After Buying a Surface Drive Would You Go Back to a Longtail?

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4. 35HP Long Tail vs 35 HP Surface Drive

35HP Long Tail vs 35 HP Surface Drive

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November 26, 2006 at 6:54am

Looking at buying a new mud motor. I hunt in farily deep water from 3' to 10'. ( No Mud ). Problem is the water lillies has taken over, under the water lillies is clear water, no thick grass. On an 18' boat blind w/ 3 people , 80 lb dog & gear, which mud motor will peform the best in these conditions?? 35 HP long Tail or 35 HP surface Drive ( Gator Tail ect.... ) Also, which motor if you were to stop in the middle of a thick patch of water lillies would have less problem getting out of ???

November 26, 2006 at 7:02am

I am a guide and I have to depend on my boat to get my clients to and from a hunting spot. I hunt a lake that has the same lillies and water. I went from a long tail to the 35 mud buddy and I have to say its was the best. For one it is so much easier to turn right and left. It does not wear you out like the long tails. Also it just cuts through everything. If your going to buy brand new buy the mud buddy surface drive, you will be very happy.

Hunter Shaffett
Head Guide
www.cphuntinglodge.com

November 26, 2006 at 7:30am

Theres no comparison...I run a 35 surface drive on an 18 foot go devil. When it comes to lillies, no motor tosses the salad like the surface drive! not to mention your talkin a easy 10 mph increase in open water!

November 26, 2006 at 12:05pm

I have had both.Sold the surface drive because i was tired of hving to constantly be pulled out of the mud by the long tail.The surface drive performed great in the bayou,but thats not why we buy them is it.Stick with the long tail,you cant dig your way out of the mud with the surface drive .

November 26, 2006 at 12:10pm

I'm with junebug on this one. Our club has both, and we are always pulling the surface drives out of the mud. If you are positive that you will NEVER be in the mud, then the surface drive is the way to go. If you THINK that you may be in the mud, get the long tail. The surface drives are nice looking, but appearance doesn't get me out of a pond with ZERO water. It is a big investment, don't limit your self if you don't have to.

November 27, 2006 at 4:12pm

whenever you readdy to go mudding i will put your longtail to its grave with my 35 surfacedrive.ive hunted out of a longtail for the last 8yrs and i will never go back. im not out to dog the longtail cause i was undecied when i was faced with the decision but i picked the surfacedrive and that was the best thing i could have done. We hunt on no water in lower stBernard and i go from 0 to 27mph in about 5 sec.You must have had a bad set up r operator error cause mine is unstoppable.

November 27, 2006 at 4:50pm

thats weird ive never heard of anybody having that kinda problem in the mud with a surface drive. I thinks its easier to get up if your in thick mud and you stop then try and go from a stop. You can work that long tail a little more but i still would take a short tail over a long tail. Theres just too many more advantages...faster, less of a workout, cuts through lillies/duck weed easier.

November 27, 2006 at 5:10pm

You will be just fine with a surface drive. Also, surface drives push loads so much better and at much faster speeds than long tails. The surface drive will get on step much faster in the lilies than the long tail.

I ran long tails for years and now I am on my second surface drive. This is my 4th duck season to run a surface drive. I will never go back to long tails for my hunting applications. The only reason I would go back to a long tail is if I was hunting a small crawfish pond or impoundment and only need to travel several hundred yards and or if I was hunting an area with a very very short boat run then I would buy a 16 horse power or less long tail just because they are considerbly cheaper, especially if you buy used. If you want anything larger than a 16 HP, then I would get a surface drive.

November 27, 2006 at 6:59pm

Glad you like your motor,you paid for it so you better like it.One tip I might offer is that you would probably kill more ducks if you at least hunted over some water.The ducks dont seem to decoy as well to the decoys sitting in no water.Maybe its the lack of motion or the way they are all leaning over on there sides.LOL

November 27, 2006 at 7:03pm

O to 27 in 5 seconds.I bet in about another 10 seconds you take flight and are air borne doing mach 1.LOL

November 27, 2006 at 7:17pm

I have a 32 hp prodrive at it runs great through mud, lillys, deepwater. Whatever you throw at it, it handles. I have it posted for sale in the classified section under flatboats. Take a look if interested, the rig I have retails for $12000. I am asking $9500.

November 09, 2017 at 3:47pm

They both have there pro's and con's. There is no perfect motor. I have both motors, surface drive is much better for pushing a load in deeper water, long tail has no ass pushing a load. Surface drive does great in mushy mud but will get you in a bind if you set down in shallow water with a hard bottom. Long tail if the load is light will get you up in the shallowest of water but your weight will be the determining factor. Again, there is no perfect motor, just depends on the situation....

November 09, 2017 at 6:06pm

I concur with most that the advantages of the SD motors far outweighs the LT. I can also attest to the SD motors not liking shallow water with a hard/sandy bottom. I hunt Delacroix and as a direct result of the Lake Lery shoreline restoration, my lease has severely silted in and I have basically lost access to half my lease. We were out there last weekend for the youth hunt and I had to run across some of the silted areas and I struggled to get out with a modded GTR. BTW: if you buy new, there is only one option IMO: Gatortail with reverse, neutral and power tilt. Freaking beast!

After Buying a Surface Drive Would You Go Back to a Longtail?

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