# another surface drive boat question thread......



## rnelson5 (May 30, 2014)

Ok so for the last two years i have been toying with the idea of selling my 1860 g3 and getting a surface drive.  I am really liking the looks of these prodigy boats but i have some concerns with a surface drive boat. Now i have seen it said on here use the 90/10 rule. Buy a boat for what you are going to do 90 % of the time not 10 % of the time, which is why i haven't sold it yet. I want a boat that will allow me to get in some tighter places with grass and little water but i don't want to lose all open water capability. How much does open water slow a surface drive boat down and is the motor reliability of a surface drive comparable at all with an outboard. List any and all advantages and disadvantages you can think of when switching from a center console aluminium boat with an outboard to a surface drive boat like a prodigy.


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## Havana Dude (May 30, 2014)

If the 90/10 thing were for real, I should own a work barge then. 

I have 3 outstanding bass fishing lakes within 35 minutes of my house. I could legitamately own a different boat for each one. One is heavy on the vegetation, one is very stumpy, boat I have works great. The other, is too big to get very far away from the landing due to weather putting white caps on it, so I stay off of it for the most part. I'm not real sure the perfect boat exists to suit all needs.


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## flatsmaster (May 30, 2014)

in my opinion they are very reliable .... biggest diff is speed and i wouldnt run a mud motor and not run a mud boat ...a lot of vegetation in some spots where i hunt in florida and also have quick slick on bottom ... if u have a 4 stroke outboard im sure they have a longer lifespan ... i have a fishing boat so mine is strictly for duck hunting a little bowfishing and when water levels are right playing in the mud .... i have a big boat but im 6-3 my boy 6-5 and we always have 1 or 2 more people with dog and gear .... im not going out the inlet but i feel very safe in my boat ....even on the big lakes if it gets to blowing i can run the shorelines with that motor ...


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## rnelson5 (May 30, 2014)

Is a 17 ft. mudboat with a 35hp gonna be underpowered? I have been talking to a friend of mine and he says that a 35 is the biggest stock motor and that the 42 and 45 are a built up version. He kind of equated it to a race car motor. When you start building up a motor the over all longevity goes down. It makes sense to me so i am thinking a 35 for longevity and reliability but i don't want a 15 ft. boat. I am wanting a 16 at the bare minimum and more like a 17.


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## flatsmaster (May 30, 2014)

I have a 1654 with HD so it's 17ft 6inch total length .... I've done the stage 1 to my pro drive and I actually think it's better then stock bc it can run in its power band around 3700 .... It's just a better carb an head and exhaust .... Not cheap but I think it's just as reliable or I wouldn't have done it ... I want my stuff to crank run and not leave me stranded .... I'd run 15 mph before I took chances on something being a hassle ... Jmo


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## dom (May 30, 2014)

a stock 35 will not have a problem pushing a 17ft boat. I ordered my prodigy 1748 with a 35MB. It prob wont jump out of the hole as fast as a black death motor but it will still run 28mph which is plenty fast for me. i also go the vrake so it will handle chop a little better but i'm not looking to go on huge open water to battle white caps.


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## flatsmaster (May 30, 2014)

Hey dom .... What kinda load do u have in that boat and doing 28 ???? I no my boats wide bc I want the displacement to float skinny with a load ... If ur running 28 with 3 big guys and gear that's awesome


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## rnelson5 (May 30, 2014)

I am not real worried about being a speed demon i just don't want to be a slug! One of my big concerns is open water. Dom your boat sounds about what i am looking for.


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## tradhunter98 (May 30, 2014)

Those prodigys are nice!! Buy one, I want to ride in one!


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## dillakilla12 (May 31, 2014)

Wanna say Chad has a 18 ft pushing over 30 and I bet he can rig it so u can run an outboard and a surface drive! If ya can afford both motors lol which is my problem!


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## dom (Jun 1, 2014)

rnelson5 said:


> I am not real worried about being a speed demon i just don't want to be a slug! One of my big concerns is open water. Dom your boat sounds about what i am looking for.



Let me clarify, my boat should be able to do 28 when it's done being built. But not with three guys and gear. 

Tell ya what, when I get the boat I'll write a review and let ya know what it gets.


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## rnelson5 (Jun 1, 2014)

dom said:


> Let me clarify, my boat should be able to do 28 when it's done being built. But not with three guys and gear.
> 
> Tell ya what, when I get the boat I'll write a review and let ya know what it gets.



Do that if you don't mind. Your set up is what i think i want. How long is supposed to be before you get your boat?


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## dom (Jun 2, 2014)

i am guessing 3 weeks or at least really hoping that's the case. I believe they start building this week.


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## godevilducker (Jun 2, 2014)

I have a 1860 g3 outfitter edition with a 35 go go devil surface drive. I love it! Biggest difference you will see is speed. 2 guys and gear I will run bout 25 according to my GPS. As far as shallow water I have been in only a few inches with no problem. Advantage to a true flat bottom to me would be if you hunt in a lot of mud like coast or Louisiana or tidal water. A flat bottom will help a lot sliding across mud and starting from a dead stop in the mud. Other than that I see no difference. I hunt and fish from mine and have followed buddies with flat bottoms everywhere they go.


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## MudDucker (Jun 3, 2014)

I have a 18' gator trax.  Heavy sucker.  I have a 35 with the only mods being a munchi (sp?) carb, hot exhaust and oversized prop.  It will run realistically about 24-26 mph loaded.

These engines are designed for industrial application and stock they are nearly bullet proof even if poorly treated.  It does not take a lot to trick them up and most, if properly modded, are very reliable.


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## Gaducker (Jun 3, 2014)

My motor is a 2010 and its got 240 ish hours on it, its never left me stranded but you can bet i have had to work on it.  So if you get a surface drive you better figure out how it works or its gone put you in the poorhouse

5500 mudbuddy on a 4 man hide.


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## rnelson5 (Jun 3, 2014)

I am mechanically inclined. That is not a big deal. I know a lot of reliability has to do with how you treat and maintain the motor. I just don't want to get something that is known to have problems.


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## rnelson5 (Jun 3, 2014)

godevilducker said:


> I have a 1860 g3 outfitter edition with a 35 go go devil surface drive. I love it! Biggest difference you will see is speed. 2 guys and gear I will run bout 25 according to my GPS. As far as shallow water I have been in only a few inches with no problem. Advantage to a true flat bottom to me would be if you hunt in a lot of mud like coast or Louisiana or tidal water. A flat bottom will help a lot sliding across mud and starting from a dead stop in the mud. Other than that I see no difference. I hunt and fish from mine and have followed buddies with flat bottoms everywhere they go.



Wow i couldn't imagine having a mud motor on my big ole G3. It can be a little slow with my 90 outboard on it!!


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## dillakilla12 (Jun 3, 2014)

I will say this...I haven't had to much trouble with my Mud Buddy. Not crazy about there customer service and stuff....GTR will prob be my next purchase! Do some reading on Mud Motor Talk and you will learn everything you will wanna know and more!


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## godevilducker (Jun 3, 2014)

It handles great especially in rough water. Taking it to coast this year so we will see. I've ran the Tennessee river several times in guntersville with it with no problems. Took me a little while to get some of the tiller torque out but wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. And the extra room is GREAT


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## Gaducker (Jun 4, 2014)

dillakilla12 said:


> I will say this...I haven't had to much trouble with my Mud Buddy. Not crazy about there customer service and stuff....GTR will prob be my next purchase! Do some reading on Mud Motor Talk and you will learn everything you will wanna know and more!



Do some reading on mudmotor talk and your IQ level will decline in a heartbeat.



To the OP
If speed is a concern for you its not going to matter if you have a 7000 on a 14 32 your still only gona get 30-33 mph max and 23 to 26 is a realistic huntin load speed.


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## Core Lokt (Jun 4, 2014)

My only concern would be running it in the salt. Too much exposed metal.... I know people use corosion X and the like but i just can't bring myself to put mine in salt water. If you were freshwater only, do it and you won't be disapointed. 

There is a guy from Moultrie that brings his down to fish each summer. NICE boat, 17-18'and his is a center console ta boot.. Don't see many CC SD motors around here.


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## rnelson5 (Jun 4, 2014)

Core Lokt said:


> My only concern would be running it in the salt. Too much exposed metal.... I know people use corosion X and the like but i just can't bring myself to put mine in salt water. If you were freshwater only, do it and you won't be disapointed.
> 
> There is a guy from Moultrie that brings his down to fish each summer. NICE boat, 17-18'and his is a center console ta boot.. Don't see many CC SD motors around here.



Well that may kill it because i would no doubt be using it in saltwater. I do have a question though. What about all the guys that use them in Louissiana? I would be in freshwater probably 75% of the time though with it.


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## rnelson5 (Jun 4, 2014)

Gaducker said:


> Do some reading on mudmotor talk and your IQ level will decline in a heartbeat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



To be more clear my concern with speed is more of a concern of not being able to take off in thick grass mats or shallow water with a load. I am completely ignorant when it comes to these boats. I have only ridden in one in a big pond that was deep so it didn't really tell me much. I need to just go ride with someone.


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## flatsmaster (Jun 4, 2014)

I use mine in salt water with no more issue then anything in salt water u must spend some extra time trying to get salt off and keep things sprayed for corrosion protection ...at least there air cooled so saltwater isn't running they the motor ...basically the same stuff I do to my hellsbay skiff .... If u want to get on step from stuff other then deep water ur looking at the right type of motor .... If ur blessed with water with moderate depth where u hunt I'd stay with a outboard and I'd like to hunt with you


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## king killer delete (Jun 6, 2014)

They run them in The Altamaha all the time going to and from Rhetts. Yea it is a fresh water river but as close as you are to the sound it might as well be salt.


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## Gaducker (Jun 6, 2014)

I run mine in LA and I just spray it good before we go and wash it when we get back.  The muffler is the only thing you have to worry about if its just a mild steel muffler, I use to build a new one every year or so not because of corrosion but because of them cracking all the time.  I have just about got the process down to a science the one from last year will prob be good this year.


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