Go Devil or Beaver Tail motors

Anyone ever use either of these motors on a fishing rig. I was wondering how easy would it be to control

a boat with a prop thats 5 feet away from the boat. Is it hard to make a precise trolling run and maintain a good line in the water like trying to follow a contour? How noisy are they? Do they have reverse? Can you use them as a large blender.LOL Hey Stillakid I bet I could get your line with one of those motors. Anyone have one of these I sure would like to check it out . I think it may be just the ticket for some of my favorite waters. Whats one more Rig. Sure love fishin.

any I have seen do not have reverse. I don’t own one but know a few that have or did. A new one out now called mud puppy (I think) This one swings to the inside of your boat for transport, doing away with the 5 ft out the back. I have seen them trying to load them when the wind is blowing and they have a heck of a time. But this has just been my observation.

A friend of mine has a go devil. It is pretty loud, and it doesn’t have much “oomph” behind it. It is a good little motor to use when you cannot get around with anything else because the water level is really low, but in most situations, I can’t see how it would be of much use.

Matt

I’ve done a lot of looking into them the last couple of years, since most of the rivers near home here are too shallow to get my boat very far. A mud motor on a big johnboat would be just the ticket, but they’re expensive as all-get-out. One thing that makes me thing people like them is the fact that there is no market whatsoever for used motors.

I’ve considered creation of a franken-motor using a snowthrower or a lawnmower engine, since 5hp should be sufficient for what I need. I haven’t looked into it too seriously, though, since I currently don’t have storage space for a second boat.

I have ridden in a boat powered by a beaver tail,I think it was an 18hp.Great motor for duck hunters who have to go through cattails,weeds and mud.They are loud and i do not see much use for them on a fishing rig.Boat control is difficult and they are a lot of work to operate.If you want a shallow water rig my suggestion would be a jet.I have one and like it very much.I can run through ankle deep water at 30mph.At slow(trolling speeds it is as manuveralble as a prop as long as you have power to it.(propulsion steers it)One disadvantage to fishing with one is that there is no rudder so controlling your drift with you outboard off will not work.

Sounds like that may be the way to go. How tall are your ankles . LOL What happens on my favorite close waters is you go from deep to shallow gravel bar instantly and with very little warning. So your motor only sits a couple of inches in the water or does it only sit a couple of inches in the water at 30 mph. Oh boy now I have a couple of choices to check out. I appreciate all the feedback I can get on this and any ideas any one has. I currently hole hop. Put in where it’s deep fish that area take out ,trailer put in and fish that area over and over it’s a pain but works or float downstream to awaiting vehicle. What size boat do you use and what style (flat bottom,semiflat,) and what size hp motor do you use. See what you started now. Ha Ha Thanks Steve

I have a small 15ft flat jon with a 20 Merc jet.It will travel in less water than it will float through as long as your on plane.A boat actually pushes water in front of it and this allows the baot to travel across some very skinny water.The jet intake sits only 2 1/2 inches below the bottom of the boat.I guess that I can travel in about 5 to 6″of water.You can also get tunnel hull boats rigged with jets where the intake of the motor is actually above the actual bottom of the boat.There has been some debate on the perfomance of tunnels vs a flat hull.

It takes a little getting used to ripping through water that shallow and being afraid of hitting something at full throttle but that is what these boats are designed to do.I fish the Miss north of the cities a few times a year where in late summer the river is more rapids and can move freely form pool to pool.I have even taken her over some small falls.If water is flowing over rocks you can get over them.I do take a few hits now an again but the motor is tough and so is the all welded thick gauge jon.

Some of the disadvantages of the jet are in the fall when the leaves fill the river the intake gets clogged often and you have to stop to clear it.Same goes for areas where the weeds reach the surface of the water or there is a lot of debris in the water.Other than that its the perfect shallow river rig.

what is a merc jet could you explain for me please?

Like as was stated before they are great for chasing ducks, but there just basicly a lawnmower with a muffler(it don’t help much) I have ridden in a 14ft TDB with a Go-Devil. There isn’t much that is gonna stop a flat bottom boat with a mud motor. One thing to keep in mind, when you do get stuck, be prepared to be there a while cause it’s usually dry land that your stuck on. But they are fun to run in nothing but suck mud! Hope this helps.

Fishhead how high of a transom do you have on your boat. Is that a factory 20 merc jet?

As as GD’s go I have been running them for 7 years and absolutely love them. There main purpose is for the muck and the slop. Trolling? Not recomended. It would be very tough to maneauver. I use mine mainly to fish small rivers but the sand will eat the props up but who cares that is what these motors are for. Driving them is not difficult as long as you have your boat set up right. Strictly for fishing though. I would not recommend them.

Bear

My Merc is a factory made jet.I have a transom extension(verticle)of 6 inches giving my transom hieght 21″.An impellor sucks water through the intake(snorkel)compresses it and shoots it out the back.The only thing hanging below the bottom of the boat is the intake which sits about 2 1/2 inces below the bottom of the boat.They are gaining in popularity but it took a few years to find the right set up.They are more popular on small mouth rivers out east.

what would something like that cost, and would you have to have a special made boat for it