Anyone regret going from aluminum hull to glass hull?

[Allen]

Some of the talk here makes me think back to when I drove a 16 ft beer can around on Sak with a 3.9 hp Merc. It would keep up with a person on a fast walk, and almost hit jogging speed when going with the wind. There were a few times where I got blown across Little Knife Bay and had to wait out the wind on the other shore before I could get back to the ramp. Good times!

 

[( deleted account )]

Some of the talk here makes me think back to when I drove a 16 ft beer can around on Sak with a 3.9 hp Merc. It would keep up with a person on a fast walk, and almost hit jogging speed when going with the wind. There were a few times where I got blown across Little Knife Bay and had to wait out the wind on the other shore before I could get back to the ramp. Good times!

Allen, when we moved to ND we had a 14 foot cartopper with a 6 hp outboard. You didn't keep one eye on the weather, you kept TWO eyes, actually everybody in the boat's eyes on the weather, especially wind over 3.37 KTS! ! Caught some fish though. Graduated to a 16 foot Crestliner, then a 22 foot glass WellCraft, then back to the current all purpose aluminum spam can. They all floated, but the cartopper......Hah! A friend still shoots the hell out of ducks from it!

 

[Big Iron]

I generally like my Trophy, but like has been said, it's a damn sail in the wind. The ride is night and day difference between mine and my buddies ZV18. I'll be selling mine in the spring and looking for either a Skeeter WX2060 or a ZV18. Aluminum is good for small water or rivers where you don't have the depth off the landing for a glass boat/bunk trailer imo. I have a 14' Lund I'll be keeping for those trips.

I might be in the market for a Trophy- PM me details if you're selling

 

[DirtyMike]

Had my 1650 rebel tiller on the lake but knew not to stray too far. I stretched the legs on my 617 tiller and as many of you seen, almost sunk the damn thing on a windy day. My 1880 angler is like a damn cruise ship compared to those boats. I can only imagine adding another three feet to the boat with a set of airwave pedestals would make the trip about as enjoyable as can be. I think about having to take my dads 1700 Lund Fisherman out and my back begins to hurt.

I'll run glass boats until I leave this world.

 

[Migrator Man]

Has anyone ever thought about ditching these overpriced walleye boats and step up to an white offshore boat that is actually made to fish on the windy days? It's funnier than shit watching 21' walleye boats trying to fish in big rollers so why not step it up to a 22-26' boat? I suppose the sparkly boat guys would mock you until they eat your wake as you are gliding over 5 footers.

 

[MarbleEyez]

Has anyone ever thought about ditching these overpriced walleye boats and step up to an white offshore boat that is actually made to fish on the windy days? It's funnier than shit watching 21' walleye boats trying to fish in big rollers so why not step it up to a 22-26' boat? I suppose the sparkly boat guys would mock you until they eat your wake as you are gliding over 5 footers.

"Precision Boat Control" would be a bit of an issue. Hummingbird with 36V I-Link probably wouldn't fair so well.


Also, I'm sure a guy wouldn't have any issue trolling live-bait rigs in 14' of water at .9mph, up against the face of a bank, with the wind blowing into shore.....

 

[pluckem]

Has anyone ever thought about ditching these overpriced walleye boats and step up to an white offshore boat that is actually made to fish on the windy days? It's funnier than shit watching 21' walleye boats trying to fish in big rollers so why not step it up to a 22-26' boat? I suppose the sparkly boat guys would mock you until they eat your wake as you are gliding over 5 footers.

Thought about it, but everything is a compromise.

Sure it would be nice fishing off a toon under a shade canopy if you were pulling live bait across a large flat in 5-10mph winds.

Or running a 23' offshore boat across Sak when the wind is blowing 25+.

But start thinking about how you fish for walleyes over the course of the 3 seasons and various bodies of water and it doesn't make much sense unless you have enough money to have multiple boats

 

[SDMF]

Has anyone ever thought about ditching these overpriced walleye boats and step up to an white offshore boat that is actually made to fish on the windy days? It's funnier than shit watching 21' walleye boats trying to fish in big rollers so why not step it up to a 22-26' boat? I suppose the sparkly boat guys would mock you until they eat your wake as you are gliding over 5 footers.

Towing, launching/loading, and storage all become a significantly bigger challenge. As does boat control. Plenty of 22'-28' Sport-Craft boats on LOW as well, but, those are either trolling (usually w/downriggers), drifting, or anchored. If one fishes Devils, you're not getting a big center console or SportCraft under the bridges.

Ranger used to make their 620 with a center console and Yar-Craft used to offer a 219 CC (center console). Same basic hull design but the CC allowed one to stand up when running and take the waves with your whole body instead of just your back and back-side. Those 2 CC's were set-up such that one could get under the DL bridges with them.

25' Grady White is 4300# dry. Add 400HP motor (or, more likely twin 200's), 135Gal of fuel, all the stuff one would normally carry in a boat + the weight of a trailer and you're towing ~7K# worth of boat/motor/trailer. You're also going to need 30'+ worth of garage to store it and no less than 2' of water to float it.

 

[REY_off]

Rev...I guess because I have always run a smaller aluminum, I just don't have enough experience to truly know the difference in the rides/feel/handling/control. But I'm kinda thinking when I pull the trigger on the 18.5 foot Alumacraft, after running all over Sak in my 16 ft...it will feel like a Cadillac to me! As I said before, guess if a guy decides that the additional $$ for glass is worth a more stable ride...you go for it! Maybe my boat after the next boat will be glass!

You may be surprised when you price out those Trophys and some gently used fiberglass boats. The top aluminum boats arent far behind the glass boats when it comes to price. I would settle for a 2 to 3 year older fiberglass boat over the trophy any day to stay in my price range.

 

[SDMF]

Rev...I guess because I have always run a smaller aluminum, I just don't have enough experience to truly know the difference in the rides/feel/handling/control. But I'm kinda thinking when I pull the trigger on the 18.5 foot Alumacraft, after running all over Sak in my 16 ft...it will feel like a Cadillac to me! As I said before, guess if a guy decides that the additional $$ for glass is worth a more stable ride...you go for it! Maybe my boat after the next boat will be glass!

Try to get yourself a ride in both the AlumaCraft you're considering and any of the 18.5' class glass boats. Stratos, Nitro, Yar-Craft, Ranger, Skeeter, Warrior, Tuffy, or Triton.

 

[shorthairsrus]

 

[ShootnBlanks]

My favorite boat was the one I purchased in high school and still own to this day. 10ft waterscamp 2. 12v electric trolling motor and felt like a king. Could toss in back of my Chevy Big 1O no problem. I still use it time to time for duck hunting or maybe a secret slough...JUSTWINGNIT you were there! Closest thing to a "glass boat" I'll prob ever own lol

 

[Allen]

I still can't believe we haven't had at least one person (outside of Marbleyes, for the wrong reasons) come out and say that they regret going to glass.

:;:huh I figured there would have to be at least a couple.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I need a smooth ride or I stay home because my back is wrecked. I just downsized from a 26' fiberglass Sea Ray to a 21' Lund Baron. If the Baron rides 1/2 as good as the Sea Ray I'll be happy. The Sea Ray was overkill for fishing but it sure was a fun boat. Just for S&G I headed straight into the waves on a 40 MPH wind at Devils lake and give er the onion and played with the trim tabs Pretty sure I could have cracked a beer and set on the dash and not spilled or foamed over , It was ok to fish out of but a long ways up off the water. I kind of wish I would have kept it . Have only used the kicker on the Baron but it feels like there is a lot of boat under me, I think it's going to be a smooth ride. It weighs 2500# empty so the weight should help a lot. A 16' lund rides just as good an anything else until the wind comes up.

 

[LBrandt]

I would be happy to get my boat out of my garage and on some water. Maybe in September.

 

[ndlongshot]

I still can't believe we haven't had at least one person (outside of Marbleyes, for the wrong reasons) come out and say that they regret going to glass.

:;:huh I figured there would have to be at least a couple.

Closest thing we will ever get to mutual consensus with this crowd!

 

[Davey Crockett]

Glass boats would probably become obsolete If they built a water ballast system into a stout and sturdy aluminum hull.