what would you do

thanks for all the help really makes me want to post again
I guess nobody ever put a shallow drive on there boat
 
I can't tell what kind of boat you picked up. Is it a TDB, Duckwater, Duckwrangler, Outlaw or something else? What horsepower is it rated for? How long is it? What's the beam? Weight? I don't have anything that looks like it nor do I run a "shallow drive" motor. Might want to check out: http://www.gator-tail.com/ and see what is compatible to your rig.
You also might want to pose the question more specifically so the guys that do run a shallow drive, surface drive or longtail read it and answer. You can see a mess of posts by querying shallow drive in the 'search posts' heading.
You also have to realize the time of year. The posts have slowed down a bit and alot of the members are busy with graduations and other family matters.
Good luck with the boat.
Paul
 
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it's a 15ft duckwrangler 30hp max leaning towards pro drive 27 thanks for reply this was my first post
it has a 25 yamaha on now
 
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Just curious....why a shallow water/longtail type?

MD and NJ sounds more like a good 30 hp prop motor with power trim/tilt to trim it up easily if needed.
 
been stuck in mud a few times when tide went out or drove into it in the dark i hate push poling
plus it gives me a chance to go where other people might not because of tide
 
In nj I would go with a regular motor 25 hp or 30hp and trim/tilt yes the mud sucks but the waves and swells suck more and a regular motor will get you where you need to go and push pole is not fun but works go with a regular motor just mho good luck and welcome to the site
 
hey jeff
i have the same boat with a 25 merc with two guys it runs find. if your going to hunt the jersey shore and run in that kind shallow of water you will wear the bottom off the boat in the clam beds i put my motor in the shallow water position and get aroumd in 6'' of water with no problems.
i've been in some rough water with the boat and i run it hard i come back dry every time and there's not a crack in the boat. i also had a full cover with grass straps and a zipper openning down the middle and i use the boat to lay out in the grass marshes and when i trailer the boat i roll the cover up and put it in the boat and the grass last all season if i can be any help let me know good luck with your boat clark
 
If you get stuck on the mud flats along Delaware Bay a mud motor is not necessarily going to get you out. It will let you get in to places though if you have running start from the water. I think you will find a long tail motor is really not the best option for the salt as far as corrosion goes. I also don't know about running a glass boat along on just mud. You hit a stick or an old piling, you might have bit of trouble. Of course, that could happen in the water too. I have hunted out of one of those, a friend of mine used to have one. It is a nice boat. Moving to the coastal bays, a mud motor doesn't do anything for you, and in sand I think it is a negative. So if it was me, which it's not, I would go with the outboard.
 
thanks for all the info guys i haven't done a lot of scouting in NJ yet.I was just going by what I've ran into
in MD at taylors, gunpowder, deal and a few other places it's almost all muck and that was in an alum john.
 
I run a long tail on a jon boat and can confirm that open water with any kind of wave action is no place for a shallow drive motor.
 
Nice Boat,Your boat was never made to be a mud boat and if you start trying to do things with it like you would with a mud boat you will be buying a new one in short order.That all being said you do have a nice boat that will last a life time if you take care of it.I would give a outboard motor with power tilt/trim a try first,I have one on a 15' Duck Wangler and can get down to about 6" of water before I have to worry
 
As long as my BBSB rebuild is done by then. It should be done by mid july or begining of august if all goes well.
 
Jeff,
I don't see any reason a 27hp Poodrive wouldn't work
fine on your boat.

If I ever get the money together, I plan on getting a 36hp
for my 16 ft Klamath.

Chris
 
NJ from Nov to Jan is not a place I would want to use a surface drive we get snotty weather 2to3 ft swells. The weather changes its nice and calm when you leave the ramp but heading back 5hrs later and with the change of the tide can be nasty stay with your 25hp its your best bet you have
 
I have hunted out of that very boat on many occasions with the old owner and one of my Chesapeakes.
That boat is set-up for the NJ marshes just as it sits there. I would not change a thing!
Awesome boat.
Best Wishes with the new boat.
Jeff..........
 
NJ from Nov to Jan is not a place I would want to use a surface drive we get snotty weather 2to3 ft swells. The weather changes its nice and calm when you leave the ramp but heading back 5hrs later and with the change of the tide can be nasty stay with your 25hp its your best bet you have

Hello Chris,
What makes you think a surface drive wouldn't handel 2to 3 ft swells? I would think the type of boat would
be more of a deciding factor than the type of motor.
Chris
 
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