Fiberglass vs. Aluminum

Well I prefer fiberglass boats over aluminum boats for a number of reasons, here are some of them,
1 comfort while fishing
2 stability
3 not affected by the wind as bad
4 durability
5 on stump filled lakes fiberglass boats slide off of stumps rather than hanging up
6 drier ride on windy days when crossing the lake
7 handles the waves on big waters where aluminum does not do as well
9 storage there is alot more storage
10 just has a overall performance benifit

Dislikes
1 the need for a sure enough launch ramp, or a really strong 4x4 if launching with out a ramp
2 gas milage, generally takes more horsepower to push fiberglass
3 other than 1,2 I can't really think of any others.

chime in guys, I like to hear what other people think about this topic, everyone has a different opinion I am sure. I know how the story goes In the bass fishing world.

Here are somethings to consider also, Alum. will give about 6 times it's thicknes before rupturing. You can weld alum, it's also much lighter, less horse power to push.
Alum. will whole up better while left out in weather. Alum makes a very good ground, much more dangerous in storms.
Alum. boat less care, cheaper to buy than glass, less insurence cost.
I've had both, and for my fishing I like alum., I don't worry about pulling up on a concrete ramps, or logs, brush.
Right now I just have a 17 1/2, alum. bass tracker, and it does about all I want, of course it is not as nice as a glass boat.
It cost so much to fish now days pulling a heavy glass boat with my dodge truck getting 13 mpg, plus the fuel for 150 hp motor, I had to cut back.

cowbow

All tin boats are not flat bottoms, as far as rough water look what the walleye fisherman use in the Great Lakes.

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Originally Posted by crappie cowboy

Here are somethings to consider also, Alum. will give about 6 times it's thicknes before rupturing. You can weld alum, it's also much lighter, less horse power to push.
Alum. will whole up better while left out in weather. Alum makes a very good ground, much more dangerous in storms.
Alum. boat less care, cheaper to buy than glass, less insurence cost.
I've had both, and for my fishing I like alum., I don't worry about pulling up on a concrete ramps, or logs, brush.
Right now I just have a 17 1/2, alum. bass tracker, and it does about all I want, of course it is not as nice as a glass boat.
It cost so much to fish now days pulling a heavy glass boat with my dodge truck getting 13 mpg, plus the fuel for 150 hp motor, I had to cut back.

cowbow

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Also the original investment is a consideration. 18 foot aluminum boat verses 18 ' Glass. I will always take the metal boat.

I am an aluminum fan. I've had both, aluminum will dent, not crack and I have hit some
LARGE rocks over the years in the White River and others. If all you are doing is fishing the large lakes than fiberglass would be fine.

I to have had both glass and aluminum, I have a 15/42 wareagle with a 25hp Johnson, I also had a 17' triton aluminum bass boat, but I find myself liking the glass boats more, I have hit some underwater structure pretty hard and I have scratched my hull but have never busted it, the only holes I have put in it were from rusted of rebar yo-yo stakes in the top of stumps these would have ripped aluminum also.I started this thread because I am thinking of getting another boat and I can't make my mind up what I want, I can find the good and bad in both alum & glass, but my gut says I won't be happy unless I get a glass boat, but my the other part of my gut says get aluminum. I do agree with the expense of fishing now and days. It's getting more expensive everyday it seems.

I am very partial to my aluminum boat because..............it's paid for!

I have owned both also, and now have a aluminum boat, I am more than pleased with the ride, comfort and especially like the fuel economy of the aluminum boats. For my purposes Aluminum is a better choice..But I don't run and gun, I never caught a crappie going 50 MPH....If a glass boat serves your purpose, bite the bullet, pay the bucks and be happy.

Good things and bad with both. I have a 17 ft aluminum Procraft but also a 20 ft glass Triton. The glass is much more comfortable and the choice for large lakes but the aluminum can get into places the other one can't. And besides, who is worried about being comfortable when you are catching fish! I'll fish out of a tin can if the fish are biting and that's the only way to get to 'em! I use the glass boat about 80% of the time.

I've had both. Got a glass boat now. I'll never go back to aluminum.
Z21.

had a used Quachita 16' w/ a 50 johnny years ago and towed it with a little Toyota Corolla 4 banger. Kinda a dangerous looking back on it but it's what I had at the time. Had some good days in that boat. Now I have a Tracker PT175 w/ a 60 merc 2 stroke. Like it alot, think about a new boat, but can't see any real benefit to me in getting a new or newer boat, would probably benefit a dealer tho. My tracker does what I need or what it to do very economically. Would I get a glass boat if I got a new one, tough call, as I would probably have to get a new tow vehicle (more $$) depending on what glass boat I got. Something bigger would be nice, but I have a certain size garage for it to fit in. A bigger tow vehicle will fit in the garage but then I could not move around in the garage w/o raising the garage door. I would like a bigger tin so the wind would not blow it around as much, but then the wind might blow a bigger boat around more. Guess I'll keep what I got for a while longer. Nice big glass boat is nice if ya got the $$ and want it, get it.

I use to run all over the country pulling a big glass boat, shoot I had to give that up , gas was eatin me alive, and the gas kept on going up.
The economy has put a monkey wrench in most guys fishing, it certainaly has put a stop with me fishing all over the country, not counting the tournament fee's, motel, food, this and that. It's not hard at all to spend $500 bucks a weekend.
Sweetie gets unhappy about that...
crappie cowboy

Had both...but I'll admit I've never went the heavy route with aluminum. I troll (longline) out of a walleye type glass Ranger boat. Deep V.......sits real low into water so wind isnt an issue. Very dry ride on the water. Best boat to date that I've ever owned. Not terrible on gas cause it isnt a speed demon...running a V4 90 hp motor. Takes more gas in truck towing because of it's weight. Gotta have a decent ramp to launch from. All the alkums I've owned were mostly flat bottoms so you understand my dislikes. Likes....done alot of river fishing and shot fish with bows in shallows out of 'em. Didnt need ramps to launch. Cost virtually nothing to operate.

I sold an 18.5' Skeeter with a 175hp Yamaha HPDI last spring and this fall bought a 18' Xpress with 70hp Yamaha four stroke. The reasons I did so were to get into a boat I could use for duck hunting and fishing, less maintenance (washing, waxing, cleaning carpet), less gas costs while operating the boat and towing with the truck, better shallow water running, and cheaper insurance costs. The sacrifices I made were less storage, less speed, and rougher ride. Storage is really not an issue as I never used all the storage my Skeeter had anyway. The speed thing is no big deal either. I rarely ran the Skeeter as fast as it would go and it would go real close to 70mph. The rough water ride is the only thing I miss. My Xpress is a flat bottom style hull not a hyperlift with a pad v. So, it is a not as comfortable in the rough stuff. It is just fine in a chop but when it gets really rough it's not all that great. It's not terrible, but it ain't my old Skeeter by any means. I don't regret my decision at all. I haven't washed or waxed this boat once, haven't cleaned any carpet cause it don't have any, and my gas and insurance costs have gone way down. Plus, I don't have to buy that expensive two stroke outboard oil anymore. Just my two cents.

have had both and have to say its like chocolate and vanila ice cream. pick your flavor. back in the day an aluminum boat couldnt compare with a glass boat. rivited hulls, plywood decks, flat bottoms, ect but now days with welded hulls, padded bottoms, aluminum decks, ect you can compare the aluminum to glass in amenities and performance. the glass wins in performance imo, but there is an aluminum that can do everything a glass boat can, just not quite as well in some catagories and better in others.

i have always had the biggest fastest bass boat made and always kept an aluminum bass boat and a aluminum jon boat around. tournament fished in my bass boats and fished smaller lakes in the alum bass boats and used the alum jon boats for catfishing and hunting.

i have hung up the tournament fishing for a while, so i can spend more time with my young son. sold off the glass and both alum boats and bought me a 21 foot fiberglass jon boat for trout fishing. the glass jon boats work better in tail waters where the dam generation is likely to be shut down. when running in extreme shallow water the glass will slide across the rocks, where as alum will try to stick. rivited alum boats dont fare to well to being beat around on the rocks and its easier to rip a hole in the alum on a sharp rock than on a glass boat. glass is also quieter.

i have been using my trout boat out on the arkansas river taking my son catfishing and on the white, norfork and little red trout fishing. i am interested in crappie fishing although i have really never been a crappie fisherman. we will also use this trout boat for the crappies. 21 foot with an open floor plan, rod trays, rod tubes, live wells, and runs in some mighty skinny water. i think this boat is going to be great for all kinds of fishing and will be well suited for my family.

ALUMINUM....I also have had both. Two other thing to consider. I tow double (my boat behind a fifth wheel RV) and the weight is a concern. Another is length; with my Pro Crappie 175 and folding tongue in with fit in a carport or garage. It rides dry in some pretty rough water; the newer models have plenty of storage, large livewells and a lot of floor space. With the 60hp four stroke economy is great. With me, two livewells full, full fuel, a 350lb plus fishing buddy, ETC it will run 34-36 mph. With just me it runs about 40mph.
When you compare performance, durability, investment, operating expense, ETC; for me aluminum is the right choice.

Aluminum. I have a 15' Seaark. At times I do wish I had a v hull for the big lakes like Greers and the big 4 in MS. Most of the time I fish small lakes and oxbows with ramps that are questionable even no ramps.Last week at Reelfot with a 15mph wind water (ICE) on the bow I do wish I had a V with carpet Like Creeks which is a nice boat and set up. But more times than enough I have been in places that a glass boat wont go or I would not think about putting. As far as comfort, I have a stick steering boat and I am the King of "front seating". If you dont believe me just ask CK101. When I fish the spawn, and tops I sit on the bow and skull my boat. I would have a hard time doing that with a glass boat. Hey they both work it just depends how deep your pocket is. The main thing is to just get out there and fish. If you see a guy skulling a top sitting on the bow and another guy sitting in the front seat fishing over my sholder, stop and say hello.

Ill take a 14-18 Aluminum boat over an expensive purty... Glass boats anyday of the week. Glass boats are great in big open water lakes but lousy in shallow skinny waters filled with stumps vegatation and trees. They just are not as manuverable as the metal boats and I can fish the best of both worlds in a smaller aluminum boat and get to some places on a lake that a glass boat won't touch.

I have both for two different reasons. Use my 1544 to duck hunt and fish small area lakes. Use the ranger to fish arkansas river and greers. I feel safer on big water in my ranger. Plus to get from one part of a big lake like greers takes less time. But I don't pull either all over the state just to a few places for me. Like everybody else you do what you can do to enjoy the outdoors.

I myself have had both boats. I would rather have a glass for one reason. And that is so my kids can have plenty of room for their selves and it save me from getting hooked. I have had bad experince with alum boat because of uncourtiouse people flyin by u. But all and all trout lining or limb lining u can't beat alum boats, glass are to bulky for getting to the fishy trees. Plus when the kids get bored the can lay down on back deck and let dad fish while they sleep.