First I am new to the forum, I have looked at it for awhile and decided to become a member to get some help and possibly contribute when I can. Thanks for the input in advance. I am in the begging of buying a new rig for the 2014 season. I have decided on a gator tail 25GTR for the motor I know multiple people who have them and they perform great. I installed the Subaru 28 on a mud buddy frame and still did not perform as good so I am sold on it. What I need help with is the boat. Size will be 17x46 or 16x48. I have looked and ridden in a lot of the brands the three that I favor are the Instagator, WC customs or gator tail. It would be easier to just order the whole rig from Gator tail but there add ons make the boat get expensive quick. So what I would like to gain is which boat can I get with the most options that will perform well for the best price. I don't know much about the WC custom boats maybe you guys can help me. Thanks

Welcome aboard.. Willet makes an extremely nice boat. There's a fella on here with a bad ass 1744 wc with a 25 and it ran great. I'm sure he'll chime in.. Also go to google and search "mudmotortalk wc custom" should bring up a few build threads with diff layouts

Hey that guy with the 1744 is me ...

I absolutely love my boat Pete built for me .. It's built like a tank and can take the beating .. It's no speed boat like the others on here that have Stage ?

It carries my typical hunting load just fine which is 2 sometimes 3 ... Alone and light and I'm a big guy I have gotten 27

Anymore info just ask or pm

Couldn't remember if it was you or cr244.

Can't go wrong with instagator or wc. Heard good things about both, given a call for pricing on the options you want

WC builds a great boat, I spoke with Pete when I was searching for a builder and he's a great guy.

That being said, I went with Jay (Instagator) because I wanted a few more mph out of my GTR25. I'm next in line, so my build should be done in the next month or two.

ETA: The main reason I went with Jay is because I had a different idea from the usual jon boat design, and Jay followed me and was excited to build something different.

WC builds a great boat and pete is a great guy to deal with. He's also a gatortail dealer (not sure about instagator) so you could get a complete rig (boat, motor, and trailer) from him. Where are you from nowimpyducks?

I can say without a doubt, Pete at wc builds a damn fine boat....I am very happy with mine... if i were to build a new one tomorrow for my 25 it would be a 1746 with the exact same layout. Jay at instagator puts some extra mojo into his hulls. The reaction chine is the most effective chine made in my honest opinion and some of the other things he does to create lift makes them a real performer. Gatortail, too builds a good boat, but when you begin to customize the layout, they can get expensive quick..... Who would i use to build my next hull? well i would love an instagator, but not sure im down for the wait so i would most likely go back to pete. Like i said, pete builds a damn fine hull and im totally happy with my experience with him. Good luck and remember, keep it light and open and you will be very happy no matter who you decide to go with......

Thanks guys for all the advice. I will call Pete soon. I live in south east Texas( sour lake). So of course I hunt the refuges not all the time but most so I will haft to run a 9" so I want to try and get a boat that can perform with that restriction. I currently run a 15x48 weldbilt with gun box and aluminum floor, with a 18hp short shaft go-devil. It is one of a twin set great motor still looks new. So I want to go faster than 15mph with two people and gear. I would like to have a gun box, winch mount, light bar mount and poling platform if possible I know this adds weight but I like to be comfortable and organized. Thanks again guys.