Boat Suggestions

[Jimmie Buckler]

Hey guys, just trying to get some advice from guys hunting Central Florida Lakes, - I’ve always hunted out of borrowed Kayaks and Canoes- hunted this last season for divers in central Florida area around Orlando with success, but the Kayak isn’t cutting it anymore. I have a dealer who can get me an any type of boat I’d like - but my predicament is the age old standard outboard vs mud motor. - I have only minimal amounts of time to explore the lakes in the past because I’ve been limited by my set up. There is no one size fits all boat- BUT for most of central Florida lakes I’d like to get some input from you guys. I will fish some in the summer and hunt a lot - for specifically lakes in that area- would you guys purchase an outboard or mud motor? Some might say both, but I’d rather get one and get to 75 percent of places I’d like if possible. Input from those who hunt the area would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Dani]

For central FL, I would go with a mud motor. They are more of a pain to fish out of but if you have a good trolling motor, the mud motor will get you where you wanna go and then use the trolling motor in those areas. Central FL waterways can be chock full of vegetation, or sprayed just prior to season and EVERYTHING dies off. For places chock full of vegetation, you'll have better access with the mud motor. So, if you really get into exploring the central FL area, having the mud motor will open up more places for you to explore. That's been my experience though.

 

[Jimmie Buckler]

For central FL, I would go with a mud motor. They are more of a pain to fish out of but if you have a good trolling motor, the mud motor will get you where you wanna go and then use the trolling motor in those areas. Central FL waterways can be chock full of vegetation, or sprayed just prior to season and EVERYTHING dies off. For places chock full of vegetation, you'll have better access with the mud motor. So, if you really get into exploring the central FL area, having the mud motor will open up more places for you to explore. That's been my experience though.

Understood, it seems everyone I talk to is 50/50 on this (even locals). I also am leaning towards a v hull because of bigger open choppy waters as well. I’ve talked to an Edge dealer, they make a V mud hull, standard hull, and a flat bottom, Edge themselves told me all their boats can handle mud motors fine - narrowing down what makes most sense for the area has been making my head spin.

 

[Clinton John]

Shallow water aka 2 foot or less and lots of weeds/mud is where the surface drive comes into its own.

Few things to understand about the surface drive.

You buy one with all the bells and whistles. FNR and electric trim. It's going to be heavy.its going to take a 15x48 size boat are larger to support the weight of the motor.

Most of not all surface drives that have FNR. Use a electric clutch. If your battery is dead or the clutch goes out. Your dead in the water.

It's going to be slow, you want it to be fast. You have to drop thousands of dollars on performance parts and work to make it fast(er). It will never be outboard fast. It will never jump out the hole and plane off as fast as a outboard

It's going to be loud and it only gets louder the more money you drop into it to make it faster. The life span of the motor shortens the more money you drop in performance parts/work.

It won't carry a big load aka lots of decoys and all your friends/family. You want it too do that your going to need a 18 foot boat, a 40 horse surface drive and 10k dollars worth of performance work.

All these vids you see of guys flying down the water with surface drives, have 10k dollars sunk into the engine and have lil to no load in the boat and most of them are running gutted out hulls.

That said there is the flip side of the coin.

This is where I live with the surface drive, custom built boats, super light weight and sized just long enough and wide enough for me and a small load.

Simple, light weight surface drives, copperhead, mud walker, no FNR, no electric trim.

Still loud, still needs a ton of money dropped on it if you want to increase performance with parts.

If you 'ABSOLUTELY' don't need a surface drive to get there and back. Always go with the outboard

Hope this helps.