first project, I have seen some other posts reccomending getting napa pump as opposed to buying the expensive one. The boat is mainly gonna be skipping over river mud and through the shallows of maryland's eastern shore, I am just curious if any of you have any other reccomendations for things I should add to the boat/motor to make life easier, I have about 5 grand to spend on this project, but would prefer to save some for an AR and new decoys. But I have a ton of questions:

1. Floatation pods-gimmick or worth it?
2. Best boat blind?
3. Flex steel or frog spit-worth the money or waste?
4. Best prop for moving through soupey mud, very little vegetation just tons of mud?
5. Camo boat wraps, are they worth it?
6. Exhaust system for this motor? i would prefer something I could just buy and put on and not something that requires too much fabrication.
7. Any cool ideas for boat/motor?

Thanks for input

1. LT? Meh, maybe. SD? No, def don't
2. Build your own. Check out poker1's thread
3. Yes
4. Stock
5. No
6. Don't know of any aftermarket exhausts available for the kawi
7. NOS?

Thanks guys, but what's better flex steel or the frog spit? we do occasionally hit some rocks where I am so it needs to be tougher so I guessing the steel, any reccomendations for how to put it on?

get a mud hull if your going to be running alot of mud. them ribs will git you hung up

Glad I joined this forum, where I am there's very few mud motors, let alone people who know anything about mud boats, so Ireally appreciate all the help

Any time, one thing though get a good grab handle mounted in the boat, long tails won't nock you out of the boat often but it is helpful whn making turns and navigating through timber(I bump into trees kinda hard )

Yeah that was my first thought I actually have a friend who's a pretty decent welder coming up with ideas for that right now

Also get him to weld extra support to the translom, believe me when get a long tail bouncing up and down goin over stumps or anything you'll be glad you have the extra support.

Mine has Flex steel and it is chipping off. Go with gator glide. I'll redo mine this summer.