Why did you choose Fiberglass or Aluminum for your boat?

[J Francho]

 

Plug the numbers in for your boat into the prop slip calculator at the Go Fast site.  Then play around with the pitch and see what changes.

[Troy85]

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

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

Wow.  I'm running a SS 19P 3 blade, PowerTech PRT3(Which is powertechs highest rake prop), with a 6" jackplate and  I can only turn 56-57k WOT with a partner.  I can't imagine turning a 24P.  

[J Francho]

1 minute ago, PECo said:

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 boats. There’s a big difference between the two.

Even Ranger has a different hull for their big water 522 bass boat.  It's really more of a deep-v.  Also, do an apples to apples comparison.  Don't pick a boat out of Ranger's budget line up, look at a premium aluminum, and compare that to the Comanche.

Just now, Troy1985s said:

Wow.  I'm running a SS 19P 3 blade, PowerTech PRT3(Which is powertechs highest rake prop), with a 6" jackplate and  I can only turn 56-57k WOT with a partner.  I can't imagine turning a 24P.  

It could have been a 22P.  I'm not sure.  I've run a 30P on my Bullet.  It took forever to plane.  A 27P four blade Trophy Plus was what I settled on.  Fast planing, but top speed of *only* a little over 70.

[WRB]

For me aluminum boat with small motor was better suited for small lakes with no launching ramp or maybe a dirt road or whenever I wanted to make contact with the shoreline like pulling the boat up on it.

My fiberglass bass boats are designed specifically for speed and storage. Speed is relative to the hull design, hp and weight. Fast boat plane on a small pad surface and design is unlimited with a molded fiberglass hull, limited with a welded aliminum hull.

Today there are some fast aluminum bass boats that were not time available several years ago, so the dividing line is less clear.

70+ mph is a fast bass boat and most tournament fiberglass bass boats 19' to 21' with 200+hp can run fast, very few aluminum boat ps can.

Tom

PS, my 18'6" Skeeter w/200+hp ran over 80 mph, 3 blade SST 27P @ 7000 rpm, that is fast but not the fastest bass boat on the lake.

[Further North]

56 minutes ago, PECo said:

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.

Mmmmm...wrong.  I'm on record all over the place that people should get what pleases them.

 

...and we still don't know how hull material creates "superior storage".

49 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.  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.

Nailed it, IMO.

44 minutes ago, PECo said:

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.

Thanks, that's a start...now let's talk about price points: Are they comparable? 

Size wise, are they roughly the same?

 

Like @J Francho said, we can't compare a Tracker to a Ranger, not that I think you're doing that...but it can look that way if we don't ask questions to figure out where we're at here.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, PECo said:

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.

4 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.

 

Guess you've never ran an Xpress Hyper-Lift ?

 

That's what @J Francho is talking about

[PECo]

30 minutes ago, Catt said:

Guess you've never ran an Xpress Hyper-Lift ?

I’d love to, but we don’t have any Xpress dealers up here in the northeast. My previous boat was a deep-vee Xpress DVX 175 demo that ended up in New York, though. It was built like a tank.

 

I know that your Hyper-Lift planes and goes fast, but how does it handle heavy chop at 30 to 45 mph?

47 minutes ago, Further North said:

 

...and we still don't know how hull material creates "superior storage".

I never said it “creates” anything. Like I said, go to your Ranger dealer and compare the storage between its fiberglass and aluminum boats. That’s what’s in the marketplace.

 

I’m hoping that Vexus has managed to get the storage part of an aluminum bass boat right, but haven’t seen one, yet.

[J Francho]

8 minutes ago, PECo said:

I know that your Hyper-Lift planes and goes fast, but how does it handle heavy chop at 30 to 45 mph?

Erie, 18-24" white caps.  The really looooong waves, too.  Just fine planing around 32.  Hot foot is an absolute necessity, as is the ability to drive.  It's not a "stab 'em and steer" deal.

 

[Further North]

20 minutes ago, PECo said:

...go to your Ranger dealer and compare the storage between its fiberglass and aluminum boats. That’s what’s in the marketplace.

Ive done that.  A comparably sized and priced and outfitted Ranger has no real storage advantage over a Lund Pro-V Bass or Crestliner Bass Hawk.

 

The reason I'm trying to understand what you're getting at...and I'm not doing a good job...is because one of the reasons I bought the boat I have is storage.

 

A buddy has a glass boat that is almost identical is size and price to mine.  It's one of the quality brands and I love the boat and it woks great...no qualifiers.

 

My boat has more storage.  Not a lot, not even enough to quibble over, but a little...so that's why I'm trying to get a handle on what you're getting at.

28 minutes ago, PECo said:

I’m hoping that Vexus has managed to get the storage part of an aluminum bass boat right, but haven’t seen one, yet.

I'm with you on the Vexus.  Watching with great interest.

[PECo]

I took a look at the Lund Pro-V Bass 1875 online. You win regarding the storage on it. You have to admit, though, that’s hardly typical of an aluminum bass boat. But times are a changing, thankfully.

[Further North]

15 minutes ago, PECo said:

I took a look at the Lund Pro-V Bass 1875 online. You win regarding the storage on it. You have to admit, though, that’s hardly typical of an aluminum bass boat. But times are a changing, thankfully.

I wasn't trying to win, I was trying to see if there was something I needed to learn.

 

You're right about things changing, but I'm not sure they're changing as much as people think...My CMV is 13 years old and is very close to the Pro-V Bass in layout and storage, and how it rides. 

 

It's not a typical aluminum bass boat, but I think that there have been boats like it (Xpress comes to mind) around for a while and a lot of folks get distracted by the less expensive, smaller tin boats out there and tend to write off the entire segment based on incomplete info.

 

That's why I feel the apples to apples comparison is important.

[J Francho]

Did someone say storage?

 

http://gatortraxboats.com/fleet/strike-series/

 

 

[TOXIC]

There's a big difference between tin boats that are modeled after bassboats, tin rigs that are either flat bottom or small modified "V" hulls (normally up to but not more than 90hp) and tin rigs designed for big rough water with 300's, kicker motors, etc.   That's where the apples to apples gets tough.  I will tell you this, I went out on Lake Michigan with a PWT touring pro in a Ranger 621 on a "rough" day (I would estimate 3 - 3 1/2 footers) and that guy just about beat me to death!!  I had actual blisters on my back from rubbing up and down on the seats in that "Big Water" rig.  My point being....a good driver can make pretty much any hull perform smooth and a bad driver can beat you up on a battleship!!   

 

I got a 21 foot glass hull because I run big water and the big Deep V tin (or Glass) isn't practical for the type of fishing I do.  

[Catt]

8 hours ago, TOXIC said:

There's a big difference between tin boats that are modeled after bassboats, tin rigs that are either flat bottom or small modified "V" hulls (normally up to but not more than 90hp)

 

Xpress's Hyperlift hull is a full pad hull just like any fiberglass!

 

Horse power ratings 

18' 150 hp

19' 200 hp

20' 200 hp

21' 250 hp

 

Ranger, Nitro, War Eagle, Alweld, G3, & all others a nothing more than big John Boats.

[Boomstick]

12 hours ago, PECo said:

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.

I've been shopping aluminum boats and I will say Ranger does offer more storage than most other aluminum boats, but the 17 foot Lund Renegade offers better storage than the RT188. Certainly good enough for me, but on fiberglass boats some of the storage compartments are basically the entire deck.

 

Xpress does offer a very similar amount of storage to most fiberglass boats though.

 

I am shopping aluminum because the lakes I will fish regularly are between 480 and 920 acres and aluminum is very good in shallow water as well. I might hit some larger lakes occasionally, but that's the exception and not the norm.

[sully420]

I went with aluminum because its more forgiving for an new boat owner line me and i went with a modified V hull because i can fish any water and feel safe and have a great ride. There's alot of things i like about bass boats and fiberglass bass boats in general. Ant a nitro z 18 will be my next boat, but im glad i started with an v hull aluminum boat.

Or @A-Jay's boat that thing is awesome. I might go that route.

[TOXIC]

12 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Xpress's Hyperlift hull is a full pad hull just like any fiberglass!

 

Horse power ratings 

18' 150 hp

19' 200 hp

20' 200 hp

21' 250 hp

 

Ranger, Nitro, War Eagle, Alweld, G3, & all others a nothing more than big John Boats.

Agreed, the Express, Falcon and a few others have taken the Bass boat mold and made them tin.  That's what I was referring to.  

[PECo]

14 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

the Express, Falcon and a few others have taken the Bass boat mold and made them tin.

Not quite, at least not yet.

 

I don’t spend most of my time running balls out or even just on plane. I think the more aggressive hull designs that are available on glass boats work better at slower speeds than the flat plane designs you see on tin boats.

 

I was hoping Vexus would break that mold, but don’t think it has, based on the photos I’ve seen. It’ll be nice when you’ll be able to get a tin boat with a hull like Nitro’s NVT, which is all sharp angles and parabolic curves. That thing slices through chop.

 

[Further North]

On 6/20/2018 at 9:31 PM, Boomstick said:

I am shopping aluminum because the lakes I will fish regularly are between 480 and 920 acres and aluminum is very good in shallow water as well. I might hit some larger lakes occasionally, but that's the exception and not the norm.

I run my CMV on lakes as small as a couple hundred and as big as 1,074,560 (I did that for fun, I mean Lake of the Woods in Canada.)

 

It handles them all just fine as long as I don't make stupid choices about what weather to go out in.

 

Would I run it in the main basin of one of the Great Lakes?  Not a chance...but I wouldn't do that in any other bass boat style hull either...it's beyond what I'm comfortable with...and that's what they make Deep V boats for.

[RenegadeBassin]

On 6/18/2018 at 9:50 PM, BigAngus752 said:

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

60 mph??? I've never heard of an RT188 with a 115 getting over 50. Not discrediting you, just curious what kind of setup you're running!

[BigAngus752]

2 hours ago, RenegadeBassin said:

60 mph??? I've never heard of an RT188 with a 115 getting over 50. Not discrediting you, just curious what kind of setup you're running!

I have no experience with boats and I was very surprised at the speed of this thing too.  I had fishing gear and my wife in the boat and got into a little race with my brother-in-law's ski boat on a perfectly smooth reservoir and I hit 55mph according to our equipment...and shocked my brother-in-law.  He confirmed our speed too (his said 54).  Maybe the previous owner put a 115 cover on a 150!  LOL!  I've hit 50+ twice in it (including that one) and had a tiny bit of throttle left but honestly I don't care to go that fast.  All our lakes are small so I'm where I want to get to within a couple minutes anyway but it's best cruising speed on smooth water seems to be about 42-44 if I fiddle with the trim.  I've had numerous other fisherman comment two things, "I didn't know Ranger made an aluminum boat" and "Wow that pops right up on plane".   

[gim]

I have an aluminum bass boat.  Its a 2015 Ranger RT178.  I will say that it does not to very well in a good chop or rough waves because it is a modified V-hull.  Most of the time I am not out there in those conditions though, and I don't plan to be.  I make about 4-5 trips a season to a large lake (Mille Lacs) and I am limited to fishing a certain portion of the lake simply because I can't get up and haul ass 18 miles across the lake at 70 mph.  But for 90% of the fishing I do throughout the season on small and mid size lakes, my boat does what I need it to.  The reason I bought aluminum over fiberglass was primarily because of the weight and the storage length.  At the time, I didn't have a very large towing vehicle and my garage is limited in size.  I'd love to have a 20 foot fiberglass boat with a 200 hp outboard but the cost and size prohibit it at this point.  Aluminum boats have made some very good advancements in performance the past decade.  Traditionally, fiberglass boats were for high performance but I think there are some really nice aluminum boats out there that can compete with glass ones now.  Most professional bass anglers are still using a fiberglass boat, however.

[Boomstick]

20 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

Maybe the previous owner put a 115 cover on a 150!  LOL!  I've hit 50+ twice in it (including that one) and had a tiny bit of throttle left but honestly I don't care to go that fast.  All our lakes are small so I'm where I want to get to within a couple minutes anyway but it's best cruising speed on smooth water seems to be about 42-44 if I fiddle with the trim.  I've had numerous other fisherman comment two things, "I didn't know Ranger made an aluminum boat" and "Wow that pops right up on plane".   

Is it the Evinrude motor by chance? I hear those have more power than rated. However, I've seen it tested with a Mercury 115hp and the top speed is consistently around 43 or 44mph

[BigAngus752]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

Is it the Evinrude motor by chance? I hear those have more power than rated. However, I've seen it tested with a Mercury 115hp and the top speed is consistently around 43 or 44mph

Nope, it's a Mercury.  But I must tell you this...I could have something set up wrong or not working properly.  I'm a total boat newbie.  It has told me over 50mph twice but I changed nothing from what the guy before me had set up so if he screwed it up then it's still screwed up.  Or maybe I just got an especially good RT188.  I know it has an expensive custom prop on it.  Honestly, I'm so happy when I get in and out of the water without damaging something or drowning I call it good.  Really, really love being out on the water with it though.  The "new boater" stress is getting less and less and being out in it is getting more relaxing.  

[iabass8]

44 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

Nope, it's a Mercury.  But I must tell you this...I could have something set up wrong or not working properly.  I'm a total boat newbie.  It has told me over 50mph twice but I changed nothing from what the guy before me had set up so if he screwed it up then it's still screwed up.  Or maybe I just got an especially good RT188.  I know it has an expensive custom prop on it.  Honestly, I'm so happy when I get in and out of the water without damaging something or drowning I call it good.  Really, really love being out on the water with it though.  The "new boater" stress is getting less and less and being out in it is getting more relaxing.  

Are you looking at your speed on the boat speedometer or from a unit? The boat speedometer is never accurate and should never, ever be given any second thought. It's the most unreliable gauge on a boat and is almost never accurate. Always use GPS.

 

The RT188 /w 115 is a 50MPH boat...tops. There's been reports of people removing the trim tabs to get 52-54 but there is a less than zero chance a rt188 /w a 115 is hitting 60mph on an accurate GPS unless you're going over a cliff.  You show me a video of you hitting 60MPH on a GPS in a rt188 /w a 115 i'll paypal you 40$. 

 

I have 17' 188 /w a 115.