# Largest boat for Shiawassee



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

DarrellT said:


> I just bought a 1542,does anyone run 5/32 cable on their winch for this boat?
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


would be pushing it with 5/32nd on this rig. can do it, but risk breaking cable eventually. if you can handle a beak now and then, do it.


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## Nuff Daddy (Dec 5, 2012)

Go with 3/16 so you can let me piggyback if you ever see me dragging a 1442 over hulian.


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## Nuff Daddy (Dec 5, 2012)




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## sthiede (Aug 31, 2004)

I run a 1542 alumacraft riveted jon with a 27 hp longtail. Pretty good setup imo...and 2 guys can pull the dike if need be due to winch failure. the runners on the boat help with that significantly.


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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

fowlattitude said:


> Seriously considering the 1542 eagle. What motor is everyone running on these? Im also curious about running the smaller diameter winch cable, is it possible with this rig or is it going to be to heavy? A bit of off season shopping and research. Never too early to prepare.


Just bought the 542FLD war eagle and loving it so far. Im running a 24hp beavertail and it seems to push it very well. Ive got a 9.9 Johnson short shaft im fixing for a friend, not sure if it will plane the boat or not but gonna find out as soon as the parts come in!


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## fowlattitude (Nov 19, 2008)

I really should go with the 1436 war eagle since there's a 16 and 18 jon already. I dont want the 14 to be to small when needed or the 15 too big if solo. Everyone needs about five. As far as the motor I've been a mud buddy guy but looks like they are getting out of the smaller motors. Those running the backwater motors liking them or are there better options for this application ?


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

fowlattitude said:


> I really should go with the 1436 war eagle since there's a 16 and 18 jon already. I dont want the 14 to be to small when needed or the 15 too big if solo. Everyone needs about five. As far as the motor I've been a mud buddy guy but looks like they are getting out of the smaller motors. Those running the backwater motors liking them or are there better options for this application ?


I've said this quite a lot but backwater is the way to go. They are very well built and if you have any issue what so every....someone from backwater is just a phone call away. Great company with a great product. I have a 14x36 with a 13hp....no speed demon but gets me to where I want to go. That motor really eats through some nasty stuff. Pm if you want more info. 

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## stackemup (Oct 31, 2011)

jonesy16 said:


> I've said this quite a lot but backwater is the way to go. They are very well built and if you have any issue what so every....someone from backwater is just a phone call away. Great company with a great product. I have a 14x36 with a 13hp....no speed demon but gets me to where I want to go. That motor really eats through some nasty stuff. Pm if you want more info.
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app



X2 on this. You can give them a call with any question. I ran the 23 on the 1542 War Eagle all last year. It blazes it's own trail when you're in skinny water for sure.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

fowlattitude said:


> I really should go with the 1436 war eagle since there's a 16 and 18 jon already. I dont want the 14 to be to small when needed or the 15 too big if solo. Everyone needs about five. As far as the motor I've been a mud buddy guy but looks like they are getting out of the smaller motors. Those running the backwater motors liking them or are there better options for this application ?


don't go 14 if you plan on going 23hp or bigger. it will perform kinda bad. its amazing how much 1ft of boat length will do with certain weights/motors.


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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> don't go 14 if you plan on going 23hp or bigger. it will perform kinda bad. its amazing how much 1ft of boat length will do with certain weights/motors.


I second this for sure! Last season ran a 24hp Beavertail on a 14/36 Tracker. Sold it and bought a 15/42 war eagle running the same motor, never GPS either boat but the 15/42 Definitely feels faster and gets on plane much easier with 3 people in it.


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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

fowlattitude said:


> I really should go with the 1436 war eagle since there's a 16 and 18 jon already.* I dont want the 14 to be to small when needed or the 15 too big if solo*. Everyone needs about five. As far as the motor I've been a mud buddy guy but looks like they are getting out of the smaller motors. Those running the backwater motors liking them or are there better options for this application ?


I would definitely go with the 15' boat if being solo is your only concern, I'm not so sure 1 guy could drag a loaded 14' over anyway, at least not easily.


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## stackemup (Oct 31, 2011)

charcoal300zxtt said:


> I second this for sure! Last season ran a 24hp Beavertail on a 14/36 Tracker. Sold it and bought a 15/42 war eagle running the same motor, never GPS either boat but the 15/42 Definitely feels faster and gets on plane much easier with 3 people in it.



I have a 1542 with the 23 hp Backwater, and the GPS says 17 loaded with 3 of us


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

best solo rig i've run is a 1436 w/ 20hp go-devil. very manueverable pulling dikes. If i came up short due to low water i could pull it the rest of the way (runners are a must).

but, that being said, major drawback was over 2 people or 2 + dog was bad news.

i've run a 1542 W/E with 23mudbuddy quite a bit by myself and pulling dikes. no issues. Coming up short on a pullovers can be a problem tho. Always make sure you got a good pull before stranding yourself. I carry a dansforth anchor that i can use to winch myself out to deeper water.


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> best solo rig i've run is a 1436 w/ 20hp go-devil. very manueverable pulling dikes. If i came up short due to low water i could pull it the rest of the way (runners are a must).
> 
> but, that being said, major drawback was over 2 people or 2 + dog was bad news.
> 
> i've run a 1542 W/E with 23mudbuddy quite a bit by myself and pulling dikes. no issues. Coming up short on a pullovers can be a problem tho. Always make sure you got a good pull before stranding yourself. I carry a dansforth anchor that i can use to winch myself out to deeper water.


Since I'm still learning please explain "coming up short", " Always make sure you got a good pull before stranding yourself", and just what the heck is a dansforth anchor?

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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

you remember those yellow posts in the water out on shiawassee when you hunted there last year or year before? sometimes n low water (like pulling back into hulien rd. parkinglot. that post will be high and dry. If you winch to the post, your boat would be beached 10' from where the waters edge...20' from floating. i've walked my cable from there while beached over to the launch and hooked to my boat trailer...and winched all the way to the truck before. Thats 1 example of coming up short.

anchor i carry in boat...i can literally winch any dike with no pullovers with it. sometimes you have to get creative or might need second guy to stand on it while your winching.


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> you remember those yellow posts in the water out on shiawassee when you hunted there last year or year before? sometimes n low water (like pulling back into hulien rd. parkinglot. that post will be high and dry. If you winch to the post, your boat would be beached 10' from where the waters edge...20' from floating. i've walked my cable from there while beached over to the launch and hooked to my boat trailer...and winched all the way to the truck before. Thats 1 example of coming up short.
> 
> anchor i carry in boat...i can literally winch any dike with no pullovers with it. sometimes you have to get creative or might need second guy to stand on it while your winching.


Good idea.....I've thought about this for the bay if the water blows out on ya...http://www.lan-cor.com/vehicle-recovery-in-action....whether it would work or not, I don't know. Seems like it would if you are just pulling a boat compared to a truck. I figured you could just drag your self to deeper water and then drag your boat to the launch. Probably a lot of work though.


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

http://www.lan-cor.com/vehicle-recovery-in-action


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## fowlattitude (Nov 19, 2008)

Hearing a lot of good things about the 1542 as far as plaining out and being a good runner. Any rig I run out there will definitely have a winch set up. That was the way I was leaning from the start. Thanks for all the opinions and input.


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## BlewbayouMM (Apr 3, 2014)

I run a 1542 smokercraft modv with 5/32 7x19 cable, with one of our 13hp surface drives. Never had any problems winching over. We normally take two smaller boats so we can hunt four guys, but last year we took a 1650, I built 23 surface drive for that as well, and still had no problems pulling over. 4 guys,dog, and gear we can still run 18mph. Imo 1442,1448,1450,1542, 1548 all perfect size for shiawasee.


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

Thanks Kid!



Shiawassee_Kid said:


> you remember those yellow posts in the water out on shiawassee when you hunted there last year or year before? sometimes n low water (like pulling back into hulien rd. parkinglot. that post will be high and dry. If you winch to the post, your boat would be beached 10' from where the waters edge...20' from floating. i've walked my cable from there while beached over to the launch and hooked to my boat trailer...and winched all the way to the truck before. Thats 1 example of coming up short.
> 
> anchor i carry in boat...i can literally winch any dike with no pullovers with it. sometimes you have to get creative or might need second guy to stand on it while your winching.


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

OK I've done a bit of research on the w/e 542fld and the 548ldv. Would the 548ldv be too big? It's 6 in wider and 1 in taller on side. The 548 is also .1 thick which is what I've read on here that you want for mud motors and duck hunting. It also says you can have up too a 40hp motor. Seems ideal, but is it too big? Of course I'm sure it's more cash too. . What are your thoughts?

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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Socks said:


> OK I've done a bit of research on the w/e 542fld and the 548ldv. Would the 548ldv be too big? It's 6 in wider and 1 in taller on side. The 548 is also .1 thick which is what I've read on here that you want for mud motors and duck hunting. It also says you can have up too a 40hp motor. Seems ideal, but is it too big? Of course I'm sure it's more cash too. . What are your thoughts?
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Ohub Campfire mobile app


48 too wide. changes the way it handles/planes out. will affect your speed as well. 542 is my pick.


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

Thanks Kid!


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