# Buying a boat, would appreciate your opinions.



## redneck_billcollector (Sep 6, 2012)

I am looking for to buy a boat now, I will tell you what I know I want first then ask questions.  

I know I want a mud hull and mud motor either SD or Lt.  If I go with a SD I am leaning towards a GTR (Gatortail) or PD (Pro-drive) because they both have reverses but I won't rule out others if they have virtues that out weigh reverse.  If I go long tail I would go either with Go-Devil or Mud Buddy in the 20s when it comes to h.p., the SDs I would be looking at the 35/36s.  I do not want remote steer.  On my hull I want it to be .125 and relatively narrow, not sure as to what chine I want.  I am a big person, 6'2" over 250.  I would like to hunt out of it, do some fishing and run some traps for fur and turtles.  I also would do a lil' bit of gigging at times.

My home waters are stump filled, tons of cypress and vegetation both submerged and on the surface with plenty of pad and grass shallows.  I also would run the Flint River and various drainages of the flint with the river having many shallow rocky shoals and sand bars and the drainages would have alot of fallen trees just under the surface or on the surface.   On the rare occassion I might be in protected shallow saltwater bays with grass and or mud flats.  I more than likely will be purchasing new and I am aware of how costly that can be.  Now for my questions.

I am curious to hear from anyone who has experience with mud boats and mud motors, what their favorites are and most importantly, why one brand over another.  The same for hulls along with hull designs with regards to hunting and multipurpose use.  I would also like to hear about options that you really like and why you like those options.  Most importantly if I purchase new, availability of warranty centers and service centers that are somewhere other than Louisianna (preferably south Ga but anywhere in GA, south ALA or north FLA), I love the state but don't wanna have to go there to get warranty work or repairs done.  Your imput will be very much appreciated, thanks in advance.


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## GSURugger (Sep 6, 2012)

I run a gator trax with a modded 35 MB Louisiana special (longer out drive). It's great in the mud, grass, and stumps, though I try to avoid stumps. My hull is a 1644 with hunt deck, which puts its total length at 17'8". 32mph gps speed empty, 27 with two hunting buddies and gear. .125 5086 aluminum round chine. The round chines turn on a dime, but with a load at idle speed response is slow. Wouldn't trade them though, love the turning capability. If you run a lot of stumps I would seriously look at a 3/16" bottom. LT's are slow, but with more torque. SD's are your speed demons of the mud motor world, think of them as a Truck in "4hi".  With a 35hp block on an SD, ideal hull length would be 16-18', 44"-54" wide. Long and narrow is where it's at with a mud motor. Feel free to PM me anymore questions you might have.


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks for the input GSURugger, does mudbuddy have any warranty centers near here?  Would putting poly on the bottom help with the stumps you think? Service centers are rather important if I am gonna be putting that kind of money into a boat new.  Do mudbuddys put reverses on their SDs yet?  I know the LA boys are all hi on the gator tails because of their reverse the auto trim and neutral......MB SDs were looked into by me but I did not see those options.  I might have overlooked them. I do prefer the pricing on new MBs though.


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## joey1919 (Sep 6, 2012)

man so many things come into play here and dont want to type a novel,there are better options for a hull than gt and pd, and no reverse on the mudbuddy. if you want some more info shoot me a pm and ill give you my #


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## Golden BB (Sep 6, 2012)

Rugger pretty much covered the bases but don't rule out some of the custom boat companies. Take a look at mudmotortalk.com . Allot more info on mud boats than what you will find on here. I run a GoDevil 1644 with a 27 longtail, wouldn't trade it for anything. For what I do, speed is not a necessity. If you need speed, go with the surface drive.


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## GSURugger (Sep 6, 2012)

redneck_billcollector said:


> Thanks for the input GSURugger, does mudbuddy have any warranty centers near here?  Would putting poly on the bottom help with the stumps you think? Service centers are rather important if I am gonna be putting that kind of money into a boat new.  Do mudbuddys put reverses on their SDs yet?  I know the LA boys are all hi on the gator tails because of their reverse the auto trim and neutral......MB SDs were looked into by me but I did not see those options.  I might have overlooked them. I do prefer the pricing on new MBs though.


Poly would add weight. Mud buddy supposedly will be offering reverse, but they keep pushing it back. Check out their website. Www.mudmotortalk.com is a great resource.


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## Barroll (Sep 6, 2012)

Get a 1850 custom boat with a 3/16 bottom set up how you want.  Get a GTR with head work and a cam and you will be good to go.  That will be my next boat unless mudbuddys reverse blows Gatortail out of the water.  I prefer square chines, they draft less and are faster and turn fine with a load.


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## carolinaboy (Sep 6, 2012)

I have a gator trax 1544 w/huntdeck and a 35 sd mud buddy. Good speed and does good in the stumps grass and mud. I like the smaller boat easier to hide and I normally hunt alone. I also got just the plane hull with nothing but one half box to drive from. I think all the extras are a waste and just brake.


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## GSURugger (Sep 6, 2012)

I have essentially the same basic hull and love the space, but I have a few little things such as spud poles, thru-transom to run battery leads and fuel line, 2-12v acc plugs, trolling motor an front light plugs, shark eye nav lights, bilge, etc.


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## Flatone (Sep 6, 2012)

Love this thread!   I have a GT 1744 with a hunt deck and a Black Death 4500 and "Q" exhaust.  I put quick slick on the bottom.  It is my favorite toy.  Floors to the sides and extended front deck, all topped with hydro turf.  By far, my favorite boat..... And I have a 31 contender!  Lol


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## mitch9240 (Sep 7, 2012)

Paul Dixon out of bainbridge Ga makes Seminole bateau. It's fiberglass and designed to take a stump. Great boat . A lot of my friends run them and they are as tough as it gets .


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 7, 2012)

I see that there are a number of MBs in Ga.  How is the service on them?  I saw where there is supposed to be a reverse come this fall.  I watched a video on it earlier this morning, interesting set up.  I know there used to be a MB dealer in Albany but over the years I never saw one there and they recently closed.  Like I said, if I purchase new I want access to a place for warranty work, especially if there are new features that are liable to have "kinks" to work out. 

Those are some really nice looking boats yall posted pictures of.


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## vrooom (Sep 7, 2012)

mitch9240 said:


> Paul Dixon out of bainbridge Ga makes Seminole bateau. It's fiberglass and designed to take a stump. Great boat . A lot of my friends run them and they are as tough as it gets .



Designed to take a stump straight through the hull


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## BigSwole (Sep 7, 2012)

I have a longtail so ill chime in.

Reverse would be awesome. Never knew how much you use it until you dont hsve it. But with that said. Going forward its nearly unstoppable...so far.

Turning, at slow speed it can be aggravating but nothing that inst too bad. Weight kills the speed you do have quickly. You put a couple guys in and it drops off drastically. 

But for grass, stumps, and mud it gets through it all rather easily.

I have a 20hp godevil on a 1548 alumacraft. Its not a true flatbottom mud hull but it still works. Id imagine a true nud hull would be alot different but thats what i got so im commenting with what i know.

If your going to get a lt get bigger than a 20hp. Im in albany, if your ever in the area get with me and you can check it out and see it run before you make a choice.


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## Savage7mm (Sep 7, 2012)

I have a GT-35 with no reverse and I love it. My hull is not a mud hull but gets the job done. The only thing I would recomend from reading your first post is be careful on rocky bottom rivers. Mudmotors are not sand motors of rock motors. Sand will eat a $250 prop in minutes and rocks are not fun either. I take mine in the river with rocks but you need to know the channels and deep spots because you need to be on plane to run shallows on a hard bottom. Jet boats are ideal for rivers.


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 7, 2012)

Savage7mm said:


> I have a GT-35 with no reverse and I love it. My hull is not a mud hull but gets the job done. The only thing I would recomend from reading your first post is be careful on rocky bottom rivers. Mudmotors are not sand motors of rock motors. Sand will eat a $250 prop in minutes and rocks are not fun either. I take mine in the river with rocks but you need to know the channels and deep spots because you need to be on plane to run shallows on a hard bottom. Jet boats are ideal for rivers.



I was thinking the same thing, I would run the flint around Albany...I did see where Gator Tail sales an attachment/option to protect your prop from sand and rocks....I wonder if the others do?


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## quacktastic (Sep 7, 2012)

I run a gatortrax 17x50 hunt deck.  35 gtr with some mods.  Go with a 3/16 bottom if you have stumps like you say.  I personally think round chine are the way to go.  Square chine slides in the turns.  Yes it drafts less...but your talking a matter of an inch.  If you run more open water...the more length the better on a mudboat.  If your strictly hunting tight timber, shorter can be better for navigation, but it won't perform as well.  But that's getting somewhat technical.  The biggest thing is having more room in the boat if it won't kill your handling in the areas you hunt.  And get 21 inch sides...it can only help....not hurt.  As far as motors..I love my gtr.  All mm are somewhat easy to work on.  Reverse is a big deal...anyone who says it isn't is either full of sh1t or only sells mudbuddy motors and go devils.  Mudbuddy has a motor with reverse coming out...but don't hold your breath, it will be later than sooner.  My boat is actually listed on mudmotortalk right now for sale.  Give it a look, even if it's not the boat you want, it will give you some options to think about.  And your welcome to come drive it anytime.


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 7, 2012)

quacktastic said:


> I run a gatortrax 17x50 hunt deck.  35 gtr with some mods.  Go with a 3/16 bottom if you have stumps like you say.  I personally think round chine are the way to go.  Square chine slides in the turns.  Yes it drafts less...but your talking a matter of an inch.  If you run more open water...the more length the better on a mudboat.  If your strictly hunting tight timber, shorter can be better for navigation, but it won't perform as well.  But that's getting somewhat technical.  The biggest thing is having more room in the boat if it won't kill your handling in the areas you hunt.  And get 21 inch sides...it can only help....not hurt.  As far as motors..I love my gtr.  All mm are somewhat easy to work on.  Reverse is a big deal...anyone who says it isn't is either full of sh1t or only sells mudbuddy motors and go devils.  Mudbuddy has a motor with reverse coming out...but don't hold your breath, it will be later than sooner.  My boat is actually listed on mudmotortalk right now for sale.  Give it a look, even if it's not the boat you want, it will give you some options to think about.  And your welcome to come drive it anytime.



I had been on the m.m.t. classifeds before I checked back here, when was it listed?  Or I guess I should say what page?


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## Barroll (Sep 7, 2012)

quacktastic said:


> Reverse is a big deal...anyone who says it isn't is either full of sh1t or only sells mudbuddy motors and go devils.  Mudbuddy has a motor with reverse coming out...but don't hold your breath, it will be later than sooner.



x2.  I have a mudbuddy and not having reverse sucks.  Its a good, durable unit, but not having reverse is a huge flaw, enough to make me buy a Gatortail or prodrive.  And anyone that says you dont need it is biased.  I will be selling my MB after this season and getting a motor with reverse.


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## Gaducker (Sep 7, 2012)

round chines fo sho. 

 I have only been in one situation where reverse would have been nice and then I was taking directions from a co pilot...  who had no idea where he was going. 

If i were needing a reverse it would be a pro drive. Just spinning the prop in reverse will never get it in serious mud.   By the time i need reverse its usually time to get out of the boat and pull cause reverse dont work on dry land.


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 8, 2012)

Except for one response it seems everyone has SDs, I find that interesting.  I don't live far from Seminole and during duck season I see 5 or 6 LTs heading that way for every SD.  I would have thought there would be more LT fans or owners on here.  I have been told alot of pros for both of those motor styles along with the cons (not on this forum but from folks outside of the state), I am almost to the point I might want one of each.....I think the LT would almost be better on my home lake (lake chehaw...I live on its shores) because of the size(the lake ain't big and you can get most anywhere on it in a short time so speed ain't an issue) and more importantly, the trees, stumps and aquatic plants.  The SD would be much better on the bigger waters in my area along with the occassional florida trip.  I am fortunate with a good job and can buy my share of toys so getting one of each ain't out of the question.

Big Swole, you ever run on chehaw?  If so, I would be interested in hearing how your boat handles on it.


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## quacktastic (Sep 8, 2012)

Redneck...I sent you a pm.


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## BigSwole (Sep 8, 2012)

Redneck, suprised you havent seen me out there on it. Or at least heard me, send me a pm with a way to get ahold of you and where your at on the water. I can swing by one day here soon and pick you up and let you run it to see first hand.

I bought mine with never being in one and ive been more than happy with it. It will get me further than i could of gotten out and walked before.

Its fun. I have thought long and hard about lt vs sd. And my longtail works awesome.


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## JpEater (Sep 11, 2012)

I have an 1848 Aucoin mud boat with a 30hp GD long tail. A long tail sucks IMO. They are slow all the time and miserably slow with a load. You see more LT's because of the price. Spend the money and buy a SD. 

As far as the boat. I'd call Uncle J's custom boats in Louisiana and get a quote on a boat built to your specs. They build a great boat and will beat anyone else's prices. If you are going to run a bunch of stumps, spend the money and get a 3/16'' bottom. You would be much better off with a 3/16'' bottom than you would be with adding poly. You will not get enough gain to justify the expense. Hang a 35 GTR on the back and never look back. You will have a motor that is tried and true and will push an 1848 in the 28-30 mph range stock.


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## redneck_billcollector (Sep 13, 2012)

JpEater said:


> I have an 1848 Aucoin mud boat with a 30hp GD long tail. A long tail sucks IMO. They are slow all the time and miserably slow with a load. You see more LT's because of the price. Spend the money and buy a SD.
> 
> As far as the boat. I'd call Uncle J's custom boats in Louisiana and get a quote on a boat built to your specs. They build a great boat and will beat anyone else's prices. If you are going to run a bunch of stumps, spend the money and get a 3/16'' bottom. You would be much better off with a 3/16'' bottom than you would be with adding poly. You will not get enough gain to justify the expense. Hang a 35 GTR on the back and never look back. You will have a motor that is tried and true and will push an 1848 in the 28-30 mph range stock.



I do like the Uncle J boats, I have seen many a picture of one, but never one in person.  I might drop him a line. Thanks.


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## Barroll (Sep 13, 2012)

redneck_billcollector said:


> I do like the Uncle J boats, I have seen many a picture of one, but never one in person.  I might drop him a line. Thanks.



I have a uncle-j 1854.  Its a good boat


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