New Bateau
 

okay

cheapest/best surface drive setup

need boat, motor, and trailer

looking at gator tails

don't know if you want to go the used route but for some good info and classifieds try this site mudmotortalk.com

I am thinking used boat and trailer no problem

but with the abuse these engines take would it be a good idea to go used?

do i need power trim/reverse?

I want a boat i can fish lacassine pool, duck hunt in the basin or refuges, deer hunt in the basin. possibly use it down at wax lake outlet.

you need power trim!

You should see a lot on sale soon since duck season is about end. I think Prodrive makes a 36 HP now and they have a reverse. I am starting to see more and more of them when I hunt with my father in law in Pecan Island. His buddy is still ole school and uses a mud boat...
I have seen a few nice new set-ups (boat, motor, & trailer) at Cabela and they are pretty expensive.

I dont think i can go bigger than 25 to fish the pool

I guess my main question is this, will a standard aluminum boat work? what is so special about the 4000 dollar aluminum rigs the mud motor companies build?

I think it just makes it easy for one stop shopping. Walk in and leave with a complete rig. I think if you buy a new 25 hp with a 16'to 18' boat and trailer you will pay over 4K easily based on what I saw at Cabelas.

seems like i could get a new flat bote for 1500, trailer for a 1000, and a 23 GT for 4K

i'm just sick of putting up with yall on big lake, ready to go back to fishing greentrout

Bruce, PD and GT start @27hp and I think the motor design will not allow for any 25 hp motors. There is a 27 PD on LAS for around $2,700. Would the Possum cops in Lacasinne bust you for 2 hp over the limit? I have driven both GT and PD and for soft marsh the PD runs circles around the GT. Pushpole is way cheaper than reverse but a pain sometimes.

Whatever you do make sure the boat you buy has a all aluminum transom. Most of the plant build boats have wood in the transom. Wood in a transom is ok in a fiberglass boat because they glass over the wood to protect it....thats not the case with a aluminum boat. The only boat out there I could find is the alweld and southfork that has a all aluminum transom.

it is my understanding that they are trying to get it approved for the mud motors over 25 to be allowed but i haven't heard anything in a while may have just been a rumor

If you ever need a partner to fish the pool, I'd like to go. Never been & love sticking me some greentrout.

I hear ya.......before you give up, you should try Dularge or Verm. bay.

that's what the guy at gator tail told me just now

what about go devil?

http://www.go-devil.com/27hp_KOHLER_SD.html

i priced an OD green alweld, 16 or 17 foot, 44 or 48 bottom

they say you need 20" transom to handle the added weight and engine angles

Go-devil makes the surface drive in a 23hp. Its not a bad set up on a rgular 15-16 foot boat. We run a few of them but they get slow when you put 3 or 4 people in the boat. They dont even compare to the 35hp we run but for what you want it for it wouldnt be bad.

Im good friends with the guy that owns mud buddy, he might can cut you a deal ?

Bruce... u giving up so easily ?? We havent even got the chance to fish together !!
:*****:

Its about time you realize that trout fishing gets old and boring, go back to bass fishing.

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lp...e_ad&id=137691




beest deal i saw on lsm for mud boats in a while......

link dont work

only prob with the mud buddy is the bearings and exhaust, we had to replace the exhaust and added an extra bearing to the lower end trying to see if this will allow it to hold up longer. I personally like the gatortails reverse, as far as if you need reverse...a good aluminum pushpole will do wonders however there has been times where we were in deep water fishing and a pushpole just wasn't an option and reverse would have been nice.

Go devils are nice, but reverse does come in handy (GTR)..We was about to buy one (99% sure) but then we just bought me an outboard.


If you find a good outboard you don't need a surface drive. Even the GW's in laccafish will tell you. I know one who swears for a suski. Heck D's merc forty runs better in the marsh then go devils i've rode in.

they dont make good outboards anymore, unless i got a long shaft yammy w/jackplate

here is one don't look like it has been hurt at all save a little more than a grand

http://mudmotortalk.com/mmt_v2/viewt...hp?f=31&t=6371

Yammy
 

Long shaft yammy with a jackplate hu, I got one of those. Whats so special bout that engine?

I like the prodrives alot,they have the most powerful reverse and a lower unit like a outboard. If you could find a mercury 25 2 stroke or yamaha 25 with a southfork tunnel you could go very shallow. You can still find the yamaha 25 new in the box but there not as strong as the mercury.

what about this engine? :D

short shaft too

http://www.mercuryracing.com/outboar...ormularace.php

Mercury Racing is pleased to announce the introduction of the all-new Mercury 60 EFI FormulaRace outboard. The 60 h.p. in-line four-cylinder engine expands Racing's breadth of low-emissions 4-strokes; an offspring of the venerable Verado 350 SCi outboard. The two join Mercury Racing's line of OptiMax "XS" series of low-emissions 2-stroke consumer outboards.


The 60 EFI FormulaRace features a production 60 h.p. four-cylinder powerhead mounted on a short (15" - 381 mm) shaft, die-cast mid section with race-inspired solid upper and lower mounts. Power is transferred to the water through the production 1.83:1 gearcase. A line of Mercury Racing Lab Finished® stainless steel propellers are available. An accessories kit sold with the engine includes competition steering bars.
The 15" mid section, five inches shorter than a normal (20"- 508 mm) model, lowers the engine's center of gravity. The lower center of gravity, combined with solid engine mounts, enhances boat handling and overall performance

The Yammy 2 strokes, with a tunnel are decent. When i bought mine they said they are no longer selling 2 strokes.

Made in China?????

cant really say much because i really dont know much but i have a close friend who is a partner in prodive and i went there the other day to upgrade my 25 and he told me to wait another year because they are about to release something big. thats all he could tell me and ive been knowing him for 20+ years so it must be cool. pro drive is the way to go. the full power reverse is a beast. now they have the hydraulic reverse which is sweet but pricey. if you have a angled transom you can go through more in reverse than forward. only thing gatortail has over prodrive is speed but i think after what my buddy is talking about comes out it wont be that way anymore

Click the links on this site.

http://www.blizzarddesigns.com/mudboat/mudboat.html

pro-drive
 

if your gonna go to the basin,pay the extra $$$ and get a heavier guage aluminum boat. Those light,cheaper hulls are gonna take a beating when you run over those stumps.Of course you will lose a little speed,since your trying to stay 25 hp. or less. Trim and power reverse are very,very nice features. Love mine.

everything i'm reading says the 25 hp models won't carry a load great, the pricing on the 35 hp models makes me question how bad i need one. may go the outboard route.

southfork and tohatsu
 

I have a 04 model 2 stroke tohatsu 25 on a 16/42 south fork tunnel with tilt and trim and i can follow our 35 hp mudbuddy everywhere, just cant stop in mud and take off like he can with a load, it'll run lacassine all day long too. And then if you could get a mega you'd really be set. I was considering getting a surface drive and staying under 25hp for lacassine also but after running my 25 on the southfork im staying with the outboard because of load capacity. just my .02.

It depends on the type of marsh your in. Ive got some badazz tunnelholes with outboards that go almost anywhere. But when the water gets low in our marsh in gumcove a surfave drive or go-devil is the only thing that'll get you there.

thats a fine rig there bro !!

If this was a mud motor forum other than the mudbuddy forum you wouldn't be posting that.

:confused:

why ??? whats wrong with him ? im not actually good friends with him, i just talk with him every now and then !

Tohatsu is a great engine as well,but there hard to find.

I thought you would re-nig on it. His products are getting better but he is still the problem over there.

im missing something.... i just met him one time and talked about buying a mtoor from him a few times, thats it... i dont know him personally.... what all happened so i can steer clear of him ?

i bought mine brand new when lake area was getting rid of the "last" ones before they went to the 4 strokes

my buddy has a 25 merc and they are a little slower than the tohatsu and the yamaha 2cylinders are as well but the 25 3 cylinders haul butt. Got beat by one of those in lacassine.

What about those new Evinrude E-tec 25s? I heard those were some bad motha's!

They just hit the market,so theres no telling how good they really are.....On another note you can't beat the reliability of a carb 2 stroke,period. My suggestion for anyone with a 2 stroke is to HOLD ON TO IT!!

thanks man, I like it alot!!!!

New Rig!
 

New GatorTail Rig!I really love this rig,It is a 17/52 GatorTail Xtreme with a 35 hp GatorTail motor with PowerTrim and Reverse.