Are Aluminum Boats In Tournaments Common?

[Sun Fish]

I was just curious how common aluminum boats are in tournaments more specificly in the North East. I have yet to fish a tournament yet but was just curious if boats like the Bass Tracker Pro 165's or Pro Team 175's, 190's are common boats in tournaments. I know the FLW requires minimum 18' 150hp which would almost definately be a glass boat.

[tbone1993]

I see them all the time in college fishing tournaments since we do not have the same restrictions. But it does depend by tournament. I cannot wait for the day that I buy my first bass boat.

[HookSetDon]

Actually during the Flw event on The big O, an angler that lives in my area fished out of an aluminum Lund

[J Francho]

I've fished dozens of tournaments out of my 18' Xpress. Won a few, too.

[moguy1973]

My uncle fishes a local weekly tournament out of a tracker pro 165 with a 60hp on it. Just depends on the tourney though. I think he says there's guys with tiller handle motors on Jons in his tourney.

[slonezp]

I fish tourneys in a deep v. We've also got a Crestliner, and 2 Xpress boats in our club. We also have no motor restrictions. 40hp-300hp currently running in our club

[Sun Fish]

Wow a alum Lund boater in the FLW?

It seem's that they're common in club tournaments. What about on a slightly higher level in the tournament world? I still have yet to fish a tournament but plan to start fishing as many local small tournaments as I can next season. I currently have a 16' 32 year old glass bass boat that does me fine for now. I know it will be fine for small local tourneys but if I find some success and want to go further with tournament fishing, I'm wondering what my future upgrade should be.

I live in NE Pennsylvania so my big water access is limited but I'd be willing to travel in the future. Lake Onieda, and Chesapeake Bay are within a few hours which I know are FLW stops. I live less than an hour from Beltzville Lake, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lake Hopatcong and Lake Nockamixon which I know there are several club tournaments available and maybe something bigger.

I love my boat but I'd like something with a larger front casting deck and my 32 year old outboard just being that old often leaves me feeling uneasy as far as reliability. I've been looking at the Tracker Pro Team 165 and Pro Team 175 TXW and some used glass boats in the 8-12K range. My primary recreational fishing lakes are small electric only lakes but I'd also like to start fishing the Nock more regularly which has a 20hp restriction. I want something that will be great for my recreational fishing that wont hold me back in smaller waters but also not hold me back from progressing in potential future tournament fishing. What do you guys think?

[Dave P]

We use a Pro Team 175

[slonezp]

The only thing that's going to hold you back is yourself. I win money in my tin boat regularly. I qualified and fished Guntersville this past spring to fish for 50k. There was one other deep v and a couple Xpress boats in a 190 boat field. The fish don't care. That being said, I'm in the market for a bass boat. I need more room. The kids are grown and I'm not pulling them on tubes anymore. My 2 cents, If a 17ft Tracker suits you now, then get it. You may need more boat, down the road, you may not. Life has a funny way of changing plans. I wouldn't worry about it until then.

[HookSetDon]

Heres the lund at the Big O. He placed well in the standings also!

[slonezp]

That looks like the Lund Predator which is a big water bass/musky boat

[HookSetDon]

Im not sure what model it is but its def aluminum lol

[slonezp]

http://youtu.be/8Z0CodkhhZM

[HookSetDon]

Yep, thats him at the end of the video too. Nice boat.

[tbone1993]

I always wondered by the bow section of lund boats are a lot deeper than any other bass boat or even fish and play style boats. It is something that turned me off from lunds except the predator is a lot closer to that of a bass boat. I feel like there is a lot of wasted space. I do not own a boat but it is something I take into consideration. I assume a lund with a deep V hull would be a lot better on one of the great lakes.

[bighed]

I fished out of a Triton aluminum boat for a while. Loved the boat, big deck, tons of storage, easy to tow, easy on gas. Cashed a few checks out of it. In the end I couldn't stand the way the wind pushed it around. It was very hard to hold on structure in open water with even a little wind.

[slonezp]

I always wondered by the bow section of lund boats are a lot deeper than any other bass boat or even fish and play style boats. It is something that turned me off from lunds except the predator is a lot closer to that of a bass boat. I feel like there is a lot of wasted space. I do not own a boat but it is something I take into consideration. I assume a lund with a deep V hull would be a lot better on one of the great lakes.

Lund has done most of their marketing towards big water walleye guys. Very popular boat on the Great Lakes and up north and they ain't cheap. I thnk the 2010 Predator is around 40k with a 225. The Pro V which is their flagship model is close to 50k for the tin and even more for the glass version. They keep their value. I know a guy who just sold a 28 year old Pro V rigged for Great Lakes salmon fishing for 10k

[ChrisAW]

Pretty common from what I've seen. Just one example was the last tournament I fished at a late weekday 3 hour tournament on a decent sized chain of lakes. A man showed up and entered in his 14' Deep V with a 20hp on the back, home built deck and 6 rods. A bunch of guys snickered at him.

He placed 2nd behind a guy with 17 aluminum, both of them beat the snot out of a bunch of guys with 18+ glass boats all kinds of tricked out.. Powerpoles, HDS10's.. blah blah.

Ofcoarse it doesn't always go that way, but the fish don't care what you're floating on most of the time.

[ww2farmer]

Every tournament I fish has at least one aluminum boat in it................mine (most of the time). I have cashed plenty of times with it, won a few too. There is a local team of young dudes who fish out of weatherd older aluminum v-hull spectrum that regularly cash and win, and often by embarassing margins from the rest of the field. I do get pushed around in the wind more than bigger glass boats, and am pretty slow compaired to them, but there are ways around both of those problems. I gain an extra ounce of satisfaction when I win or cash knowing that my rig is mine, and not the banks, and any $$ I made that day goes in my pocket, not the gas tank.

[Sam]

Depends on each tournament.

If the boat meets the minimum length and motor requirements it can be used in any BASS or FLW sanctioned tournament.

Before the tournament blast off check with the tournament director to confirm your boat is legal

[Bassn Blvd]

I've been fishing out of an aluminum Tracker Tournament TX19 for 6 years now. I've won a couple grand this past year out of it.

The single biggest problem I have with fishing from the aluminum boat is the WIND. The boat gets tossed around like a balloon.

Speed would be the second problem. I run 38-41 mph, which is fine for short runs. But if you have to run across Lake Okeechobee in a hurry then you need speed.

[Crappiebasser]

Steve Kennedy fished an aluminum boat in the Bassmaster Classic on the Red River.

[james 14]

Steve Kennedy fished an aluminum boat in the Bassmaster Classic on the Red River.

So did John Cox in an FLW event there last year and I believe he won it.

My partner and I fish out of his 14' Lowe Mod-V with a 25hp Yammie on the back. It's not so bad if the wind isn't kicking and we don't have to run very far, however, this year the wind has SUUUUUUUCKED and I fished yesterday on a lake where I had a 20 mile run to get to my spot. I spent over 2 hours just driving but, since I won, it kinda worked out.

BTW - what was stated earlier about FLW rules applies only to the main Walmart Tour. Everstart and BFL are as follows:

All boats must be propeller-driven, a minimum of 16 feet in length and have a rear deck (with a seat if requested). All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted. No barges or similarly cumbersome craft will be permitted.

[trueblue1970]

Every tournament I fish has at least one aluminum boat in it................mine (most of the time). I have cashed plenty of times with it, won a few too. There is a local team of young dudes who fish out of weatherd older aluminum v-hull spectrum that regularly cash and win, and often by embarassing margins from the rest of the field. I do get pushed around in the wind more than bigger glass boats, and am pretty slow compaired to them, but there are ways around both of those problems. I gain an extra ounce of satisfaction when I win or cash knowing that my rig is mine, and not the banks, and any $$ I made that day goes in my pocket, not the gas tank.

I sold my 16' bass boat and went into an older 1542 mod V jon...the jon stores in my garage so no more $$$ for storage on the other boat. I fish the same spots, catch plenty of fish and can trailer my boat with a rope Dont get around as fast anymore, went from a 70hp to a 15hp, but I zip around the lake regardless.

[Sun Fish]

So did John Cox in an FLW event there last year and I believe he won it.

My partner and I fish out of his 14' Lowe Mod-V with a 25hp Yammie on the back. It's not so bad if the wind isn't kicking and we don't have to run very far, however, this year the wind has SUUUUUUUCKED and I fished yesterday on a lake where I had a 20 mile run to get to my spot. I spent over 2 hours just driving but, since I won, it kinda worked out.

BTW - what was stated earlier about FLW rules applies only to the main Walmart Tour. Everstart and BFL are as follows:

All boats must be propeller-driven, a minimum of 16 feet in length and have a rear deck (with a seat if requested). All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted. No barges or similarly cumbersome craft will be permitted.

Thats amazing I seen the video on youtube of John Cox doing that. However that Tracker had a 75hp, I could have sworn the minimum HP for FLW was 150hp. How did he get away with that?