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Started By
Message
Mud Boat vs Surface Drive
Posted on 1/24/18 at 2:53 pm
Posted on 1/24/18 at 2:53 pm
I know a lot of folks here run surface drives so this question might get skewed answers but what’s the board’s thoughts on a surface drive vs a mud boat. This would be used in the bayou region for duck hunting, frogging, graine à voler picking, and general stump jumpin…
I’ve ridden in and driven gator tail powered boats and like their versatility (and instant reverse on the GTR models). This weekend was the first time I’ve been in a mud boat (kirk boat powered by a Subaru). I liked the mud boat a lot.
Pros and cons that I can see:
Mud boat…
Pros: quieter, Faster
Cons: less deck space
What else?
Surface drive…
Pros: more deck space
Cons: loud and a beast to drive (especially when frogging)
What else?
My budget would be $5k-$7.5k. Instant reverse is a must have.
Thoughts?
12
Posted on 1/24/18 at 2:57 pm to poochie
Quit tearing up the damn marsh.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:00 pm to sloopy
And figure out a way to make it quiet. I hate when those frickers come roaring by the camp
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:03 pm to poochie
pardon my ignorance, but I thought you put a surface drive outboard on a mud boat?
Anybody ever done interchangeable motors on their duck boat? I'm thinking about getting a gator trax type custom build and putting a jack plate on there with a 40-50 hp tiller water cooled and swapping out with a 25hp air cooled when hitting hp limited refuges or when I know shallow water will be an issue. both will mount on the jack plate so I don't have holes in transom from the different hole patterns.
Anybody ever done interchangeable motors on their duck boat? I'm thinking about getting a gator trax type custom build and putting a jack plate on there with a 40-50 hp tiller water cooled and swapping out with a 25hp air cooled when hitting hp limited refuges or when I know shallow water will be an issue. both will mount on the jack plate so I don't have holes in transom from the different hole patterns.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:20 pm to poochie
I'll post my review in about a week after my new Prodigy 1854 arrives in BR. Got a GTRXD on it
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:24 pm to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
surface drive will be easier to push if you get stuck, heavy arse mudboat, not so much
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:40 pm to poochie
quote:
My budget would be $5k-$7.5k. Instant reverse is a must have.
Ain't going to get much boat for that.
I'd choose the surface drive just for ease of operation and more versatility.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 3:45 pm to poochie
quote:
My budget would be $5k-$7.5k. Instant reverse is a must have.
You're going to have to go the used route for that budget and probably get a smaller surface drive and boat (the 23-27hp range as opposed to the 35-37hp range).
Posted on 1/24/18 at 4:18 pm to TunaTime
quote:
Quit tearing up the damn marsh.
i'm a conservationist and would not be tearing up any marsh. i hate when i see that.
quote:
And figure out a way to make it quiet. I hate when those frickers come roaring by the camp
so that's a vote for mud boat...
quote:
surface drive will be easier to push if you get stuck, heavy arse mudboat, not so much
would be tougher to push the mud boat out but i don't plan on running it high and dry like some people do. also, the mud boat and surface drive would probably weigh about the same. I'm not looking for a mud boat with a big 350. This would be a 1x48 flat with a 35hp surface drive vs a 16x42 +- mud boat with a subaru engine.
quote:
Ain't going to get much boat for that. I'd choose the surface drive just for ease of operation and more versatility.
honest q, what more versatility do you gain with a surface drive over a mud boat. surface drives w/ reverse seem to be more expensive than mud boats in the size i'm looking at.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 4:37 pm to poochie
I ran a 15' Waymaker with a 25 Subaru and a Technidrive clutch a few times, it was great set up and much easier to operate than a weed eater outboard.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 5:05 pm to poochie
No offense, but I think instant reverse is out of the question with your budget. My motor alone is over the budget. Unless you're calling the older gtrs with the reverse lever "instant", then there's no way. Instant these days is a toggle switch. I personally love my surface drive though. Can't beat a tiller handle when the shite gets thick.
Dirty mike, I have a prodigy and it's an awesome boat. You will not be disappointed. 1851. My advice is buy extra stainless steel trailering brackets from gatortail and buy extra transom straps from prodigy. You will lose the brackets and the straps will break. Trust me on this one.
Dirty mike, I have a prodigy and it's an awesome boat. You will not be disappointed. 1851. My advice is buy extra stainless steel trailering brackets from gatortail and buy extra transom straps from prodigy. You will lose the brackets and the straps will break. Trust me on this one.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 5:44 pm to poochie
quote:
graine à voler
So that's how it's spelled...
I'd think you could get much more mud boat for your money than surface drive. But the loss of deck space is a non starter for me. The only time I think a mud boat wins is if you run one of the big Subaru's with a transmission and have a lot of lillies to run through
Posted on 1/24/18 at 5:46 pm to A_bear
Man those prodigy boats are fine, but they sure are pricey. I have a want for a center console for sight fishing. 
Posted on 1/24/18 at 5:54 pm to A_bear
Yeah I’m super excited. Build should be done this week. Too bad I missed this season with it. But I plan to get after the frogs ASAP and fly fish the reds until next duck season.
They’ve been super easy to deal with, and actually cheaper than what gatortail quoted me for a similar setup.
I agree about his motor though. My XD is like $8500 alone + hull + trailer + rigging etc
I hunted used for a long time, and most were within 5-7k of a new boat for similar setups, so I just bit the bullet and had prodigy build it
They’ve been super easy to deal with, and actually cheaper than what gatortail quoted me for a similar setup.
I agree about his motor though. My XD is like $8500 alone + hull + trailer + rigging etc
I hunted used for a long time, and most were within 5-7k of a new boat for similar setups, so I just bit the bullet and had prodigy build it
Posted on 1/24/18 at 6:09 pm to tight lines
There are several GTR gatortail rigs on sportsman in my price range. By instant I meant not swing the whole foot around like a pro drive.
I thought about the deck space and that was my biggest con for the mud boat but three adults frogging or two duck hunting would be doable in a mud boat the size I'm talking about.
I thought about the deck space and that was my biggest con for the mud boat but three adults frogging or two duck hunting would be doable in a mud boat the size I'm talking about.
This post was edited on 1/24/18 at 6:11 pm
Posted on 1/24/18 at 7:00 pm to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
I traded a big inboard mudboat for a side by side last year. If you busting ditches in the floaton marsh and don’t have too many stumps a true mud boat is hard to beat. Land company leases have just about killed the big block mudboat though most places have a 35 hp restriction around here.
This post was edited on 1/24/18 at 7:00 pm
Posted on 1/24/18 at 7:09 pm to poochie
Someone with a mud boat ought to weigh in on the cost to repair a twisted drive shaft.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 7:37 pm to Tridentds
Thanks! I hope they do along with other potential issues so I can make the most informed decision. I would hope surface drive owners do the same. Both pros and cons of each.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 7:47 pm to poochie
Only reason to have a true inboard mudboat now days is if you hunt super thick freshwater marsh full of floats and ditches that clog up completely every year. They cut though floats where surface drives get hung up on top.
Other than that a surface drive is much more versatile. You also need to be a mechanic to keep a Subaru running.
Other than that a surface drive is much more versatile. You also need to be a mechanic to keep a Subaru running.
Posted on 1/24/18 at 7:50 pm to poochie
I know zero about mud boats. But a 16x48 gatortail with a 25 gtr is gonna run you about 16,000
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