I'm starting to get into the market for a jon boat with a 40hp outboard or go devil/mud motor for duck hunting. What are the OB duck hunters running? Any of y'all have any for sale for a good deal?

Get a jet drive. It'll go anywhere

Im currently running a 1972 1436 jon with a 25 Yamaha that my grandparents gave me about 15 years ago. My brother ran a 1850 prodrive with a 36hp surface drive prodrive for a few years and loved it. High maintenance but an overall great motor.

I have friends that run airboats, surface drives and longtail mud motors as well as regular jons with outboards. Everyone has a different opinion. Personally, I prefer to run an outboard. They're much faster, quieter and more reliable than surface drives in my opinion.

http://www.backwoodslanding.com/smartdevices.html
Pretty sick boats and they're not nearly as outrageously priced as some of the other brands.

Shallowminded14 said:

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Im currently running a 1972 1436 jon with a 25 Yamaha that my grandparents gave me about 15 years ago. My brother ran a 1850 prodrive with a 36hp surface drive prodrive for a few years and loved it. High maintenance but an overall great motor.

I have friends that run airboats, surface drives and longtail mud motors as well as regular jons with outboards. Everyone has a different opinion. Personally, I prefer to run an outboard. They're much faster, quieter and more reliable than surface drives in my opinion.

http://www.backwoodslanding.com/smartdevices.html
Pretty sick boats and they're not nearly as outrageously priced as some of the other brands.

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Username checks out with the surface drive recommendation.

I run a 1436 Jon with a 13hp thai long tail. I used to run a 20 hp outboard and I like the longtail a lot more. It is slower but I haven't found a place I can't go yet. I can run in 3 inches of water when I'm going solo. Working on the engine is also super easy. If it were to have a catastrophic failure, a new engine is only $350.

I would prefer a 16-18 foot with a 23-35 hp longtail mostly so that I could take more people and also so I wouldn't have to be so scared of open water, but that's not in the budget right now. My current rig is perfect for 1-2 people in the bayous & marshes though.

Brand new my entire rig is about 2,400 including the trailer. That's about 60% of what a new 20hp outboard costs

angryocotillo said:

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I run a 1436 Jon with a 13hp thai long tail. I used to run a 20 hp outboard and I like the longtail a lot more. It is slower but I haven't found a place I can't go yet. I can run in 3 inches of water when I'm going solo. Working on the engine is also super easy. If it were to have a catastrophic failure, a new engine is only $350.

I would prefer a 16-18 foot with a 23-35 hp longtail mostly so that I could take more people and also so I wouldn't have to be so scared of open water, but that's not in the budget right now. My current rig is perfect for 1-2 people in the bayous & marshes though.

Brand new my entire rig is about 2,400 including the trailer. That's about 60% of what a new 20hp outboard costs

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Longtails are way too slow and a pain for me. I literally had one for a week and got rid of it.

If you're hunting a ton get a surface drive or small outboard and don't look back. Make sure if you do get a surface drive it has reverse.

I found a 2010 16' Alumacraft with a Yamaha 50 that really has my interest. Plenty big to run around some stuff on Livingston and run around the marsh.

Just need to sell my 4 wheeler.

RO519 said:

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I found a 2010 16' Alumacraft with a Yamaha 50 that really has my interest. Plenty big to run around some stuff on Livingston and run around the marsh.

Just need to sell my 4 wheeler.

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You'll be getting 40+ mph out of it.

Keep in mind hp & prop size restrictions if your planning to hunt public land. Federal preserves are 25 hp & 9in prop if I remember correctly