I currently own a 1654 tracker grizzly with a 40/30 Yamaha Jet on it. I have made many mods to the boat since I got it(new floor, custom fabricated gun box, lights, bigger fuel tank, extra battery etc.) Fully loaded with gear, men, and dog the boat is just too heavy for the motor with the jet on it and I am not crazy about the jet anyway.

So, I have two options a larger prop driven outboard, put the prop lower unit on my existing motor and it will be 40hp or get a mud motor.

I hunt a lot of different areas. 60% being mud flats and the other 40% semi-sandy bottom open water. I was curious if you guys had any advice if I were to slap a mud motor on my rig. I am not very educated on them and living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland they aren't the most popular motors to be running. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Im not sure how a jet drive compares to an outboard with a prop, but if you are not happy with the performance of a 40hp outboard with the load you run, a Mudmotor will just make you more upset.
They dont compare to an outboard stock to stock.

If you rather a mudmotor, i would say you would have to mod it right away for you to be happy.

I have a 40/30 Jet. It's a 40 hp motor; but only puts out roughly 30 hp due to the jet lower unit. I was looking at the 44 hp Sport V by Mud Buddy. You don't think this will be comparable or better than what I have now?

Mud motor being what you need is debatable. What isn't debatable is that you should stay the hell away from the Sport V. They are a trouble-prone engine and mudbuddy's customer service is lacking to begin with.


A 40 or 50 hp outboard is going to walk all over a mud motor on your boat. If the jet isn't giving you any trouble, and the only problem is that it's slow, I wouldn't suggest going to a mud motor. I would go for a more powerful jet or a standard lower unit.

What exactly do pods do for the boat? I'm curious because I own a sheet metal shop and could fab the pods up myself. I just was never sure what exactly they do.

They provide buoyancy behind the motor, which lifts the ass end up and helps with the running attitude of the boat. Offsets a lot of the effect of having a heavy motor cantilevered off the back of the boat.

Would it help with getting my boat up on plane? The jet I have really struggles with getting the boat up on plane

Yes. It would also get you on plane in shallower water.

Sounds to me like you should put pods on it, prop LU back on and maybe a jack plate and you would be set.

Sounds like I may go that route. Are there any threads on here that give ideas on dimensions for pods?

I live in Bethel, Delaware

So I'm guessing you pretty much hunt the naticoke river if so that's a lot of tide you're fighting when it gets running opposite direction you want to go. Add pods and a prop you'll see a big difference in performance.