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I want to upgrade boats. I can afford a new 20 ft Aluminum Lowe/Alumacraft with a 115 motor. Or, a 05 Stratos 20 ft 201 pro XL with a 250 for the same money. Not sure which way to go. Presently using a glass Procraft. Crappie and blugill are what I fish for. Any suggestions as to which way to go?
Pardnr. Just bout a tracker 195. It is sweet. Rides better than by tin bay. Both have a 150. His is 15mph faster
The 195 is a sweet rig with a 115, I wouldn't need any more than that. Currently have a glass 18' with a 150 and though its 28 yrs old runs very well. I like the glass in windy/choppy conditions but I'm thinking metal for the next one myself. If it gets windy anymore I just go home anyway. Lots of storage in the 195 too.
You know the saying " you're about as happy as you make up your mind to be". If you have a laid back attitude and fish like you say you will probably be just fine with the aluminum. If you second guess yourself a lot and are prone to buyer remorse you will probably at sometime wish you had the Stratos.
The new boat and motor will have warranty....you get that Stratos and something goes wrong you might be out some sizeable bucks. If I fished Table Rock,or another big lake and wanted to make long runs up and down the Lake especially when the big waves were out I would take the Stratos. It's not right to not clean and wax and stuff the bass boats...the aluminums can be really low maintenance,especially if you don't mind them getting a little grimey. I do like the way the low free board fiberglass don't blow around as bad in the wind...but like you say if you don't fish in the wind that much no loss.
I would go tin and new for sure. And agree that Tracker 195 and 190 are both a lot of boat. Heck that Tracker 175 fishes bigger than it is. Dont know much on the others cause the only dealer within an hour drive I trust is a tracker dealer. But the Lowe and Express look very nice.
I'm a glass guy, think I always will be because of where and how I fish. With that said, unless you are fishing some seriously big water I would get the new boat, if they were both used then I would lean toward glass. A blown 250 would take 7 or 8 grand to replace the powerhead and I can name you 15 folks that I know personally that have had to do this within a year of buying a boat with a big used outboard on it. That Lowe/Alumacraft is one heck of a ride too!!!
Glass rides better and is a whole lot quieter. My next boat will be a 18-20' glass boat.
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I'm gonna throw in my .02 worth. I can say Paul and I have been there and got the t-shirt on this one. It's not about the species you target. It's about the conditions and environment you normally fish in. Do you fish big water like Ky or Barkley Lake, or do you fish smaller impoundments? Are you retired and have the luxury of fishing whatever days are good or are you a weekend fisherman at the mercy of Mother Nature? Do you fish any tournaments? I think the answers to these questions play a large part in deciding what kind of boat to buy. We bought a brand new War Eagle Predator with a 115 and loved it . . . . for a while. After several trips and a few tournaments on windy/bad weather days, the love affair was over. So, we sold a boat that we bought new and bought an 8 year old fiberglass Ranger. For us, it was the best decision . . . . even after the motor blew and we had to buy a new one.
One more thing . . . . What's the 20 ft aluminum boat rated for? Seems like it ought to be more than a 115. If it were me, I would want the max hp it's rated for.
If one has a four stroke motor, get that one! If you don't need to go mach 3 and don't want any trouble out of it, you'll love it.
vonna, is on the button on this one. i fish only large ms coe's but retired and i pick my days, rarely on the weekends and only when the winds do not exceed 10-15mph. you have not live till you get caught on the big four with winds gusts of 20 and up.. I wouldn't own anything but a tin boat. i would for sure go with the largest motor for said boat and would go out of my way to get a 4 stroker. good luck, have fun, go fish, WSQuote:
Originally Posted by Mrs. Crappie Stalker
I bought a Lowe Stinger 195. Love the storage! Love the fact that there is not ONE splinter of wood in it. I was torn between the Lowe and tracker and the wood made the difference for me in tha choice. The stinger 195 max HP was 115 in 2014 when I bought mine and I think it still is. Windy day the boat will beat you to death though! And dont let the dealers tell you that the boat will do 60mph.....mine only does 35 with all my gear and fishing buddies in it with a 115....but thats not bad considering the boat has 2 different 33 gallon live wells. Glass boats definitely ride better! And the tracker probably rides better but the Lowe Is bigger in the front and has more storage than the tracker ( all in hull design). Ya can't have it all. Have to sacrifice things that you like for things that you love. I hope you are appy with your choice! All of the above info has been good info in my opinion! Now the choice is yours.
If I were going aluminum, I would give Ranger, Xpress, a look also.
I would definitely go NEW.
go new.....
I will chime in alittle differently. I have had all the diff boats, done the tourney thingy, ran all over the country fishing everywhere. Downsized the vehicles, downsized the boat and motor. Now aluminum and small motor. Gas won't always be cheap. I fish big water and fight the waves, no biggie if you know your way and have the experience. I like the new aluminum/115 hp over the used glass/250 hp. I am totally converted to 4 stroke and love it and will never go back to 2 stroke. Just my 2 cents and enjoy which ever way you go.
I have an aluminum G3.. It does blow around in the wind. But I still like it. I guess it depends on what you want and what you can afford. . But definitely consider 4 stroke.
I dont' know anything about the PT but I fish Ky. Lake regular in a 19ft xpress with a 150, I've havent' encountered any weather in it that made me think to myself boy I wish I was in a 20ft glass boat. I guess what I'm saying is a 20ft tin will handle just as much weather as a 20ft glass boat. As far as the wind goes its not as big as deal as some make it out to be.
For me the clincher is new means WARRANTY and tin means less fuel and maintance.
I invite any of you to come take a ride on my old folks chariot. It is an experience of a lifetime. You just cant buy what I built.
Of course, the rig was designed and built around my disabilities and most all add ons come from c.com sponsors and from member suggestions.
As you age, you relearn crawl and walk.
Thanks, I also need that information.
So very true, 15 yrs ago had to get glasses, 3 yrs ago, VA gave me hearing aids, last month, had 26 teeth pulled and new falsies, slipped disc in lower back, bad knees from parachuting in Recon Marines, mild hernia, no way letting them cut on me till necessary, all I need now is new brain, hair transplant as bald on top, And at least, head will be rebuilt, god it's great to be 66. :Rofl:cheers2Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
I have fished out of the 20 foot xpress maxxed out in HP and in ruff water they ride no where near good as my 1989 BassCat Pantera II, FACT. Glass handles ruff water much better I don't cares who's tin boat it is and to say it don't is just not right. Tin is Tin, Glass is Glass. As I said early in the thread, if you aren't going to be on big water in rollers like there were today on Enid then go with the Lowe, nice rides for what they are. If you are going to be on ruff water pretty regular I would save my pennies and buy a new glass ride or a very low hour ride. The Stratos you are looking at may have been run a lot and hard, have the hours checked but this doesn't always mean anything, lot of big boats get dumped just before having major problem, Mrs Crappie Stalker is one of the ones I was talking about and am glad she chimed in. Have seen their Ranger on Grenada at it's worst and it handled is well, very empressive.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisS
This is spot on. A very close friend sold his skiff that had a 150Vmax on it that was very well maintained but blew up on new owner in 3 weeks. Compression was spot on at sale. An 11 year old boat vs new same money, take the new technology and warranty.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
Thanks to all for your comments. They are appreciated.
In my opinion, a Tin Deep V will handle rough water the best. Plus it will be more stable and cost less to haul around. You won't need as big of a motor to push all that weight of a glass boat. Best part, a deep v is safer for the grandkids.
Ok I'll bite...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
I never said aluminum rode better I said I never encountered weather that made me wish I was in a 20ft glass boat. A rough water ride is determined by 4 factors; boat length, keel shape, boat weight, and most importantly who's doing the driving. Will a glass boat handle rough water better... probably. But if you are comparing glass and aluminum boats of same lenght and you are talking about a modern high performance aluminum hull the difference will be slight.
I never fished Enid so I can't speak to how rough things can get there. But like I said I fish Ky. Lake pretty regularly, i know what rollers are. I have made a 10mi run from Blood Rv. to Jonathan Crk into a 20+ mph north wind and managed to stay dry and not break anything. Trim down take your time you'll get there and not lose any filings or compress any veterbrae
Wind over 10, I stays in.
i love my war eagle but wish i had my glass boat on the windy days
Glass
Tin
Semper FI- getting my second knee replaced in three weeks.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
As for the boat- I prefer Aluminum. Lighter = less wear and tear and less motor = less gas to push around the lake and pulling to the lake. Waves are waves, if your in a heavy boat the odds greatly increase that water will wash over the bow, especially if you're in a hurry to beat the storm back to the ramp. A lighter boat will rise and fall better with the waves, less water in the boat. Imagine a log (glass boat) verse bobber (aluminum). Honestly, I get my tin moving in sync with the waves. Takes me longer to get back to the ramp, but I will get back to the ramp. If your busting waves, you greatly increase the odds of swamping the boat and testing that life jacket out. I would rather fight the wind while fishing a spot, than swamp my boat in a storm.