I'm going to get a new boat to put with my stock 35GTR... the problem is I can't figure out which one to get. Hopefully you can help and make a recommendation. Here are my needs/desires.

• 17 or 18 ft. Prefer 18 ft
• 54 inches wide
• 20” transom
• Minimum 24” sides. 26-28" preferred.
• Modified “v” front to cut the rough water and waves.
• Flat bottom (no ribs/runners)
• Tapered chine
• Floatation in the floor and sides
• 24 inch front platform (or none at all). The shorter the better.
• Full floor
• .100 aluminum
• All welded
• No benches
• Level across the gunnels from bow to stern

As open of floor plan as possible (very important!!!). I routinely break up to 3 inches of ice with the boat. It is not uncommon for me to run very rough water with 2-3 foot swells. I want the boat to be a light as it can be (no extras as they weigh too much). I haul a lot of stuff and a ton of weight. I hate boats with a front deck platform, as it just takes up usable space. It will have a soft sided PopUp blind on it during the hunting season. I do not run stumps or veggies, just shallow water with sand and some catails. I really like the bow deck style of the Beavertail boats, and the transom type of the new Excel F4.

Any ideas? My guess is that I'm stuck with having a boat built for me.

Having a boat built for you would be the best way to get exactly what you want but i dont know if any builders will build you a mod-v hull. From your description you pretty much described an excel but they dont offer many custom options. I believe that bevertail are flat bottom boats, not actually a mod-v, but i may be wrong.

Call the guys at Gator-Tail that's pretty much my boat you described minus the V

I have flotation in my hunt deck & 2 rear pods which I sit on...Also flotation in the bow. I fish West Bay and 2-3' waves are not uncommon she handles the waves great at 60... I can put 2 people on my bow so if your thinking about poling or fishing from your boat look into an 1860 I love mine.

Thanks.

It does sound like an Excel... but the platform up front takes up too much room. I have been planning on getting the F4 but I'm rethinking it now because of the front platform size.

The front platform is just wasted space for me as I won't be poling or anything like that and is why the Beavertail boats without platforms are attractive to me.

If you take a look at mine everything is removable in under 30 seconds... My large ice chest (120Q Yetti) doubles as my casting platform / gigging platform during the summer & fall months

WestEndAngler,

Can you remove the platform up on the bow?

I would consider going heavier than .100 thick, especially if you breakin ice with it.

I hear what you're saying about the ice... something to consider for sure.

WEA_

I'm talking about the platform up on the bow area or your boat where the trolling motor is located. It looks like your is about 3-4ft from the tip of the bow back. Can that be removed?

If you ever get that sucker stuck, its gunna be stuck like you aint seen latley!

A mod-v will also hurt your shallow water performance.

What do you mean about getting it stuck?

I can live with a little less shallow water performance. As long as I can run in 12-15 inches of water, I'll be happy.

he says "some cattails"

Sounds like he needs a 60 outboard, a jackplate, and some balls.

A stock 35 will be a turd with heavy loads like you are sayin, you would need mods or duals.

A jet doesn't work... been there, it was a $5000 mistake. Way too much sand.

A longtail didn't work for me either as a 5+ mile ride was slow and a pain to drive.

Outboards work, but I'm limited to where I can go. I agree, an outboard sounds best but I've done that twice and and it gets too shallow even with a jackplate. With the outboard I have to worry about hitting something. That was an expensive mistake too.

I use a surface drive mud motor so that I can run when it gets shallow. It goes from deep water to a few inches where I run. I've been using a 35GTR on a 1754 Excel with 24" sides since 2007 and it always gets me where I'm going with no worries. I don't have to worry about hitting something and ruining my lower unit. I've been happy with the combination of attributes I get with the mud motor.

I've just been looking for a different boat where I can have more room and haul more stuff. I'm out of room with 8 dozen duck floaters, 4 dozen goose floaters, a bag of 6 dozen goose sihlouettes, a dog, three guys, blind bags, blind, stove, heaters, etc. I went to pulling a trailer boat and it works OK, but its a pain. I agree it isn't fast with that load, but I can always get where I'm going via the shortest route.

I love my motor, I just need to get more useable space in the boat.

Call Gator-Tail and talk to dem bout an 18'x54" with out the extended front deck. They can also build one with a mod v in the bow fading to a flat bottom.

Southfork makes an excellent boat and they make them exactly what you're talking about. southforkboats.com

I'll check it out. Thank you.

Look at a G3 Just sold my 1756 wof, they have an 1860 w/ 24" sides, or 1966 w/ 28" sides, WOF wide open floorplan, under outfitter jon's on there website, may be what you are looking for. Dealer over at I-29 & hwy 2