Aluminum Vs Fiberglass And A Few Other Questions

[Polarkraft05]

WIthin the next year i hope to be buying a new boat, I'll be upgrading from a 1973 16' fiberglass bass boat. 

What i want to upgrade to is a bass boat 16-18' with more storage. currently i have no storage in my boat. I would love to be able to lock my tackle and rods in my boat and not worry about the weather affecting them. my budget will be somewhere around $5000, but my goal is to buy a boat that will last the rest of my life. If i have to spend a little more to get that it will be worth it rather than buying another boat in 10 years.  

 

first question is aluminum or fiberglass? I will either be buying an older nice boat or a newer cheaper boat. Would you guys stay away from anything in particular? it will be freshwater only, and mainly smaller lakes (less than 10,000 acres) but i would like to be able to take it to table rock and lake of ozarks without being scared of getting swamped by the big waves. 

 

Is my thinking right, in that modern fiberglass boat will essentially last forever since they are made with no wood? when did they start using only fiberglass vs a wood transom? I know i have been told to check the transom on older boats because they can rot. Is there a certain year that manufacturers stopped using wood and therefore i wouldn't have to worry about the transom being rotted?

 

I dont want to buy an old fiberglass boat that has wood to rot, as my current 1973 has a weak floor in spots, and the transom is just starting to give me hints of getting weaker. I want something i can have forever without falling apart or rotting. obviously unnecesary damage such as hitting rocks or trees may happen, but i dont want a boat that will naturally rot or become brittle with time. 

 

[Polarkraft05]

Maybe you guys dont want to bite on all of the questions so i'll narrow it down a little. Does anyone know of a website that i could figure out when various boat models quit using wood in their fiberglass boats? I'm scared of buying a boat with wood floors or wood transom as I know sooner or later it is going to rot, I'd rather avoid that problem. 

[slonezp]

Here's my take. 5k isn't going to get you a boat to last the rest of your life unless you're Rhino's age. A tin boat hull can last forever. Maybe not, but there is a good chance. A 'glass hull with proper care can and will last a long time.The issue you have with 'glass hulls is getting knicks and gouges. Once you damage the gelcoat, if it is not repaired, you run the risk of waterlogging the boat. This can be very detrimental, especialy in colder climates, with a waterlogged hull freezing during the winter.

I just bought a new Lund aluminum hull that is manufactured with some wood and has a lifetime structural warranty. I'm planning on this being my last boat.Not bragging(yeah i am) but it is a Lund and the top boat in it's class.  

As far as the 'glass boats are concerned, can you get a transferrable hull warranty? If so, all the other points are moot. 

[Long Mike]

By the tone of your post it sounds like you are dead-set on buying another glass boat.  Any recommendations for aluminum would appear to be futile, so without further input from you, I'm going to rest my fingers.

[Nitrofreak]

By the tone of your post it sounds like you are dead-set on buying another glass boat.  Any recommendations for aluminum would appear to be futile, so without further input from you, I'm going to rest my fingers.

 

Ha !! took a little out of ya there did it LOL !!

 

For me I would have to agree with Sloan,  If you are really thinking this will be your life time boat, save your money and wait to get one like Sloans,  The Lund boat is one of the best on the market right now and provides you with all of the features you described you would like to have,  take a strong look at them and I think you will be pleasantly suprised.

 

It makes no difference how much money you spend,  but it makes a huge difference as to what you spend it on.

[Fishing Rhino]

Here's my take. 5k isn't going to get you a boat to last the rest of your life unless you're Rhino's age. A tin boat hull can last forever. Maybe not, but there is a good chance. A 'glass hull with proper care can and will last a long time.The issue you have with 'glass hulls is getting knicks and gouges. Once you damage the gelcoat, if it is not repaired, you run the risk of waterlogging the boat. This can be very detrimental, especialy in colder climates, with a waterlogged hull freezing during the winter.

I just bought a new Lund aluminum hull that is manufactured with some wood and has a lifetime structural warranty. I'm planning on this being my last boat.Not bragging(yeah i am) but it is a Lund and the top boat in it's class.  

As far as the 'glass boats are concerned, can you get a transferrable hull warranty? If so, all the other points are moot. 

 

Careful young whippersnapper, or maybe grasshopper.   I may outlast you.

 

It was just three years ago I bought my first bass boat, a brandie new 2009 leftover Nitro Z-7.  Two years later I traded it for a Z-8.=, which I suspect may last my lifetime.  Then again..........................??????

 

By the way Mr. ZP, if you show up at Pickwick, your bass is grass, or something like that.

[Fishing Rhino]

Back to the topic of this thread.

 

The answer varies greatly.  It depends on what type of fishing you are going to do, and where you plan to fish.  A jon boat is heaven for some, a canoe is ideal for others.  The options are endless because we humans are so different from each other.  I wouldn't presume to tell you what is best for you, but my advice would be to look at several types and sizes of boats, and ride in as many as possible.  Then, you will have a good idea of what boat is best for you.

[3dees]

while Lund is an awesome boat, to my knowledge they are multi-species boats and not bassboats. I think it was around the late 90's that some boats were built without any wood. for your price range you will be hard pressed to find a descent glass boat. you might have better luck with a tin. Crestliners and Lowe are built without any wood while Tracker has I believe has wood floors. in any case you are limiting yourself on what you will find in that price range.

[Fishes in trees]

I can't have a glass boat.  I know how I fish, and I know how single minded I get when I am fishing.   I smack into stuff ALOT.  I run my boat up on to stumps ALOT.  In any given cove, if there is a hidden stump in it, I will find it.  If I had a glass boat,  never mind scratches, I would have punched several holes in it by now.  I got a 2002 LOWE WF 180, the older model with a 100 gauge aluminum  hull.  It sneers at stumps.  Most of the time, I can just drive right over them, occasionally I have to get on the big motor and back it off.

 

If I had a glass boat, I'd have to change my approach to fishing.  I know a few pros and semi-pros who have a fishing style similar to mine, i.e. get in close enough to gnarly cover to pitch.  They need larger, faster boats for tournaments on Truman, LOZ, Stockton, ect.  They solve this problem by getting a new boat every year.  I can't do that, wish I could.

[Nitrofreak]

I can't have a glass boat.  I know how I fish, and I know how single minded I get when I am fishing.   I smack into stuff ALOT.  I run my boat up on to stumps ALOT.  In any given cove, if there is a hidden stump in it, I will find it.  If I had a glass boat,  never mind scratches, I would have punched several holes in it by now.  I got a 2002 LOWE WF 180, the older model with a 100 gauge aluminum  hull.  It sneers at stumps.  Most of the time, I can just drive right over them, occasionally I have to get on the big motor and back it off.

 

If I had a glass boat, I'd have to change my approach to fishing.  I know a few pros and semi-pros who have a fishing style similar to mine, i.e. get in close enough to gnarly cover to pitch.  They need larger, faster boats for tournaments on Truman, LOZ, Stockton, ect.  They solve this problem by getting a new boat every year.  I can't do that, wish I could.

 

Hence,  your call name huh LMAO !!

[slonezp]

while Lund is an awesome boat, to my knowledge they are multi-species boats and not bassboats. I think it was around the late 90's that some boats were built without any wood. for your price range you will be hard pressed to find a descent glass boat. you might have better luck with a tin. Crestliners and Lowe are built without any wood while Tracker has I believe has wood floors. in any case you are limiting yourself on what you will find in that price range.

By no means was I suggesting he get a Lund. I bought the 2010 Predator which is essentialy a big water bass/musky boat. I agree about finding a decent 'glass boat for 5k. A boat in that price range is already going to be 20 years old and have little if any life left in it.

[tnriverluver]

I think with your 5K budget you will have a hard time finding many boats that don't have some wood in there construction.  Many boats built since the late 90's have no wood at all but in the glass boat catagory are in the higher end price spectrum.   A lot of aluminum boats now also have no wood in either their decks or transom but again they are of fairly recent manufacture.  Either type of boat will last you a lifetime with proper care even the ones with wood.

[BassinB]

my suggestion is get a project boat with your 5k budget and spend time over the next few years improving it. this is the best way to stretch your dollar, a little elbow grease.

[Fishes in trees]

To add to what I posted earlier, should  you decide to get an Aluminum boat, look into the Alumaducer by Vexilar.   It is a way to mount a transducer and shoot through the hull of your aluminum boat.  Prior to getting the alumaducer in 2007, I smashed 2 transom mounted transducers and half a dozen brackets, fishing in stump infested waters.  

 

On the front depth finder, transducer mounted on the trolling motor, it is a slightly different story.  Every so often I will smash one up, never the same exact situation twice.  I got a transducer shield  a couple of years ago, and while that protects the puck, it doesn't protect the cable.  It is possible to sever a depth finder wire by smacking into an underwater branch.  This I know.  Aluminum or Fiberglass, every so often you are going to smash up a trolling motor mounted transducer.  Just happens.

[xbacksideslider]

It's all compromise.  Light weight aluminum is good for fuel economy, towing fuel too, but not so good for stability when you're standing on the bow, even if you have lots of beam.  A deep V will kind of cut through rough water sortof but it's still not heavy enough to really do it.

[B@ssCrzy]

I agree with the other guys on what has been mentioned.  I have a 17 ft Grumman deep V bass boat.  It is my first boat, but I am really glad that I got aluminum and not fiberglass for the main reason that was mentioned above.  I don't have to worry about running into things.  I like the confidence of knowing I am not going to punch a hole in my boat if I hit a branch, stump, or rock.  As far as stowing your gear in your boat.  Are you parking your boat in a garage?  If you are not you may want to re-think leaving your gear in your boat anyway do to condensation.  When I first bought mine I left my rods/reels in the rod locker until I came out one morning and they were soaked from the condensation in the air.  Since then I store everything inside.  Since I don't have a fiberglass boat I can't comment as to whether it would be any better in fiberglass, but I know with my boat it just does not work.  Something to think about. 

[kjfishman]

Aluminum is the way to go. There are some good used aluminum boats out there in the 5k to 6k range. I have a 2001 Fisher Marine Marsh Hawk 165 with 50 HP Mercury, all welded hull, aluminum floors, decent storage. If you get lucky you may find  one used in your price range. I bought the boat new in 2002 and planning on it lasting a very long time and giving it to my grandson when I am done with it. Fits in the garage goes everywhere I want to go and easy on gas.

 

This boat handles rough water very well. I fish small electric only lakes, Mississippi River, Lake of the Ozarks, Mark Twain to occasional trips to Lake Superior (ok on calm days).

[200racing]

in that price range shop outboards then look at the hull its on.

 

aluminum is easy to work on so if you find a outboard in great shape on a panfisher or some other nor bass format you can easily mod it to fit your needs.

[3dees]

It's all compromise.  Light weight aluminum is good for fuel economy, towing fuel too, but not so good for stability when you're standing on the bow, even if you have lots of beam.  A deep V will kind of cut through rough water sortof but it's still not heavy enough to really do it.

I agree with this except for stabilty. I guess it depends on the boat but my Crestliner VT19 is as stabil as any glass boat I have fished from and my last two boats were 19' Stratos'. again, for your budget you may have to settle on an older boat with a narrow beam which can be a bit tippy if it's a small boat.

[Polarkraft05]

well my problem has been solved, or will be soon anyways. My soon to be Father in law, is nice enough to give me a really good deal on his Ranger. Its somewhere around a 2000 or 2002, and he has owned it for a long time, i dont think he was the original owner, but he is meticulous when buying things, and has up kept the boat very well. 

I would probably never be able to afford the boat if it werent for the good deal he is giving me. Got to love family.