New Aluminum Bass Rigs

[jlakemizzou]

Are the new aluminum bass boats worth it???? I'm not talking about the old john boats with a 20 horse smoke machine attached your grandpa let you borrow for cutting the pasture. I'm talking about the new "tournament Ready" rigs that Ranger has seemed to pioneer and go above and beyond designing. The new (RT188, RT178) or Triton's (X17, X18). I want to purchase a new boat To fish in local tournaments but I'll be honest I can't even begin to afford a sleek glitter finish, fiberglass river rocket. The aluminum rigs seem to be a great starter boat especially when customized to my liking. I'm already aware of the differences in ride quality, speed, wind drift etc with fiberglass vs aluminum. I'm from central MO and I'll be fishing on waters like Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Reservoir, Table Rock, Bull Shoals...all the Bass factories in MO you can think up. Will these new Aluminum rigs handle these waters? All opinions welcome. Help me clear the mud ya'll.

[Fishes in trees]

The short answer to your question is yeah, for the most part.  Lake of the Ozarks, will all the big cruisers and what not on it, can get weird, with big wakes coming unpredictably from any direction.  Any of these lakes, when they are white capping, can be a boat driving challenge - not impossible, but a challenge and you are going to get wet.

[c21chris]

I just bought a new Crestliner VT17 and like it a lot but I don't fish on very big waters.

[jlakemizzou]

Fishes in trees - thanks buddy. Yeah I can imagine an aluminum rig around those big cruisers can be sketchy. I also think as long as you don't fish on the weekend during the busy season it would be like fishing on just a really big calm lake.

Chris- how do you like it? What lakes do you Normally fish on (what state) 17-18 ft is probably the absolute smallest I'd go size wise on the lakes I fish. Just as a warm and fuzzies for ride quality.

Thanks gentlemen for you opinions. You're helping a fellow basshead making a decision

[slonezp]

Sent you a PM

[jlakemizzou]

Got it. Thanks hoss. I'll be posting on there as well

[Nice_Bass]

I fish lake of the Ozarks all the time in my tracker 175.  it is not nearly the boat that some of the newer ones are, however it handles the big water just as good if not better than some of the fiberglass rigs (albeit 15mph slower).  I actually prefer it moving in and out of docks.  Mostly fish glaize to bagnall and everything inbetween.

[J Francho]

Ranger pioneered them? News to me. I own an Xpress, and I've got quite a few tournament kills in it. I also run a 22' Bullet, as well as a couple fishing kayaks. It all depends on the water.

[Catt]

I have several friends who run Xpress Hyper-Lift Series on Toledo Bend & Rayburn. The beam width on their 18-19-20-21-22 ft boat is 95",that's as big as any fiberglass boat on the market & bigger that most aluminum boats. Approx weight is 1,187-1,580 lbs so the wind aint gonna blow you around. Max horse power is 150-250 which is in-line with most fiberglass rigs.

[J Francho]

They're pretty quick, too. My 18' goes north of 50 mph with a 115. Ask clayton86, lol.

https://youtu.be/_onBOBMagwQ

[jlakemizzou]

Nice_bass- Awesome! I actually won't be fishing that low on LOZ. I'm the grand glaize and up. A TON calmer water.

J_francho- I'm sure ranger didn't pioneer them but looking at a quality control perspective it seems they are the driving force behind top quality from what I've researched. I mean...it is ranger lol.

[J Francho]

I reserve comment. They're nice, slow, and retain resale value.

[EmersonFish]

I live in Mid-Missouri, although my boat lives down at Table Rock. Anyway, my boat is a Tracker Pro Team 185. It gets a good deal of work in at Table Rock and Lake of the Ozarks. If I was in the market now and could afford one of those new aluminum rigs you were mentioning, I would buy a beautiful, well taken care of, used, GLASS boat every time. I usually stick up for the old aluminum boat, and they have their place, but to me, if you are willing throw down over $20,000.00, and you are going to be out on LOZ very often, you'll appreciate the glass rig for the very reasons you alluded to in your post.

 

But that's just me. Those aluminum boats are capable of anything you are looking to do in Missouri, and I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever you get if you invest that much money in it.

[jlakemizzou]

Emersonfish- I've thought a lot about used believe me. But buying a used "beautiful" glass boat that has been well taken care of, is just plain hard to fine. Especially in the 20-25g range. if you know where to start looking then please let me know.

Thanks for your advice.

[EmersonFish]

Emersonfish- I've thought a lot about used believe me. But buying a used "beautiful" glass boat that has been well taken care of, is just plain hard to fine. Especially in the 20-25g range. if you know where to start looking then please let me know.

Thanks for your advice.

I get it man. I was in the same position as you and went with a brand new aluminum boat. It was significantly less money back then, but still the same dilemma. I decided it was more convenient, and safer, to buy new, rather than potentially buy someone else's problems. But I'm saying now, I'd definitely do it different. It may be that I am older and ready for something a little more comfortable and easy on my bones, like the old guy that sells his 5 speed and buys a Grand Marquis. Having said that, my aluminum boat has served me well.

 

I've been shopping around quite a bit, but my budget is nowhere near the 20-25 range. I see Skeeters and Tritons in the 05'-08' range w/ 200-250hp Mercs on them in the low to mid twenties. Really nice boats, but you're right, they are not sitting on every corner.

 

I did see an 06' Gambler 2200 with an 05' 300X Merc on it for $27,000.00 on another board. Completely impractical, and I'm sure I would kill myself with it, but I drooled a little bit none the less. I will have one of those before I die.

[yugrac]

I have a G3 1860 vbw with a 85 hp merc.  It will run 40mph trimmed out, and is goes across rough water like silk.  I bought just a bare boat and built all the floor. console and storage my self. PM me your email address and I will show you pics of what I did. I was at Whitewater Memorial fishing late one afternoon last year, quit about dark, was loading my boat at the same time two older guys were loading there Z9 nitro bass boat, looked like new. all they could do was keep telling what a nice boat I had, I get compliments on it all the time, I had a conservation officer checking it out one day at Brookville In. said it was one of the nicest boats he had ever seen. Nothing wrong with aluminum boats, you may not get on the lifestyles of the rich and famous with it, but the fish dont know what kind of boat you have.

[Catt]

A Tracker aint an Xpress & LOZ aint Toldeo Bend

[slonezp]

A Tracker aint an Xpress & LOZ aint Toldeo Bend

Lund and the Great Lakes trumps them all

[Catt]

Lund and the Great Lakes trumps them all

I don't think so!

Y'all don't have to deal with boat lanes

[J Francho]

I've been to Santee Cooper. Marked boat lanes would be nice in some places, lol.

[Nice_Bass]

A Tracker aint an Xpress & LOZ aint Toldeo Bend

He is not fishing the Bend! 

And great lakes wins... 

Largest lakes in the US- North

largest manmade lakes in US- North

Tracker or Xpress- Xpress!

[retiredbosn]

Emersonfish- I've thought a lot about used believe me. But buying a used "beautiful" glass boat that has been well taken care of, is just plain hard to fine. Especially in the 20-25g range. if you know where to start looking then please let me know.

Thanks for your advice.

Just bought a 20+ footer with an Optimax 225, 250 hours when purchased 8 years old looks new, cost 21k with a 5 year motor warranty. Found it on boat trader there are loads of barely used boats on the market. FWIW sold new north of 45k bought from the dealer who sold it new.

[retiredbosn]

I've been to Santee Cooper. Marked boat lanes would be nice in some places, lol.

Did u see the little half inch pvc pipe sticking up? Those are the unofficial lanes, God have mercy on ya if you get an inch out. That place its just plain nasty.

[Catt]

He is not fishing the Bend!

And great lakes wins...

Largest lakes in the US- North

largest manmade lakes in US- North

Tracker or Xpress- Xpress!

When y'all run the great lake how do y'all handle waves?

Do y'all run into them? With them? Quartering them?

With our boat lanes you hit them from what ever angle the boat lane leads you, there is no choice!

Get out of the boat lane you lose your lower unit or bust a hole in your hull!

[FrankW]

I fish a Xpress 17' Hyper-lift hull I bought in 2000.  I looked at all the aluminum boats in my area.  Every aluminum bass boat I looked at had one major fault if you fish lakes with a lot of wood.  They use ribs on the bottom.  A aluminum boat with ribs on the bottom will trap stumps/wood between the ribs.  My Xpress has a stepped hull and I don't trap stumps like most other aluminum boats.  My express is a very dry ride and fast with its hull design.  If someone is considering buying an aluminum bass boat look at the bottom hull design and compare it to an Xpress.  The Ranger and Tracker have nice appointments and well equipped but they don't have a good design on the hulls bottom. 

 

Frank