Well I'm looking at new boats sold my gd boat and sd it's was great but not what I need I'm considering an excel boat about 17ft with a boss 44 I mainly hunt the river and lakes so trees and stumps come into play but occasionally I hunt the marsh and in setx the marsh may be too soft for that tank I want to buy .. but I feel like it will be better for my cat fishing and crappie fishing and trot line runnin I value all of your opinions

I'm familiar with the area you're running and I'd go with a 3/16 boat. The Excel is heavy. And while some people equate heavy with tough, I don't think their substance is in the right places. I can't speak on the Boss since I have absolutely no experience with them. Only seen a handful in person. I'm sure the motor will do what you want but consider a different hull IMO.

They make a .100 or .125 .. my go devil was .125 and it was a 18x44 heavy boat as well

I looked at the weight different the excel I want 1751 weighs 130 lbs more than my gd boat

130lbs with a bunch more nooks, crannys, boxes and "stuff" that tells me that's where their weight is. Not in good bracing, and structural rigidity. Have you seen the video of ol Freddy King running an Excel into a tree and beating the front end back out with a sledge? I don't think you'd be doing that in some other hulls. You might bend the front of it but you're probably not going to bust it open like a spam can like he did.

Not to mention, they're awful proud of them.... I'm not saying they're complete junk, I just personally think there are other better options out there. A .190" (3/16) bottom would be on my list if I spent a bunch of time in that particular river bottom.

Well I seen that video not sure I'd be hammer down in our kind of timber at all lol my gd boat did good at .120 and wouldn't .190 be heavier than the excel .. I read that havoc boats are tin cans that look great but ain't too good . Man so many options out there I just don't want to be limited to just a marsh boat I like the excEl style of a river boat I like the live well option .. choices choices

Would you rather 100lb of extra boxes and panels and extra stuff? or would you rather 100 extra pounds of structure to make the boat perform and last like it should.... That's really the question.

Consider a custom build as well. There are a bunch around for sure. I shopped for the better part of a year before I decided on my GDSD motor and GDSD hull. Live wells etc are over rated IMO, just bring an extra cooler

If not 3/16 a builder like prodigy or gator trax(just to mention a couple)will add more stringers to a .125 hull, closer together, to prevent warping and hooking. Prodigy could do a 3/16 bottom, not the whole hull to save some weight. Lots of options out there better than excel IMO

Ok well I'll keep looking then dang back to the drawing board lol

Here is 2"x4" longitudinal beams I'm sure they are stronger than prodigy

Looks like hat channel to me. Definitely not stronger than a solid rectangular tube. This debate has been made back and forth on this site since people started using it.

You sound awful convinced you want an excel.

Stick telephone pole in the water about 12 inches showing above the waterline and run each boat into it at full throttle. See which one leaks. I feel that's the only way to settle this debate

It's simple. get a mud motor. shoot ducks in the face.

So a .125 excel and .125 godevil crash into a tree the excel will explode and I will die got it sounds like I need that boat for sure now I am done with gd good boat if you don't fish the river you need reverse to run trot lines with a current I guess I'll just buy one and drive it out to the mud run and hit a pole and blow up lmao

Not trying to sell you on a GD either.... You've had one and didn't like it and that's fine. Different people have different needs from a boat. I understand wanting reverse for running lines etc. it makes it an easy process. I've just gotten a system down where I don't need reverse where I run lines and it does just as well.... I'm not saying you need to go run out and purchase any particular boat or motor, only that there are other better options available to you than what you have mentioned.

Let us know what you end up with. Good luck with it.

I'm looking around man preciate the honesty though I will definitely consider it o just have seen all kind of aluminum boats run the river, lakes hard to believe that them ol riveted Jon boats are that tough

Excel is a two piece hull, and in no way stronger than what a custom builder can make you.

If you run stumps get a 3/16 bottom. Excel will not hold up in stumps....period.


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Buy three Alumacrafts for the same money, and switch out motor when boat won't work any more. Always have a spare on hand. Got 6 years on mine and it is a riveted one. Still no hooks or dents.

Those boats will last about 1 season when the water is low where I hunt.

And by buying a boat that will hold up you don't have to re rig a new boat every year.


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Here u go op
viewtopic.php?t=65223


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Heres my sons rig. With motor over 1100 lbs. River we hunt has lots of submerged logs and most of the time 12" of water. He sometimes has difficulty getting on plane in shallow water, and when by navigation mistake he runs it up on a sand bar it takes a small army and a 6000 lb . winch to get it off. His 18' rig is rated for 4 people, my 16' rig is rated for 5. He has more HP then me but I can plane out faster in shorter distance with a load than he can, and run the same WOT speed. My boat cost $1900 his was over $8000. I would rather rig a new boat every year and have better load carring and performance than a $23000 rig to pay for, for 6 yrs. If your going to abuse your boat in flooded timber, I wouldn't put a pile of money into it. IMO.

Well my rigs are well under 23k so I don't have to worry about financing.

I guess different areas call for different rigs.


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You can buy a lighter, stronger, better built rig for a similar price. Laid out how you want. If you want an excel by all means do what you do. Just know there are boats that will do the job better.

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NN RIVER rat, I agree with some of the others. I ran a gtrax for 6 years with a MB. Good rig and much better than the excel IMO. I have a WC Custom and it's built to last and exactly how I wanted. I highly recommend Pete. Great experience and awesome product.

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Another thought, it's mighty close to SETX in February. If I was thinking about a new rig I would be looking, talking and taking notes. There will be a large assortment down there. I'll be glad to take you for a spin. 20151219_093957.jpg

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Ok I've owned a 18x44 gd sd it performs great has nothing of what I want to fish but I do not agree with most opinions on here I really want to know why they are terrible I want to know if you've owned one or just on the mmt hater band wagon I've heard complete opposite from people who guide for a living please tell me a brand other than the prodigy .. I hear it takes a year to get a boat from them I just can't see all these people with .100 pop rivit boats running lines in the neches river where my backyard is worrying if thier boat can handle it I DON'T abuse my shit

I see alot of stuff on here you know that the new excel boat come with .125 5056 or something like that also they re did the transom and ribs just throwing that out there and the shittiest low base model gtr 25 and boat is 16000 so why would I pay 18 to 20 for open floor plan that's only made to run the mud I run the lake and river and if fiberg lass boats can run the river and pop rivet boats fish the sloughs I sure hope a .125 thick welded boat can too thanks to all

Get what you want, but collect facts. Prodigy doesn't take a year, excel aren't utter crap, and all boats can break or last, depending on where they're run, how bad they're treated, and how well they're put together. There are better options, there are worse ones, but it's your money. You asked a question, got opinions, and don't like them. Some are based on fact, some on feelings towards the company in general, but ultimately their intent is to steer you towards a rig you'll be happy with for a long time (most of them, anyway). My feeling is you should never be able to beat the front back with a sledgehammer if it's braced correctly, and it never should've bent like that to begin with. As far as a fishing boat or gentle use boat is concerned, they're probably fine. Get what you want, it's your money.

Bondo

It's simple. get a mud motor. shoot ducks in the face.

Fasco epoxies (the company who makes steel flex) sells something specifically for filling in the dents before applying the slick coating. I don't think he used bondo.