# Mud motor + canoe



## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

I'm looking at putting a small mud motor on the back of my 14ft long/wide transom sportspal. I have a 3.5hp nissan outboard right now....it just sucks in the thick nasty shallow stuff. Any suggestions? I'm thinking a 6 horse might be to heavy for it. What about an Orion 2 horse? Is that too small? At the most its two guys and equipment.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## RedNeckWino (Jan 20, 2012)

I have a 10' Sportspal canoe also. Pick up a cheap weed wip from a yard sale and make a mini mud motor if you are going far enough to need one.
I just use kayak paddles and if I need to travel to far with it, just tow it behind the 14' with a 20hp.


----------



## montrose trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

Jonesy, my buddy has a home built 6.5 on his 15 foot canoe and with two guys it moves pretty good. When its just him he puts his battery and decoys in the front to balance the load. His canoe is skinnier than a sportpal as well so I think you'd be fine with a 6.5 on yours. Just gotta figure out the balance.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## warrenwaterfowler (Aug 31, 2007)

I ran a 5hp on my sportspal S15 square transom without any issues. I did have out riggers for added stability and more payload though... It was rated for up to 5hp, but I was seriously considering getting a 7.5 hp for it if I had kept it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## warrenwaterfowler (Aug 31, 2007)

...That was a regular outboard though, not a mud motor...if the water gets too shallow or weedy for the outboard, we'd always tilt it up and just paddle where we needed to go. Suprising how easily two men can paddle all that weight around in a sportspal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ds541 (Dec 3, 2004)

i had a 6.5 go-devil on a 16 sq back grumman it went like a rocket or at least felt that way.it just seemed unstable so i went back to reg outboard.


----------



## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

I was looking at the stump jumper mud motor. Its the lightest 7hp motor i could find. I have no experience with small Subaru motors though....I actually never knew they made one until recently. 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## FPFowler (Mar 2, 2012)

I have been eyeing those stump jumpers also... Pretty good price for that little guy seeing as how the comparable mud buddy is almost 2k plus shipping! I have a friend who runs the little MB with the 6hp Robin (Subaru) on his 14' jon boat and he has no problems with it. 

Good luck with the canoe/mud motor combo. Everytime I think of that I just chuckle. I can picture myself trying to get used to that tippy SOB. That's going to take some practicing, I would start asap while the water is still warm!!


----------



## montrose trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

If you have a little time, access to a mig welder and some back woods engineering skills you can build your own on the cheap. But check out coppehead mud motors supposedly they are really fast and light.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Ender (Dec 6, 2005)

I have a 12' Michicraft I run a homemade MM on. It is built from a 50cc pocket bike motor and is roughly 2hp. It is very light, has plenty of power, and is a heck of a lot easier than the manual powered option. In weeds it is a salad shooter and will easily outrun a standard outboard of three times the horsepower.


----------

