Aluminum Bass Boats

[Topwater2004]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-05 AT 07:27AM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-05 AT 07:13*AM (EST)[/font]

Matt,

Well for one thing, I tried to buy a G3 at the Indy boat show and the dealer right when we were talking about price told me he wanted a $500 deposit before he was going to give me the final price. I couldn't believe it! National Boat Mart was the dealer. Nice boat, bad dealer.

I was pricing the new Lowe Stinger 170W with a 50hp Mercury at $11,000 . This boat is 8.5 inch wider than their previous model and well rigged out...
http://www.loweboats.com/fishboats/stinger/170.html

That is one hell of a boat, just because you don't sell it does not mean a thing.

Check that boat out, and then let me know what you can put a guy into for $11,000 ?

[lov2fish]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-05 AT 08:56PM (EST)[/font][p]Being a riverat and having owned a couple different aluminum boats, your comparing apples to oranges by saying a Lowe or a Tracker is as good as a G-3. I have a Lowe now as my river boat. I have had a tracker, who hasn't when they first start fishing? And I have been in a G-3. To be quite honest, there is no comparison in quality and stability. If your going to buy an aluminum boat it is worth the trip to see Matt and buy a G-3 if your set on going aluminum, he will more than treat ya fair.


Now if you want to know if aluminum is more stable than glass? Not a chance. Fishing out of my stratos and fishing out of my lowe is like going from a Volkeswagon to an extended cab truck. If you set it up right though and use it on our local rivers, you will thank yourself a hundred times over. This is my unbiased opinion, I am not on Matt's staff nor does he pay me, but do yourself a favor if you buy an aluminum boat and give him a chance to earn your business, he will earn it.


Ray Rigby

[mattplapp]

Topwater, The original post was only about Tracker and that's all I was comparing it too. I don't know much about Lowe, except that they compete price and quality wise with Tracker. I don't know the different models because I'm not aware of a dealer who sells them that I compete with. The quality could also have changed in the past 2 years since they were purchased from Genmar by Brunswick which also owns Triton and Mercury.

Matt

[Topwater2004]

Plapp,

I looked at one at The Boat Place near Rockville. I bought my 2003 through them, but at the Indy Boat Show. They deal a lot nicer boats also than Lowe. I am well aware that Lowe is not the best boat out there, but mine hasn't sank yet and I don't have an issue with stability, I have had it on big water up North and in the ocean down in North Carolina and Pensacola Bay Florida. I wouldn't go out on a rough day, but it did just fine in good weather.

The G3 dealer (National Boat Mart) was un-realistic when they asked me to give them a $500 deposit before he would change his last offer. He also told me he didn't like customers putting him into a back and forth with another dealer at the Indy Boat show.

I thought I was doing what anyone would do, get the best boat for the money. I am satified I got a nice boat for the money I could spend. The Lowe came with a 50hp Yamaha, and the G3 only came with a 40hp. The only quality difference I could see was in the seats, the G3 had nicer seats.

The new 2006 Lowe 170W is a whole 8.5 inches wider than mine. I looked at it and really want the wider boat. It is very well equipped for a price of $11,000 . The motor is now Mercury since they bought them out. The seats are uprated also with a very high quality seat similar to the G3 level.

Is there a G3 aluminum boat out there equipped as well for $11,000 ? That is my main question. If there is another G3 dealer that shows up to the Indy Boat show, I will give them a shot. I can't recommend the National Boat Mart at all, I won't even talk to them anymore.

topwater

[muskyman87]

I think the main thing is that if you go with an aluminum boat that does have a wider beam, versus the Trackers with a much narrower beam, you'll be a happy camper if you want a great alternative to glass boats. G3 is what I'm familiar with, but I know there are a lot of other brands with them now as it seems to be the latest trend in going to wider boats that offer greater stability. Either way, no going back to a glass boat for me.

Just my two pennies!

[Moose1am]

Been riding in fishing boats since I was 8 years old. 54 years old now and have ridden in the narrow and the wide aluminum fishing boats. The wider the boat is the more stable it will be.

My friend has a Crestliner that is about 20ft long and very wide at the beam. I have been in his boat a few times and fished Patoka Lake with it. Both of us could easily stand on the front deck and fish side by side. I never noticed any stablity problems at all. Boat platform was solid as a rock.

It depends on what type of fishing you do. Do you bass fish and stand up at the front of the boat using a foot controlled trolling motor at the bow? Or do you sit down at the front of the boat and use a remote control trolling motor.

Each person has to eventually decide for themself what is best for their fishing needs.

All I really know is that wider is more stable all other things being equal.


Regards,

Moose1am

[mattplapp]

Ironically that's a brand I forgot about and we once were a dealer. Crestliner makes a good boat as well. We stopped selling them for differences in opinion with the factory not because of the quality. They traditionally produce a very good product.

Matt

[slider]

remember that crestliner built the aluminum cherokee for ranger. i have a cherokee 117 with a 70hp. it will run approx 42 mph and is stingy on gas. ran it three days on patoka and only used 10 gals of gas. fished rough water not a problem used a drift sock to slow us down.just not enough storage, rod lockers won't hold a 7 foot rod. won three club tournaments against bigger and faster boats in the cherokee. sorry ranger doesn't offer aluminum boats any longer. my first boat was a tracker deep v-17 with a 40 hp. both are good boats just depends on how you want to spend.

[GeoFisher]

Wasn't the Cherokee built by NovaCraft or Nova? Specs for 18 Nova and 18 Cherokee were EXACT.....Width, Length, capicity, fuel capacity, same storage wells, etc.....

Later......

Geo

[Guest Author]

WMAMOS
I have never owned a glass boat but purchased a Tracker 05, PT175 with 50hp. Handles the waves very well, and gives me everything I need or really could use, especially in my circumstances. That being a case of incurable Big C. Felt the overpowering need to buy my first boat and restart fishing. The physical rewards have been amazing BTW. So I might have opted for a fiberglass boat if I had a secure future. But I can say the only thing I have against the aluminum boat is the relative lack of stability when stopped or operating the trolling motor. The guy before is right - if there is a grown adult fishing in the back, his sudden moves from place to place have a noticible effect on you on the bow deck. I grant the fact that I may be a bit shakier on my feet than I once was, but I find it almost impossible to fish while standing with my right foot on the trolling motor control. So I fish sitting down most of the time. I have had a couple of close calls myself due to sudden movements in the back, or just when stopped in very windy water. Nevertheless, what you get in a Tracker for the money is very hard to beat. I just couldn't see spending so much more for the added weight/stability of a glass boat. Hope some of this helps your decision. I would not hesitate to buy another Tracker, but I would certainly buy the longest/widest model I could get in the aluminum. Good luck and God Bless.

Tracker Jon

[bbgun]

I own a 94 tracker deep V .Actually it,s a deep V pro dc. Which means it has a full windshield walk throu.I put the largest trolling motor on it and switch it to 24volt. I now have a boat that can take any wind and troll or sit under my bimini top in the rain,withits 20 foot cord.6o hp. takes me to 40 mph. rough water this boat goes slow , but can handle nice and not get wet like glass boats. My glass boat friends are envious when we fish winter because I also put a propane heater in it. Easy to tow, pulls skiers, or tubes. great seats and dry. Also tows great.And cheep on gas. I did my homework on this boat before buying.Not a better boat out there if you ask me. And believe me I,ve own a few.

[Topwater2004]

WMamos,

The 2006 Lowe Stinger 170W is 8.5 inches wider than the 2005 170W. I looked at it and it appears to be about a foot wider than mine (2003 170W). Really a nice boat and they are pulling the price down as an introductory price.

topwater