# Perfect Do All Boat



## ICU2012 (Sep 19, 2012)

I'm sure this questions been asked before. but I havent been on here long enough to have seen it. 

Is there a boat and motor combo that you think is perfect for hunting on the river as well as freshwater fishing? not just for ducks but for deer/pigs/turkey. that's asking a lot from a boat, and I havent really found anything that'll do all of those things really well. I'm not looking for something to drag over dikes or take out in the ocean. Just something that'll take 2 or 3 guys up river to chase critters. the whole outboard vs. mud motor is a conflict in my mind too. I see big advantages to mud motors while running shallow water and grass, but big disadvantages when it comes to noise and ease of use. Just lookin for ideas, if you have a sweet rig, post a pic of it. thanks!


----------



## drdarby45 (Sep 19, 2012)

I have an awesome deer/pig/turkey boat!


----------



## WOODIE13 (Sep 19, 2012)

Don't toss out the jet motor idea


----------



## Barroll (Sep 19, 2012)

drdarby45 said:


> I have an awesome deer/pig/turkey boat!



Ive slayed critters out of it.  I have to admit, its the best pig boat I have ever been in.


----------



## Graffam (Sep 19, 2012)

i'm happy my boat floats

most of the time


----------



## Gaducker (Sep 20, 2012)

three or four man hide.


----------



## Nimrod71 (Sep 20, 2012)

IC there are many good boats out there that will suit your needs.  I have used everything from a 12 ft to a 18 ft boat and currently I have a War Eagle 15 ft 48 inch wide alum with a 25 h.p. Mercury that I use for my hunting boat.  It really works well.  Weight is always to be considered when you hunt from a boat as well as size.  To big and you can't get back in the good spots, to small and you can't carry all the stuff you need.  The 15/25 combo works well for me with a 100 lb. dog and two 200 lb. hunters with gear.


----------



## king killer delete (Sep 20, 2012)

Aint no such thing. I hunt allot of open salt water. I have a 40 ob. I wish I had a 60 and if I had it to do over I would have a 60. I dont fish. I am about trigger time. My boat is wide open with no extra weight. With the Avery QS up and a hard running tide and wind  its hard to anchor. I once lost a decoy hunting and a Fisherman found it and called me. He found it 10 miles away from where I was hunting. When I hunt the Altamaha I hunt from up river to the sound. I dont go into Rhetts. Now  A mud motor I think is better in most places except in the big water and I cant judge one in open water cause I have never used one in open water. I have used them on some lakes in Fl. and they are the best thing in the mud and grass with very shallow water. I think you gota sort of zero in on where your are gona hunt and what you are gone hunt.


----------



## ICU2012 (Sep 20, 2012)

thanks guys, drdarby45, what kind of boat do you have? hard part about down here is even a few miles up river it's still tidal. so I could have plenty of water when I get to a spot, then lose 2 or 3 ft by the time I get back to the boat.


----------



## quacktastic (Sep 20, 2012)

I run a gatortrax 17x50 hunt deck with 21 inch sides.  It has been an excellent do all boat.  I run open water a decent amount if the chop isn't bad.  Rivers and lakes, it's great.  SUPER stable and has a lot of room.  I currently have two drivers storage boxes in the back. Gun box on one side of the boat, and I can put a cooler across from the gun box if I want.  The front deck is extended so lots of room to stand up and fish, gig, throw cast net, set an anchor, etc.  my fiancé even lays up there to tan.  Those boats are super strong and built to last a very long time! I can typically carry 4 people comfortably.  We gator hunt with three guys and gear, yet still have room to maneuver. Duck hunt three guys, a dog, and three bags of decoys with room.  It can be a tad long on really small backwater creeks, but I have had it in some pretty tight spots.  As far as mudmotors go...they are a great tool in the right hands.  They take a lot more abuse than an outboard so you can get into tight or shallow areas an outboard can not. Loudness can be a factor, but I think it gets to much attention.  It doesn't seem to effect fishing...remember an. Outboard is loud too, you just don't hear the exhaust bc it's under water.  Hunting etc, depends.  I run my trolling motor to do certain things if I need stealth.  Other situations like running the timber in the am doesn't really matter.  My motor is no louder than the other twenty boats running around the woods with dogs barking, people yelling, etc.  In the afternoon I try to be courteous and idle out if I am around other guys still hunting.  I think its the giant boat moving through the trees that flares ducks more than the sound of an engine.  Anyhow, they are easy to operate and easy to work on.  The tiller torque is slight sometimes, just takes getting used to driving that sort of motor and boat distribution by weight.  I run mine in saltwater a lot, but you have to give it a little extra tlc to make sure bolts and stuff don't get rusty.  I can't post pics from my iPad, but I'll be happy to email them to you if you want some ideas.  I actually was going to sell it, to buy another , but with the season getting here I may hold off for now since I won't have time for a new boat. Oh and one thing I have to recommend no matter what is get you some hydroturf!


----------



## wray912 (Sep 20, 2012)

argo with a 25


----------



## Canyon (Sep 20, 2012)

WOODIE13 said:


> Don't toss out the jet motor idea



If your going to be running the majority of the rivers in GA., a jet imo is the way to go.


----------



## BigSwole (Sep 20, 2012)

I dont think you can find a *perfect* boat. But dual surface drives would get you anywhere at a decent speed and through the skinny stuff.

If i become successful ill get me one.


----------



## carolinagreenhead (Sep 20, 2012)

I've re-done a couple of jon boats and personally I don't think there is a perfect boat to fit all situations (fishing, hunting). You can duck hunt from a bass boat if you set it up right. This is JMO but I think it's more in the boats set up than the boat itself. This might take some adding and taking away as the seasons come and go. JMHO.


----------



## king killer delete (Sep 20, 2012)

*Hay man*



quacktastic said:


> I run a gatortrax 17x50 hunt deck with 21 inch sides.  It has been an excellent do all boat.  I run open water a decent amount if the chop isn't bad.  Rivers and lakes, it's great.  SUPER stable and has a lot of room.  I currently have two drivers storage boxes in the back. Gun box on one side of the boat, and I can put a cooler across from the gun box if I want.  The front deck is extended so lots of room to stand up and fish, gig, throw cast net, set an anchor, etc.  my fiancé even lays up there to tan.  Those boats are super strong and built to last a very long time! I can typically carry 4 people comfortably.  We gator hunt with three guys and gear, yet still have room to maneuver. Duck hunt three guys, a dog, and three bags of decoys with room.  It can be a tad long on really small backwater creeks, but I have had it in some pretty tight spots.  As far as mudmotors go...they are a great tool in the right hands.  They take a lot more abuse than an outboard so you can get into tight or shallow areas an outboard can not. Loudness can be a factor, but I think it gets to much attention.  It doesn't seem to effect fishing...remember an. Outboard is loud too, you just don't hear the exhaust bc it's under water.  Hunting etc, depends.  I run my trolling motor to do certain things if I need stealth.  Other situations like running the timber in the am doesn't really matter.  My motor is no louder than the other twenty boats running around the woods with dogs barking, people yelling, etc.  In the afternoon I try to be courteous and idle out if I am around other guys still hunting.  I think its the giant boat moving through the trees that flares ducks more than the sound of an engine.  Anyhow, they are easy to operate and easy to work on.  The tiller torque is slight sometimes, just takes getting used to driving that sort of motor and boat distribution by weight.  I run mine in saltwater a lot, but you have to give it a little extra tlc to make sure bolts and stuff don't get rusty.  I can't post pics from my iPad, but I'll be happy to email them to you if you want some ideas.  I actually was going to sell it, to buy another , but with the season getting here I may hold off for now since I won't have time for a new boat. Oh and one thing I have to recommend no matter what is get you some hydroturf!


 I have seen a good inland chop thats pretty bad. I have gone to the ramp and turned around and went home when its ruff out there. These inland folks do not have an idea how bad it can get.


----------



## webfootwidowmaker (Sep 20, 2012)

2012 Excel 1854 Mud Buddy 5500


----------



## quacktastic (Sep 20, 2012)

killer elite said:


> I have seen a good inland chop thats pretty bad. I have gone to the ramp and turned around and went home when its ruff out there. These inland folks do not have an idea how bad it can get.



You speak the truth...I have turned around at 4 am and headed home myself.  It can get ugly in a 26 foot contender running the coastal water...let alone a 17 foot aluminum duck hunting rig.


----------



## CootCartel (Sep 20, 2012)

almost lost mine like that, when the bow submarines... you know it wont be long till you are under... the tide and wind are the enemy out there


----------



## Public Land Prowler (Sep 20, 2012)

ICU2012 said:


> I'm sure this questions been asked before. but I havent been on here long enough to have seen it.
> 
> Is there a boat and motor combo that you think is perfect for hunting on the river as well as freshwater fishing? not just for ducks but for deer/pigs/turkey. that's asking a lot from a boat, and I havent really found anything that'll do all of those things really well. I'm not looking for something to drag over dikes or take out in the ocean. Just something that'll take 2 or 3 guys up river to chase critters. the whole outboard vs. mud motor is a conflict in my mind too. I see big advantages to mud motors while running shallow water and grass, but big disadvantages when it comes to noise and ease of use. Just lookin for ideas, if you have a sweet rig, post a pic of it. thanks!



A 14-15ft jon boat is about perfect around here.On the river..you really dont have to have much more than a 9.9,but a 15 seems to be kinda the starting point,and 25hp seems to be most popular.If you get a MM you can go into shallower water.Some of those boys have surface drives and MM that get them goin pretty quick tho!Yes they are louder..no doubt..As dry as the river has been most years,and since you do like to duck hunt,and get into sloughs..may be best to get a mud motor..To be honest I dont think the critters worry so much about hearing boats tho..I saw a guy with a surface drive,and it was quieter than the mud motors.Im thinking of selling my motor for a surface drive.


----------



## Public Land Prowler (Sep 20, 2012)

webfoot what size is that surface drive?


----------



## tashwoo (Sep 20, 2012)

*jet*

for river running, stay way from outboard, you pop sheer pins all day and ruin props. That is, saying you will be running rocky rivers. A flat bottom jon with a jet would be the way I would go and they dont perform bad in open water either.


----------



## quacktastic (Sep 21, 2012)

public land prowler said:


> webfoot what size is that surface drive?



5500


----------



## CootCartel (Sep 21, 2012)

should be a BAMF 5500 mudbuddy... very nice rig you have there webfoot


----------



## webfootwidowmaker (Sep 21, 2012)

thanks. its a 5500 black death its a 48hp motor


----------



## ICU2012 (Sep 21, 2012)

I'm likin the look of the G3 1652 or the Wareagle 754. the layout of each looks good and they're the size i'd be comfortable with. anyone have one?

Even tho I wont be taking it over any dikes, i'd still probably mount a winch on the front or have one so I can move it around if I need it. I've seen more than 1 boat sitting sideways on dry ground up river. not to mention the ones flipped over or pinned against trees and logs. this river down here is mean, she doesnt look like it all the time, but she'll eat your boat without thinking twice. I was amazed last year when we ran up river at low tide and saw the amount of stumps, deadfalls, sandbars, mud flats and all sorts of nasty stuff that would tear the foot off an outboard if you didnt know it was there. I never saw any of it during high tide when most people are running around


----------



## Mud runner (Sep 21, 2012)

I have a Grizzly 1648 with a built Dixie Mud Motor and it will do anything and take anything you throw at it.


----------



## jerry russell (Sep 21, 2012)

I researched for over a year and decided to go with a tunnel boat. It is used in a guide service for a lot of different things from hogs, gator, bowfishing to big water salt diver hunting. I could not go with surface drive or jet because I do a ton of rough water fishing for striper, shark and near shore reefs for kings and snapper. It is a bigger boat than most would want but it can haul 5 guys, a dog and a ton of duck gear with no problem and still run about 20mph. In a fishing mode it will run about 28 mph and is as good an "all-around" boat as I have been around. The hydo jack plate with tunnel hull allows access to some very shallow stuff but I can drop that motor down for a bite in 4' seas and get us  home through some really rough water. I have run the rocky Ocmulgee river for 4 years and never lost a prop. Knock on Wood!

I have no argument that surface drives and jets are great under special conditions and I would love to own one of each but most folks won't/can't spend the money on a boat that can't be used for many task and under a wide range of enviroinmental conditions. IMO, a tunnel boat/outboard conbination outfitted WITH A JACK PLATE is a very versatile combination that will do well in most all conditions and dominate in the majority of them.

A quick word on outboards....If you go that way look VERY HARD at four strokes. My 60 is unreal quiet and has no two stroke stink. At trolling/idle speeds, it is difficult to know when it is cranked. In a variety of hunting and fishing situations, this is a huge asset.

My tin can is a Lowe 1760 Roughneck with a 60 HP Merc and it runs several times per week, 12 months out of the year. If any boat can stand up to the abuse we give it, it is one tough boat.


----------



## quacktastic (Sep 21, 2012)

I will tell you if your looking at a mudmotor now or down the road you need to get a true Mudmotor hull.  That means a flat bottom with no crimps for tracking in the bottom.  Longitudinal ribs so you don't worry about hooking your boat and having a major decrease in performance.  And a reinforced transom which is key.  And if it's worth a crap it's made of 5086 .125 aluminum to take the abuse and torque a mudmotor will put on a hull.  The good news is these boats can last a lifetime if you don't go beating them up on purpose.  The bad news is they cost more.  Don't make the mistake of buying a tracker, grizzly, war eagle, Lowe, etc if your going to put a mudmotor on it.  You will trash the hull in a year or two, and your hull won't perform the way it should either.  I'm not knocking those brands for outboards, but they aren't made for MM use.


----------



## thompsonsz71 (Sep 22, 2012)

quacktastic said:


> I will tell you if your looking at a mudmotor now or down the road you need to get a true Mudmotor hull.  That means a flat bottom with no crimps for tracking in the bottom.  Longitudinal ribs so you don't worry about hooking your boat and having a major decrease in performance.  And a reinforced transom which is key.  And if it's worth a crap it's made of 5086 .125 aluminum to take the abuse and torque a mudmotor will put on a hull.  The good news is these boats can last a lifetime if you don't go beating them up on purpose.  The bad news is they cost more.  Don't make the mistake of buying a tracker, grizzly, war eagle, Lowe, etc if your going to put a mudmotor on it.  You will trash the hull in a year or two, and your hull won't perform the way it should either.  I'm not knocking those brands for outboards, but they aren't made for MM use.


 plus go devil has just about the same pricing as tracker or war eagle.. im looking at a gator trax, uncle j, go devil or redneck as my next hull


----------



## Fat Albert (Sep 22, 2012)

I used to dream of having a "duck" boat all fitted out with the blinds, gun boxes and camo'd up... while I was draping camo burlap over my old bass tracker. Then Uncle Sam comes along with one hand out and the other cocked back... Now I'm wishing I just had a boat period!


----------

