aluminum boat or fiberglass

[bob46]

Would like to get a newer boat I have been thinking of aluminum because of the low maintenace and figured it can bang off of things such as logs or rocks without harming it. Any advise on brand also, been thinking tracker but i do not know about plywood vs aluminum for the floor aluminum sounds like it will not rot out.

[findingem]

On windy days in aluminum boats the waves will smack against the side of the boat. Sometimes this gets pretty loud, may scare the fish.

[Splatterback]

Really depends on the type of water you fish regulary. I recently upgraded from a tracker (pro 17) to a glass boat (triton) due to stress cracks in the transom. If you fish decent size lakes you might want to consider a glass boat or may be a v-hull tracker. Not sure if other tin boats brands have this problem or not.

[Hlleonard]

Had a glass boat for 25 years and recently bought an aluminum boat......of the two I perfer the glass boat...the aluminum seems to do a bit more rockin' around when you are movin around in it.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I have an Aluminum Boat and wish EVERY time I fish that I had a Fiberglass boat. Don't get me wrong for my FIRST boat she has been a good one but if I had to do it all over again, it would be glass all the way. My buddy has a 2007 TR186 for sell by the way and it is so much more the boat than mine that it is not even funny. The waves do crash against mine which makes noise, plus from a stability standpoint both of us can move around his Triton and it barely moves versus we make sure we are not moving in the same direction at the same time in mine. From a fishability standpoint his Triton is so much better than my Tracker. Dry storage, lighted rod lockers and all the other bells and whistles that my boat does not have. If you are serious about buying a boat then buy a glass boat and if you are looking for a Triton TR186 with a 175 Yamaha HPDI area then you will not find a better boat than my buddy's boat plus you won't find one at a better price. He really wants to sell this boat. Garage kept, been on the water less than 25 days TOTAL and I bet the motor has less than 20 hours on it including the mandatory break in period. Starts the first click, lighted rod lockers, led blacklight plugs, hotfoot, Lowrance 522 GPS unit on the dash and 135 unit up front, break away tongue, trailer brakes and perfect condition. Even has an extra drivers seat for the boat if you ever need one. Great boat. This will probably be moved to the boat sales sight but if not then buy a glass boat and if you need the above Pm me. Elnut

[DJD]

Depends on what your after like stated above? If you want stable smooth rides, stable fishing platforms and more creature comforts go Fiberglass. If your looking at fishing small waters and don't mind some of the drawbacks mentioned in the other posts go Aluminum. My small aluminum works great for the creeks and small lakes plus towing it around is a breeze.

[Grumpy]

I agree with DJD 100 percent. Before I retired for good, I knew I would be fishing during the week and by myslef a lot so I wanted to upgrade from my 14" V hull w/15 HP to something I could get a little more distance and versitility with. I shopped for almost a year, looking at glass vs aluminum, etc. After comparing several brands and models, I finally decided on aluminum and got a good deal on a 17"6" G-3 175 WELDED aluminmum with a 40 HP Yamaha. For my purposes, it has been great and I have never been sorry. BTW, if its too windy, I don't go out so thats not a problem.

One piece of advice though, if you go aluminum go WITH A WELDED HULL versue rivets. I have read and heard of too many rivetted models that leak, etc after a few years of use.

Hope this helps.

Grumpy

[wishniwasfishn]

If you are looking for a good lightly used aluminum I have on for sale, check out the boat board, and if you need pictures let me know and I will send them to you. Its just like Grumpy's but it has a 60hp 4-stroke on it.

[Col Forbin]

Several have said it before - it all depends on where you want to fish. I used to have a tracker and I fished, mainly Nolin, occassional rough, green or barren trip - and it was perfect - I couldn't tell it was behind me when in tow, and for the most part it fished fine - it would rock a little, but usually fished by myself so it didn't bother me.

Then I moved to Ky lake area. The tracker was great on calm days, it did rock a little. But when there was any wind at all, a larger lake can get rough quick, and the tracker didn't really suit my needs there - So I went with a 20 foot Triton - and it was great. I could definitely tell a difference in feel and MPG when towing.

I found out babies were on the way so I went down to a smaller 17' Sprint Fiberglass -and it is great too. It is not near as stable as the triton - but far above the tracker or other alluminums.

The all have their advantages.

[greenriverman1]

Good points; I have a 2003 17' aluminum Triton with a 50 merc. The boat has no wood in it. It is about a 1000 lb. boat, motor and trailer. It towes easy. Very easy on fuel. Better than any I have had in the past. With the aluminum you don't have to worry about the rocks and logs as bad or in some places the ramps I have to pull up to or on to let the wife out of the boat.

Bad points; It has a rough ride on the main lake when all of the play boaters are out. The boat does move around more than a glass boat when folks are moveing around in the boat. But we are not moveing around much. We are out there to fish.

I fished this past spring summer and fall about three times a week out of it. I fish Barren River lake, Green River in mammoth cave park, Shantie Hollow lake and Nolin lake and Nolin River. I did make 1 trip to Cave Run last spring.

I think for myself I will stick to the aluminum but that is what I like. Your needs may be different.

DA

[bobberdown]

I have a aluminum 2004 Lowe 180W w/ 90hp Johnson. It's 18' long & I think 88" wide. About all I do is crappie fish in the fall, winter & spring & then bluegill fish some in the summer. Now all the boats I can compare to that I've owned are 2 14' jon boats w/ small motors. I fished out of the 2 jon's for a little over 30 yrs so anything other than a floating log was a step up for me but I did catch lots of fish out of Barren River Lake in those jon boats. The only other boats I've fished out of was a mid 90 model Ranger & a late 90 model Stratos & I just fished out of those a couple of times but both nice & comfortable. I do love my Lowe boat, lots of storage, 3 live wells, great on gas, easy to tow w/ my 6 cyl. Toyota pick up, but it's not as stable as the 2 glass boats I fished out of but a heck of a lot more stable than a jon boat. Now I can fish KY Lake, Barkley and don't worry much but I'm still carefull about when I go out on the main lake. Again it all depends on what you can afford & how & where your going to use it.

[PRO V LE]

I agree with DJD 100 percent. Before I retired for good, I knew I would be fishing during the week and by myslef a lot so I wanted to upgrade from my 14" V hull w/15 HP to something I could get a little more distance and versitility with. I shopped for almost a year, looking at glass vs aluminum, etc. After comparing several brands and models, I finally decided on aluminum and got a good deal on a 17"6" G-3 175 WELDED aluminmum with a 40 HP Yamaha. For my purposes, it has been great and I have never been sorry. BTW, if its too windy, I don't go out so thats not a problem.

One piece of advice though, if you go aluminum go WITH A WELDED HULL versue rivets. I have read and heard of too many rivetted models that leak, etc after a few years of use.

Hope this helps.

Grumpy

Grumpy, have you ever heard of a Lund with leaky rivets? They are used up north on some of the biggest rough water lakes around and take a real beating.