Input needed

I’m in the process of looking at a new boat to purchase. I currently have a deep v alumacraft boat. I love the versatility of the boat. My issue is I live in Kansas. I get blown around quite a bit with it. I’ve upgraded my trolling motor to the most powerful 24v you can get. I have livescope and consistently get frustrated with getting blown off fish. I am strongly considering a new xpress 20 foot crappie boat. With a 200hp and 36v trolling motor. Still am concerned with it being aluminum getting blown around. I’m not a huge fan of glass boats, but if that’s my best option I guess I will start looking at used bass boats. Any thoughts experiences and input is greatly appreciated.

For my two cents, I like glass. More boat below the waterline makes it harder to blow around. The extra weight has its disadvantages Off the water, on the water it adds to stability and with the right profile, makes it harder to be pushed around. I had an 18’ glass bass boat and while everyone else was packing up and going home, I was still trolling and catching fish. Given the budget and room to store another boat, I’d have a 20 or 21’ glass bass boat with low sides and a trolling motor up to the task. My 70lb pulled mine just fine. Good luck, try before you buy if you can.

The downsides of glass are maintaining the gel coat to keep the sparkles all sparkly. You have to worry about scratches. Aluminum can get into shallower water. Glass is heavier and needs a bigger motor to get the same speed out of a similarly sized boat.

That doesn't make glass a better or worse choice, just a different choice.

How deep do you fish? Would power poles be an option?

Typically single pole. Also fish walleye quite a bit. Pretty new to the crappie world. But want to pursue local tournaments. Would like to learn how to spider rig.

I really believe that every fisherman needs to have three boats ...I just have not convinced my wife about this idea, lol :Rofl

I've ran aluminum boats for the last 30+ years. One thing many crappie fishermen do that is a mistake IMO is load their boat weight toward the transom. I think if one has the room to store their trolling motor batteries in the bow, that is the best move for fishing. Too many times boat dealers think crappie boats are a bass boat with an extra pedestal. Since we rarely do a fraction of the running around the lake that bass guys do, we need to be more concerned about how the boat handles when FISHING rather than RUNNING. Getting the bow down when fishing will help make any tin boat a much more stable fishing platform.

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Originally Posted by Schmoopie

The downsides of glass are maintaining the gel coat to keep the sparkles all sparkly. You have to worry about scratches. Aluminum can get into shallower water. Glass is heavier and needs a bigger motor to get the same speed out of a similarly sized boat.

That doesn't make glass a better or worse choice, just a different choice.

How deep do you fish? Would power poles be an option?

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I'm going to disagree about the speed comment, I have a buddy with a 115 mercury pro xs on his 18' nitro and it gps's 55. My 18' aluminum only runs 45. JMHO

Looking at weights. The 20 foot xpress crappie boat weighs about 700 pounds lighter than a skeeter 20 foot bass boat. Is that 700 pounds going to make a huge difference on boat control in the wind? I’ve always been a deep v guy. So the lower profile of that xpress definitely interested me. I have fished out of glass bass boats. They fish amazing. But I also go up to northern Minnesota and Canada and fish. Scared of putting a glass boy on rocks. But primarily I want to focus on single pole jogging for slabs here in Kansas. So I’m definitely being pulled both directions.

A glass boat is the best option if wind is a concern. They simply don't get blown around like a aluminum boat. They both have there advantages and disadvantages but if wind is the main issue, a glass boat is the one to go with.

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Originally Posted by quikcarl61

I'm going to disagree about the speed comment, I have a buddy with a 115 mercury pro xs on his 18' nitro and it gps's 55. My 18' aluminum only runs 45. JMHO

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Assuming you're running a bass boat style aluminum boat like an Xpress against a fiberglass bass boat, the aluminum should go faster with the same parameters. If you're fishing a deep v vs a "pad" style boat, then yes, you're at a speed disadvantage.