So I already know i dont have alot of posts. Thats cause I dont have a mud rig and cant really contribute any competent info to what you guys talk about with your set ups. Therefore I'm mainly a lurker for now, taking in what info I can..Now that thats outta the way!
I really want a mud rig to help me get to those places that outboards cant get to. Problem is, I live in Delaware and they're not too popular around these parts, so I cant get much info from people up here, or test drive one. I definitely want reverse. I've seen that it's best to match the correct type of hull to the motor. ( mud motor to a flat hull, not ribbed)
I know that GTR and Pro-Drive make models with reverse, as well as Mudbuddy. I want "instant" reverse over FPR with the prodrive. I vaguely followed Mudbuddy's sport V, and was lurking when they came out. And I also see that they now have out a completely re-designed motor with a new reverse system. Their HDR?? What kind of reviews do you guys give their new motor with reverse? How does it stack up against a GTR?
As far as hulls go.. Is is best, financially wise and custom wise to have one built by a smaller company, or best to go with one of the larger names like GT, PD, Gator Trax, ect? Also keeping in mind, I live no where near any of these smaller shops to buy it from and get it customized. Reason i'm asking this is, I've seen threads where guys say " I got 15k to spend, what should I get?!"
Get a gator tail!
Get a Phowler!
then someone will say, I will build you whatever you want for 15k!
If you more experienced guys could do it all over again, how would you go about it?
I will also see bigger water at certain times up here. A v bow is a must to split the waves.
I've also been told, "our mud up here, ain't like the mud they got down there" ....The only experience I have with running mud is what I see on videos. These motors look like they can eat some shit up. You guys ever get into mud that you cant get out of??
Now, gatortrax partnered with Bass Pro to sell there boats. I do have a BPS about an hour from me that stocks a few boats. I dont think I can drop 25k on a new rig, but 15-20k aint as bad. That is looking to be my best option as of right now.
Sorry its so long winded, just wanted to be honest and upfront that I'm a newb to Mudmotors.. not duck hunting. Fire Away, and have a Merry Christmas!

A full gator tail rig is hard to beat and they also have a hybrid front model that would be great for what your explaining. And gator tail has great customer service and will ship you any part to your front door next day. And if you had any questions on how to fix somthing they will explain every step on the phone. Now on the other hand I never owned a mud buddy but I have been told from bid buddy owners their customer service is terrible.

If I were to get another rig I would start in the classifieds here on mmt. There are some really nice rigs for sale. Custom and factory built.
Let's face it lots of guys buy and then use the rig a couple times and then sell it for what ever reason good or bad.
My two cents....

Mub buddy customer service has come a long way from a couple years ago, and from personal experience, I never had an issue with that. Take a look at the designs of the reverse, and the lower unit, and decide which you trust. The mb HD is a proven design, as is the gt. The reverse and drive unit should be what helps you decide. Gt went cast, can't adjust the skeg anymore, but their reverse is mechanical, so even though they keep changing that component combination, it works when it's supposed to. The mb hdr reverse is new, but their drive unit is not. It can be had in stainless, too. The reverse isn't proven over time in the hands of consumers, but looks beefy since the clutch design isnt just an aftermarket slapped on the shaft. It's should probably boil down to whether or not you think you can get service and from where, and which design you want to trust. You're on a forum that favors gt and pd primarily, so factor that into the opinions you get here vs somewhere else. Good group of guys, though, and very helpful most of the time. As far as boats, there are many options (prodigy, deadfowl, uncle j, gt), so just figure out your normal expected load to get the right size, decide on the must haves, and start talking to builders and manufacturers. Boss H is probably a better thought than the sport v, though, if you're considering a gear drive, due to less weight over the back, so the cast lower will take less impact.

Good luck.

Netman is definitely on point with that!^^^ There are also a couple other mudmotor related sites linked to Facebook that always seem to have nice rigs going up for sale. That said 17-54 or bigger is great as far as size and you'll definitely want the higher sides (21") to give ya bit of security in big water. Being that you specifically want instant reverse its my personal opinion that the HDR would be a really good motor, considering their features of late. Personally I'm not sold on the modified-V as being anything more than a diversion factor if you play chicken with trees and a waste of space. The only way it'll help split the waves is if your settled in the water.... Good luck, your gonna love it!

I had the motor so I ordered a Gator Trax hull only through Bass Pro. They have some stock boats but you can order any boat and they will ship it up to Bass Pro for something like $550. If you go that route they can put whatever motor you want on it. Just give Kent a call and he can help you on the process if you want to go that way. There is also a Mud Buddy dealer in Seaford. Worth a shot to see if they do demos. The mud up here is just fine for running these motors in but there are areas that a mud motor wont help you in.

The only thing I will add will be regarding mud type. If you are running soft, deeper mud...game on. However, if your areas have alot of hard or sand bottom, be careful of how much water is on top of it. As long as you've got enough water for the boat to actually float, you'll be ok as long as you dont stop. You'll get going again, but not quickly. If you ever get stuck on it, where the boat is actually sitting on the bottom.....get ready for a long day (personal experience).

If you're going to be running alot of sand, be prepared to replace props often. They wont last long in sand.

Thanks guys. And please keep the responses coming. I just finally got a chance to get back on the computer today when I got back to work. Glad to see I got some reply, and good, serious ones at that, to my post.
Some one asked about "the must haves".. I want an open floor layout, would rather not have a big front deck cause I think you loose floor space with them. A hybrid or pointed bow for sure. A hybrid transom, or huntdeck style ass end. Catwalks would be nice. It doesnt have to be super fancy, cause I know I'm gonna beat on it, and use it as it was intended.
I look at the full rig section on here a lot, for boats that are for sale, but unfortunately everything is way down south or in Texas. It's just not logical for me to devote the time and effort of purchasing a used rig that far way, ESPECIALLY when I'm all but clueless about the entire set up..other then the little tid bits that I've picked up from you guys.

I love my gator trax. What your looking at, I'd definitely try a hybrid with a huntdeck. The huntdeck gives you so much more space inside the boat, plus added benefits of easy in and out, and a great platform to piss off of haha

For a first mud boat I would buy a used rig. A lot cheaper and you can find out for your self what kind of changes you would want in the future. A lot of rigs will be for sale at the end of the month. Check the complete rigs section. Good luck.

You could also do like I did. Find yourself a decent, 1648 or bigger jon boat, then get a used SD to put on it. My rig isn't anything fancy and definitely not pretty. It does have a middle bench which for me works great. I have hauled 4 people (3 on the bench and a 13 y/o sitting on a milk crate behind it) with gear to the blind and with a 60 inch beam width, I can have them all seated on the bench, guns and bags rear with me driving, and gas tank up front. I'm able to distribute my weight accordingly and the rig runs great. While I dont have a long run to the blind, and having excess water in the marsh right now, I havent had any issues whatsoever. Once the water gets back to normal however, due to our hard bottoms, I may have to make two trips if I have that many hunting, but that's not an issue, being so close to my hunting lease. As I said previously, as long as the boat will literally float, I can get there. And even with that kind of load, my speeds are decent enough.

I currently have a 17' basstracker that I'm rebuilding. Not going crazy with it because I know its not the boat I need. But still will make for a cool project to will atleast get me on the water. In a perfect world, I would buy my GTR or HDR and slap it on the back of my boat and use it untill I stocked up enough coin for the correct hull. All things considered, I know in the back of my mind putting money into the basstracker is a stupid and wasteful idea and that I should just cut my losses now and put whatever I can from it, towards the correct rig. But working on the boat will get me outta the house and help pass the time until next season.

Musts for me....
*reverse
*hunt deck
*open floor plan
*winch and winch mount
*hydroturf
*minimum 9 gallon tank
*redundancy: 2 bilge pumps, 2 auxiliary 12v receptacles
*high sides, width, and length... mine is an 18x60 with 24 inch sides

Things I would add to my current boat if I did it all over...
*catwalks
*hole for spud poles
*additional seat bases to rearrange seating easier when loaded.

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