18-19 ft Aluminum vs Glass Boat

[Mizzoumn]

Hi everyone,

 

I have read some threads similar to this but wanted to see if anyone had any additional feedback. Looking to upgrade from my 2003 tracker panfish (stick steer) to something bigger and more comfortable. I fish on Lake of the Ozarks, so the current boat limits my options to our large cove and some other nearby coves and points within a couple of miles. I would like to have the ability to fish more areas within a 10 mile radius of our place (outside of the hectic Saturdays where any fishing boat would get tossed around in). I already have a slip and lift, so the boat would rarely get trailered. 

 

Preferences:

18-19 ft tin with 115 4 stroke (Ranger, Tracker, Lowe or Xpress) 

 - Would all of these ride pretty similar? I have heard great things about Xpress, and would there be a noticeable difference in rougher water?

 

While I originally had my mind set on a aluminum model, I have seen some appealing Triton 179 (18.5 ft) and Nitro Z-7 with either 115-150 motors. Would there be a big advantages in the ride with one of those fiberglass models vs a Ranger RT188 or Tracker 190? I'm also pretty set on a 4-stroke, and it seems like most of those models in my price range are equipped with an optimax, but can wait and find some with a 4-stroke. 

 

Dream boat would eventually be a Lund Pro V or Crestliner Bass Hawk, but that will have to wait for a future time when the used prices become more affordable. 

 

Please let me know if you have any feedback to share!

[Bakablo1]

Following.. I have the exact same questions with the same list of options on my "future boat" list. 

 

Bump for some input from the community ?

[Junk Fisherman]

Since no one else has responded, I'll tell you what I think are the answers to these questions based on all the reading I have done about boats back when I was doing research 6-7 years ago.  This is just the consensus I have gathered from reading many, many forum threads.  

 

1)  An 18' glass bassboat will give you a much better ride than a comparable modified-V hull tin.  The glass is more forgiving and absorbs the waves better.   Plus, the heavier glass hull will sit in the water better making boat control easier.  I have heard from multiple people that the Xpress pad hulls are great in rough water.

2)  I haven't heard much about the ride of the RT188 vs the Tracker 190 vs the Lowe Stinger.  I suspect they are all comparable.  

3)  I agree the Lund ProV 1875 looks like a fantastic boat.  I wish it came out a year earlier since I probably would have bought one.  That XS model looks extremely versatile and the amount of storage is mouth-watering.  

 

Good luck with your purchase.

[E-rude dude]

I think the only reason aluminum larger hulls became more popular is price. 
I went from a 16’ deep v smoker craft to a Triton X18 mod v. The main reason was more deck space and storage.
The decks on a lot of aluminum mod v boats are much larger than most fiberglass 18’ boats and some 19’ boats.
There is a cost though. They are slower, don’t handle rough water as well, and versatility of options can be limited. 
If your not a tournament guy every weekend, enjoy fishing, want to carry a tackle store with you, and don’t want to pay as much for a new boat, it’s a good choice.

[Jig Man]

I don’t know if you can find a boat that is adequate for LOZ.  

Of the aluminum boats listed the Xpress will have the best ride.  A glass boat will give you a more stable fishing platform and a better ride than a tin boat.

 

Pros Choice is a Nitro, Triton, Ranger dealer in Warsaw.  He probably will have the best price that you will be able to find.  The new Mercury PRO XS are four strokes.  An 18 or 19 foot boat is my recommendation.  A 17 will be too small for that big old pond.

[Mizzoumn]

31 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

I don’t know if you can find a boat that is adequate for LOZ.  

Of the aluminum boats listed the Xpress will have the best ride.  A glass boat will give you a more stable fishing platform and a better ride than a tin boat.

 

Pros Choice is a Nitro, Triton, Ranger dealer in Warsaw.  He probably will have the best price that you will be able to find.  The new Mercury PRO XS are four strokes.  An 18 or 19 foot boat is my recommendation.  A 17 will be too small for that big old pond.

I have spent the last 12+ years at LOZ during the summer and there is definitely no fishing boat that can handle weekends after 11 am. I would mostly be fishing on weekdays and when I do on weekends, i either go really early, or stay in the cove. Planning to go to Pros Choice this week to check out all of the options and see the some of these models side by side. Appreciate the insight!

[Catt]

There's no comparison between a Mod-V hulls & pad hulls. To my knowledge there are 2 pad hull aluminum boats on the market, Xpress & Vexus.

 

Both Xpress & Vexus offer a stable, dry ride in rough water. That's not to say Mod-Vs are not stable in rough water, they're just ruffer riding.

 

Xpress offers two series of Hyper Lift boats. One is their Exclusive Series which offers all the bells & whistles. The second is their Hype Lift series which are plan Jane fishing machines.

 

Vexus you'll need to take out a second mortgage on the house.

 

[Jig Man]

11 hours ago, Mizzoumn said:

I have spent the last 12+ years at LOZ during the summer and there is definitely no fishing boat that can handle weekends after 11 am. I would mostly be fishing on weekdays and when I do on weekends, i either go really early, or stay in the cove. Planning to go to Pros Choice this week to check out all of the options and see the some of these models side by side. Appreciate the insight!

Unless they have changed hours, they are closed on Sunday and Monday.

[gim]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

To my knowledge there are 2 pad hull aluminum boats on the market, Xpress & Vexus

Ranger has a pad hull option now. Both their RT188P and their RT198P are pad hulls.

[Mbirdsley]

Aluminum is cheaper to get into.  Lighter to haul around but, your not going to have that problem if you have a dock and lift. With being lighter your also going to be one of the first to be blown off the lake  Also, I’d say aluminum is cheaper and easier to maintain.  Resale value will be less than a glass boat.

 

glass boats more expensive to get into.  Hold thier value better and are one of the last boats to get blown off the lake.  Won’t get knocked around as much by a wake as an aluminum boat would. I’d say glass is harder to damage but, once it’s damaged it’s a little harder to fix. 
 

Just like life everything with a boat is trade off just depends on what you need in a boat. 

[MarkG52]

Love my Vexus AVX1880 and my fishing partner would rather go in my boat than his Ranger Z175.

[Bassattackr]

I used to have a Phoenix 819 and it did pretty well at LOZ.  Granted, I didn't go out on summer weekends but we had BFLs in May and early September when PLENTY of big boats were out.   It was a great 19' boat, ran and felt much bigger than it was (everyone says that right?), and did really well for some situations I was in.   I even ran 5 footers on table rock in 50+ mph winds and it did surprisingly well (Only submarined twice if I recall??).  42 deg WT..  Don't plan to do that again.

 

I'd highly recommend it, Boat-Wrx in Springfield actually has one for sale that was won by another angler in a tournament.  200 HP 4 stroke, they're in the high $40s if you can swing that.   Otherwise, I would still recommend a smaller glass 19' if you can find one, new or used.

[NYBasser]

+1 on the Phoenix 19fters if you can afford one. I currently run a Phoenix 920 Elite and the thing is a beast in rough water, but I came out of a Tracker PT 185 and that thing ran pretty well too. I fished Ozarks out of the tracker and while it definitely wasn't fun hitting some of those bigger waves, it was certainly doable. 

[Mizzoumn]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I looked at some boats this week and was very impressed with the Crestliner 189. Went to the dealership expecting to like the Lund Renegade more, but the Crestliner caught my eye. Anyone have any experience with this boat?

 

Also for budget reasons, the fiberglass rig will have to wait for a future time.  Will also potentially bring this boat up to Canada, so the aluminum with have it's advantages there. 

[Junk Fisherman]

On 3/23/2021 at 9:00 PM, Mizzoumn said:

Thank you everyone for your responses. I looked at some boats this week and was very impressed with the Crestliner 189. Went to the dealership expecting to like the Lund Renegade more, but the Crestliner caught my eye. Anyone have any experience with this boat?

 

Also for budget reasons, the fiberglass rig will have to wait for a future time.  Will also potentially bring this boat up to Canada, so the aluminum with have it's advantages there. 

 

For a long time I thought I was going to get a Crestliner Fish Hawk so I did a lot of reading about them.  Crestliner has a good reputation and their owners are very satisfied.  They are not in the same tier of boats as a Lund but they are right there in that next tier along with Alumacrafts and G3 while higher in quality and craftsmanship than Tracker.  I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Crestliner.  

[gim]

My Father has had a Crestliner fish hawk 175 tiller for 19 years now. It’s used as a multi species outfit. He also takes it to Canada every June for a week. It has a 75 4-stroke Yamaha outboard and a power drive bow mount.

 

I have done a lot of fishing out of this rig for multiple species. While it’s not a bass boat, it is reliable. The only issue that has surfaced is the original carpet is starting to come apart in a couple spots.

 

I think Cresliner and Lund are both made by Brunswick now at the same factory. Cresliners are welded and Lunds are riveted.

[E-rude dude]

I see Crestliners everywhere up here. Guys love them. 
Lunds are nice boats but far from “the perfect boat”. They have their quality issues just like every other boat company.

[Mizzoumn]

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts. I ordered a Crestliner XF 189 with at 115 pro XS! Now I just have to be patient and wait 7 weeks for it to arrive! I was amazed to see the minimal inventory among almost all dealers I talked to. 

[BobP]

I bought a Vexus AVX 1880 a year ago and like it a lot.  It’s about 19 ft long, has a pad bottom and a 115 hp 4 stroke Merc that pushes it to 50 mph lightly loaded.  Vexus is a company started by Forrest Wood of Ranger fame after he sold a Ranger a few years ago.  I bought the Vexus aluminum boat because I wanted a boat that was easier to push around in my driveway and easier to tow.  I can’t say it rides easier in rough water than my previous 19 ft fiberglass boat with a 150 hp Merc 2 stroke but its not bad at all and I appreciate the fuel economy of the 4 stroke Merc.