copperhead mud motors?

Chris Finch

Chris Finch

Well-known member
i am seriously thinking about buying their 12 horse motor and a 14ft phowler sneak, i am just wondering if anyone has had any experience with the motors.

i havent been to the Tuckerton show but am planning to go this year, is there any chance that the phowler company will be there?

i guess this setup will be considered my pregraduation present to myself for finishing college, but i think a chessie pup will be my actual graduation present to myself.
i have been saving up for my perfect boat and this one fits the bill
 
I will ask Paul over at Pholwer today if they have any dealers that will be there. I have been helping them out with fastners n such for the shops and have to drop off some stuff today. I have seen quite a few of the sneaks being welded up lately they are very popular for sure.
 
i have no idea what your situation is, but having run mud motors for 20+ years, I would encourage you to go with the largest engine you can afford. I would personally go with either a 35 go devil or mud buddy on a 16+ foot flat. You can pick them up down here in Louisiana used cheaper than a new copperhead, and they last forever. I am on my third rig and have gone up in hp each time. when go devil releases something bigger than 35, I will be a buyer again.
 
Yup... I have a 23 HP Go-Devil on my 1648 jon and I have wished it was bigger on occasion. When you get in the slop and come to a stop it is not a fun feeling. When you get stuck in a mud boat you are really stuck!

Kris, what size boat do you run? How about a picture of it? I am looking at making some changes to mine.
 
I run an 18x48 go devil surface drive with a 35 go devil, my lease partner runs an 18x60 go devil with a 35, and my boss runs an 18x 60 with a 35, I came up from a 16x44 with a 25 long tail, to the same boat with a 27 surface drive. There is no comparsion from a 23 or 27 to a 35. A 35 will move any reasonable load through anything you come across, and move it fast.

i apparently don't have any good pics of the current rig (the pic with the dog is the best I have access to)

the pic with my wife is the old rig

View attachment em w go devil.jpg
 
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I am thinking I might switch to a surface drive from the long tail at some point. It sounds like you would recommend it.
 
Paul,

They are definitely different animals. I would rather drive a surface drive any day of the week. It drives almost as nice as an outboard. My current rig does 30mph, which i would have to imagine is almost twice as fast as your rig. It is very nice when we have long runs. Towards the end of last season we were running 10 miles each way and crossing open water, that is not an option in a smaller longtail rig. That being said, some situations are better suited to a longtail. A longtail is nicer to cross logs with, and it does a little better in floating vegetation. But yes in general I would recommend the surface drive. I will likely never have another long tail.
 
surface drive is so fast it blows the hair off, i gained weight to try and even out the float of the boat for when you sit on the left and I'm on the right.
 
whatev!

now, i know you're lying b/c you never NEVER ask me to go hunting..........

but, back to the boat/motors, i HEAR kwis knows what he's talking about concerning this stuff...........i hear it b/c he never lets a moment pass that he's not telling someone just how much he knows.

justin
 
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I just bought a Mud Buddy 4500 HD Black Death, waiting for it to come in right now. Going to be mounted on a 1754 gator trax. The waiting is becoming over whelming. I had a 25 hp kohler, long tail that did just fine, but like Kris said not alot of speed. Good luck on the venture..
 
If your question is about Copperhead, I bought one of their little 6 hourse surface drives for an old 1950 Lund Ducker last fall and wandered all over Pools 4-10 on the upper Mississippi with it. Great little pusher for my tiny little boat. The muffler broke off early on and the folks at Cooperhead had a no-charge replacement to me in 2 days. Great folks.
We also use a 18' Pro-drive boat with 37 horse PD, goes everywhere fast, the little boat goes everyhwere slower.
 
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