Why did you choose Fiberglass or Aluminum for your boat?

[tcbass]

If you have a Fiberglass or Aluminum boat, why did you choose that material for your boat over the other?

[Jig Man]

I have had both.  I prefer the glass if I am in big water.  It has a better ride and fishes better in the wind.  Skinny water in the upper parts of lakes I prefer the aluminum as it is lighter and handles easier.

[Tennessee Boy]

I've always been an aluminium guy.

 

Advantages

Weights less so uses less gas in the boat and in the tow vehicle.

Boat cost less

Tow vehicle can be smaller/cheaper.

I can fish around stuff that might scratch a fiberglass boat.

Trailering in general is easier with the lighter boat.

 

Disadvantages

Can be a rough ride on rough water.

Wind will blow you around more than in a heavy fiberglass boat.

If you want to go really fast (I don't) you will need to go fiberglass.

 

 

 

 

[tcbass]

4 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I've always been an aluminium guy.

 

Advantages

Weights less so uses less gas in the boat and in the tow vehicle.

Boat cost less

Tow vehicle can be smaller/cheaper.

I can fish around stuff that might scratch a fiberglass boat.

Trailering in general is easier with the lighter boat.

 

Disadvantages

Can be a rough ride on rough water.

Wind will blow you around more than in a heavy fiberglass boat.

If you want to go really fast (I don't) you will need to go fiberglass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting. 

 

How fast do you consider fast?

[Dwight Hottle]

2 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

 

Interesting. 

 

How fast do you consider fast?

Right my 20 foot alm boat runs 60-61 MPH. 

[Tennessee Boy]

6 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

 

Interesting. 

 

How fast do you consider fast? 

I have a Ranger RT188 (18 ft) with a 90HP outboard.  My boat will do 41MPH according to the GPS.  The boat is rated for 115HP and people claim to get in the low 50s MPH with the 115HP.  Larger aluminium boats can handle 150 HP so I would guess they can reach around 60 MPH.  If you want to top 60MPH you will definitely want to go fiberglass.

[J Francho]

I realize my boats are the exception, but it shows that you can't make generalizations about either material.  My aluminum (Xpress) boat was actually heavier than my glass boat (Bullet), even though the glass boat was almost 4' longer.  I actually preferred the aluminum in rougher water.  I bought both because I could.  I liked them both.

[A-Jay]

Fiberglass vs Aluminum is always a preference - both have Pro's & Cons.

For me the Pro's of the Aluminum Hull is selected out weighed the Con's.

 

BTW the weight difference between the two, depending on model & brand, is not as much as it used to be.

For instance the newest Fiberglass Ranger Z518 when compared to the Lund 1875 Pro-V Bass for dry hull weight; The Z518 is "75lb" more  - 1550 vs 1475. (boats are same length) 

 

That's not enough to magically make the Ranger boat 'handle better in the wind & rough water' - it's just not.

 

A-Jay

 

 

[J Francho]

Also, the speed thing, my Xpress with a 115 ran to around 55mph with partner and tournament load.  I've been in a friend's 19' Xpress with a 200 ran well over 65.  I've had my Bullet up to 84.  Neither boat was particularly fun to drive at those speeds.

[WCWV]

I've owned both and for me, I like my aluminum. But in my home state we really don't have any big water. But I did take my 190 out on Douglas lake in TN with my son and with 18" chop and three full grown men, we had no problems scooting along at 45 mph.

As many have already said, it a personal preference. 

[BigAngus752]

5 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

people claim to get in the low 50s MPH with the 115HP.

I have an RT188 with the Merc 115.  I regularly hit 45-50 by accident.  It's a 60mph boat in smooth water.

 

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

I bought both

 There you go @tcbass !  Your perfect answer!

 

 

I picked aluminum for three reasons:

1.  Brand new boater.  I fish lakes that have coves absolutely chock full of tree trunks sticking up in 20ft of water.  I feel less likely to punch a hole in the bottom of an aluminum boat (or drag it on the ramp, or any of the other million things I'm stupid-new enough to do.  

2.  I didn't have to buy a new truck.  It tows beautifully behind our Grand Cherokee.

3.  I could afford a one year old boat with 10hrs on it.  For the same money the fiberglass boat would have been much older.  

 

Love that Ranger aluminum!  If it just didn't blow around so much it would be perfect...

[Quarry Man]

I like aluminum because it is less expensive, less work to maintain, and i don't have to worry about beating it up al little bit. If i fished big lakes with big waves or needed to go fast i choose glass. even if i had all the mo ey in the world but could only choose one, id gp aluminum.

[Russ E]

7 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

Love that Ranger aluminum!  If it just didn't blow around so much it would be perfect...

that is why I bought fiberglass.

it is nearly always windy here in Kansas. my 2 previous boats were aluminum and I got tired of fighting the wind.

I have a Ranger Z175. I compared it with the rt 188 and with the same options the cost was real close.

The Rt 188 is a nice boat, but I wanted something that was a little less susceptible to wind.

 

I think the durability argument is overrated.

if you hit something while on plane with either, bad things will happen.

I am constantly fishing in trees.

I blew a hole in my first aluminum boat with a tree stump.

I ran my fiberglass boat over a stump and did not even scratch it.

if I fished around a lot of shallow rock, I probably would have stuck with aluminum.

[BigAngus752]

12 minutes ago, Weedwhacker said:

Kansas

Oh man!  You win the windy competition!

[Further North]

6 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I've always been an aluminium guy.

 

Advantages

Weights less so uses less gas in the boat and in the tow vehicle.

Boat cost less

Tow vehicle can be smaller/cheaper.

I can fish around stuff that might scratch a fiberglass boat.

Trailering in general is easier with the lighter boat.

Pretty much how I'd have written it.

 

6 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Disadvantages

Can be a rough ride on rough water.

Wind will blow you around more than in a heavy fiberglass boat.

If you want to go really fast (I don't) you will need to go fiberglass.

Deeper hull aluminum (Lund Pro-V Bass, Crestliner Bass Hawk, and my old Crestliner CMV) ride well, don't get blown around much and go as fast as I need to go.  My boat with a 150 Yamaha will see 60, and I'll bet the newer ones rated for 200 HP will beat that.  I don't even need/want to go that fast, I simply don't need it onthe lakes I fish and it'd just be a way to spend money on gas.

 

My biggest reason for picking my boat didn't have anything to do with what the hull is made from (because I don't think it makes any real difference at the end of the day).  I bought my boat because the layout and size are exactly what I want.

[jbmaine]

I choose aluminum because

Lighter to tow.

More comfortable ( for us ) to be in all day.

The wind does blow it around more, but we have a TM with spot lock so moot point.

[PECo]

After two aluminum boats, I went with fiberglass for the softer ride and superior storage.

[Further North]

17 minutes ago, PECo said:

After two aluminum boats, I went with fiberglass for the softer ride and superior storage.

"softer ride" compared to what?  I can think of any number of tin boats that ride like a baby's bottom on a pillow in a cotton ball factory...

 

We need to be careful to compare apples to apples here...lets compare $$$ to $$$, weight to weight, length to length, beam to beam...hull structure to hull structure...

 

Otherwise we're just flingin' stuff around...

 

...and I have no idea how "superior storage" has anything to do with what the boat is made from...help me out there, please?  I really want to understand.

[Catt]

How smooth or rough a boat rides has nothing to do with hull material

 

I think it's first driver and then a combination of all three in the proper proportion; length, width, & horse power.

 

I have a friend who has a Champion Mean 16, it's only 16' in length but it's has a 90" beam & coupled with a 115 HP Merc you feel completely safe in any water.

 

I own both & have owned both for many years, I fish out of my Alweld more because our marshes have limited hp rating.

 

I think it's more personal preference ?

[DINK WHISPERER]

Glass because they're so sparkly, duh! 

[PECo]

8 hours ago, Further North said:

help me out there, please?  I really want to understand.

No, you don’t. You want to defend your own preferences and choices when there’s no need to do so. They’re right for you and that’s terrific.

2 hours ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

Glass because they're so sparkly, duh! 

Yeap!

3 hours ago, Catt said:

How smooth or rough a boat rides has nothing to do with hull material.

Hull material doesn’t have nothing to do with how rough or smooth a hull rides. Of course, it doesn’t have everything to do with it, either.

 

In general, a thicker, heavier, more aggressively designed (e.g., all compound curves) fiberglass hull will cut though chop better than a thinner, lighter, less aggressive (e.g. all flat planes) aluminum hull.

3 hours ago, Catt said:

I think it's more personal preference ?

THIS. And choice. I wish we had more choices in aluminum bass boat designs. Vexus is a start, but I’d like to see even more aggressive aluminum hull designs that cut through chop better than those currently available.

[J Francho]

^^ You've made a lot of assumptions and generalizations in that post.  You got preference right, and preference is often driven necessity.  A deep-v made from aluminum will be a smoother ride than fiberglass pad hull boat.  I don't care what they weigh.  I've already stated an example that contradicts your statements.  My 21' 10" Bullet XDC weights less than my old 18' Xpress H18.  By a few hundred pounds.  Despite the added length, deeper vee toward the bow, the Xpress handled big water better.  When I had both, and wanted to fish Erie or Ontario, I took the Xpress.  Now, rewind back to my little 15' Sea Nymph deep-v tiller with a 50 hp on the back.  That boat could handle waters that I wouldn't dare launch either of my bass boats in.  A quick note about storage.  The storage in my Xpress was a little better laid out, though rear storage in the Bullet was unbelievable and cavernous.  If you look at storage options in some of the higher end tins, you might see that it's comparable, if not sometimes better.  Depends on what your going to do with the boat.  But, you can't simply say you like fiberglass because its a better ride.  Yeah, Ranger 522 will ride better than a Tracker 170.  That's true.  It's a not a fair comparison.

[Troy85]

On 6/18/2018 at 3:09 PM, J Francho said:

Also, the speed thing, my Xpress with a 115 ran to around 55mph with partner and tournament load.  I've been in a friend's 19' Xpress with a 200 ran well over 65.  I've had my Bullet up to 84.  Neither boat was particularly fun to drive at those speeds.

55?  I wish I could get over 50.  I've got the Xpress h18 with 115 and I can only hit about 47-48 alone and 45-46 with a partner in the boat.  Do you remember what prop you were running?  If this is getting to off topic, PM me.

[J Francho]

I can't remember exactly the prop, but it was a 3-blade, SS, maybe 24P.

[PECo]

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

^^ You've made a lot of assumptions and generalizations in that post.  You got preference right, and preference is often driven necessity.

 

You’re right. I was talking about bass boats, specifically, not about big water boats.

 

Regarding storage in bass boats, go to your local Ranger dealer and look at the storage in the fiberglass and aluminum bass boats. There’s a big difference between the two.