Looking at new boats. Fish Indiana and Illinois lakes with a trip to Barkley yearly. Looking at Tracker 170 tx, Lowe Stinger and G3 Eagle 170. What are the good and bad of these choices or should I include other brands?
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Looking at new boats. Fish Indiana and Illinois lakes with a trip to Barkley yearly. Looking at Tracker 170 tx, Lowe Stinger and G3 Eagle 170. What are the good and bad of these choices or should I include other brands?
If it were me I'd definitely buy fiberglass. For the price of these new metal boats you could probably by a very nice late model glass boat. I personally can't think of one benefit in owning a metal boat over a glass one. I've had my share of both, tracker, lund, polar craft - a ranger and three champions. Just my 2 cents.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whaler
The Lowe will be more stable the other 2 will handle ruff water better but not much better. ×2 on the glass boat. All the boats you mentioned are around 15 000 to 19000 $ a z6. Is around 20000 if I could do it over I would have a z6.
Happen to agree with Fishhawk. Fished from a tin boat last 2 tourneys, (partners boats) one of them being top of the line in tin. The wind effected it WAY more than it does my 1989 model BassCat Pantera II, my boat is 26 years old and will out fish the top of the line new tin boats, got to say something.:twocents
If going tin I would go with the Stinger. Much more interior room and set up to crappie fish. Like Lowe said, much more stable than the other 2.
I too have had both aluminum and glass..I currently have a Lowe 175 stinger..I really like it..it does blow around alot worse than my stratos did but to say there are no reasons to own aluminum over glass...I don't agree. My stratos held 42 gallons of gas and it needed filled very often..I now have a 60 horse suzuki four stroke and it sips gas. I can go to the lake 5 times on what it cost to go once with my bass boat. I also fish by myself alot and beach my boat to load and unload..you can do this with glass but i never did..It also requires less gas to tow to and from the lake..I don't argue that glass is superior but there are reasons that tin fit some people better. just my .02
If I was just going to troll or pull cranks I would own a fiberglass boat. But here in the MS delta we do everything including run trot lines and jug fish including going up and down the shutes of the MS river. We go into some nasty areas. So we use big nice aluminum boats. We do everything in them. But on those 10+ windy days it can get dicey in areas.
If your are going to compare buying used glass boat then use the price for a used tin boat also to make it fair. I have a G3 which is almost the same space as a lowe 175 the beam is just a little less, the G3 doesn't ride as good as the other 2 I don't think but it has a lot of storage space and it is also set up for 2 up front for spider rigging. It does have wood decks in it which I love for attaching trolling racks and other things as you can just screw right down to it. Ive got a 70 Yamaha 4 stroke on it and a 13 gallon gas tank and can go out 5 or six times and still have plenty of gas. Put a 80 lb thrust terrova on there and you don't have to worry about the wind blowing you around
pending your budget.......go with lower cost boat and put ALL your money into electronics
The g3 eagle is more quality boat than the lowe or tracker. Iv owned all 3 and all 3 are good boats. I'm not knocking any brand but of the 3 boats mentioned the g3 is the better boat.
There are some benefits to aluminum over fiberglass. In my case I fish open water, backwater and in some cases low water (water fluctuations) where I couldn't even get my fiberglass boat off the trailer! That being said I believe Lowe would be my choice out of the three you mentioned. I will not own another boat with wood decks. I suggest you look at Xpress though, they have by far the best hull of any tin boat out there. BY FAR! My next boat hopefully in the next 6 months or so will be the Xpress H20B.
The G3 is a better layout. I go at least 18 foot though.
I love my G3. I love the Yamaha outboard even more than the boat.
the G3 170 is 17 ft 10 inches
Put me in the glass category, more gas but it handling well worth it.
i do have x press for cat fishing and love it.
I have a Bass Tracker Pro Crappie which I really like. 2 live wells, plenty storage and designed for crappie fishing. I have no plans of ever getting rid of it. With that being said, my next boat will be fiberglass. They have more stability on those windy days on big water. $$ come into play here. If I would have bought the more expensive boat, I couldn't afford to purchase the items needed to rig it for this type of fishing. Now I can use the equipment I have on the new boat when that day comes. As stated earlier, use the extra cash on the latest electronics. You'll be glad you did. My .04 :>}
And as always...tip it with a minnow!
Here's a 2007 Stratos for sale. Like new with very few hours.Attachment 191419
There are pros and cons with both tin and glass. However if you compare apples to apples with age of boat, hours on the motor, the aluminum will probably be less expensive. I have owned several lowes and now have the eagle 170 g3 with 4stroke 90 hp Yamaha.
+++ No wood deck on the lowe stinger to rot out and have to replace down the road.
Aluminum all the way. My boat is 48 years old and still doesn't leak.
Let the features you want decide the boat you buy.
Everybody likes their boat, otherwise they would sell it and buy another. And they like the new boat until they sell it too.
it wont rot out if you keep covered or in a garageQuote:
Originally Posted by Nory
That would certainly help. But still will deteriorate over time.Quote:
Originally Posted by clfarms1
I have both Xpress and Ranger tin boats. The Ranger is one fine machine in either the 188C or the 178C.
Xpress makes the smoothest riding hull in the Aluminum market. Their H17PFC, and the H18PFC are both Hyper Lift pad ride hulls and are designed exactly like a glass boats hull. They are wider than the other boats also with the 18'er being 95" at the beam.
Before you buy, you owe it to yourself to look at either one of these brands.
No one here can tell you what YOU need in a boat. Do the research and study the hull designs. They all ride well in calm water. It's when it get Rough that tells the tale of hull design.
Aluminum Fishing Boats | Ranger Aluminum Boats
Home - Xpress Boats
Having fished with CL Farms in his G3 and my stinger 175. Only real difference is my stinger is just a little wider, I can't have a glass boat to much of a river rat duck hunter, If I want to beach it no problems. Both the G3 and the stinger ride good and are stable, I'm not a fan of the trackers just to narrow up front for me. If I would ever get a glass boat I'd probably find me a old Ranger 690 deep and stable only rated for 150hp if I remember right I recommend going out with others who have these boats and decide which one you like best
What good is a boat if you keep it covered or in the garage???Quote:
Originally Posted by clfarms1
I fish every weekend from middle of march to Nov that I can. So it is getting used I just don't let it sit out in the weather
Mine sets in the garage too, but no wood decks in the lowe, The wood only comes into play if you leave it sit out in the rain and soak up water, then it can rot. And if you leave your plug in well the floor will pay the price
Come to our spring camp at Shelbyville. You can go out in my stinger and in CL's G3 its May 15-18 . There will be every make and model almost , If you can wait that long ?
Being from up north, i'm not familiar with the boats mentioned here. Are those boats deep Vee's and when up front, do you sit in it or on it? These lakes up here kick up quick and bad and I need to be in the boat, not on it. I have a lund deep vee with pretty high sides. I've been in some pretty bad wind and waves and had no problem with boat control. If you're going to fish big water too, think about getting a deep vee model.
The G3 and the Stinger are very similar to the bass tracker 175 only a lot wider, they are not deep Vee's Attachment 191626
I have owned many glass boats and now own a lowe st195. The lowe is the best CRAPPIE boat. Very wide large deck for spider rigging, front and back live wells. I have had it on Ky lake in some very rough water. Not the best in rough but it does handle it. The tracker and g3 will be faster but the lowe is more stable and and fishes better. It has no wood in it. I run a 115 4stroke and can tow it and run it MUCH cheaper than the glass boats I owned. I can also fish and load in shallower water.
pictures
I have owned fiberglass and aluminum (Lund, Tracker and Xpress). I cannot say enough good things about both Lund and Xpress. For the last 15 years, I have fished from Xpress.
There are many good boats out there. Find one that you like the layout in and bum a ride and drive it before you buy it. The most important thing is to find a dealer you can depend on and trust to buy it from.
What GPS speed do u get from the 195