Two very basic questions on walleye boat selection

[Tilzbow]

I’ve seen several posts in which guys are stating they stuck with aluminum because of the weight of fiberglass. Although this may be true for certain models I encourage you to compare specifications boat to boat rather than assume aluminum are always lighter. During my search, I found some of the fiberglass models I was looking at were nearly identical in weight to the aluminum models of the same size with similar layouts.

[Wall-i-Lama]

Originally Posted by Tilzbow

I’ve seen several posts in which guys are stating they stuck with aluminum because of the weight of fiberglass. Although this may be true for certain models I encourage you to compare specifications boat to boat rather than assume aluminum are always lighter. During my search, I found some of the fiberglass models I was looking at were nearly identical in weight to the aluminum models of the same size with similar layouts.

Now you've peaked my interest. Which same size models (alum vs. glass) are nearly identical in weight?

[Tilzbow]

Originally Posted by Wall-i-Lama

Now you've peaked my interest. Which same size models (alum vs. glass) are nearly identical in weight?

Specially I was comparing Lund aluminum to Ranger glass and per the online specs they were within 150# in the 21’10” models. Warrior glass boats are close, too.

[gbin]

From what I've found so far, fiberglass seems to be weighing in at about 10-15% more than aluminum (with motor(s) and trailer), which is less of a difference than I expected. Not really possible to compare apples to apples, though.

But don't forget that's not what this thread is about! I'm eager to hear what made YOU choose fiberglass or aluminum and the size you selected when you bought YOUR boat, other than simply cost or availability.

Thanks again!

Gerry

[Honkerslayer]

I believe the Ranger FS and the comparable Lund pro-v’s are close in weight to each other.

My answer to your question is I wanted the nicest boat I could buy. I had an older Lund pro-v tiller 1775. Nice boat but A wet ride in the wind. Caught a ton of fish out of that boat but I was limited in range and had to keep an eye out for weather. That was ok when I was younger but I wanted a boat with a windshield and had room to fish. I also wanted something that could take big water. I fish Sakakawea most of the time and go to a big lake in Canada once a year. Bought a 621 last year and I love it! Rides awesome and has tons of room and storage. I had a 3/4 ton already so pulling it wasn’t an issue. I also have plenty of room to store it which makes a difference for sure. No regrets going to glass at all and I don’t feel limited by distance anymore.

[Waxy]

Originally Posted by Tilzbow

I’ve seen several posts in which guys are stating they stuck with aluminum because of the weight of fiberglass. Although this may be true for certain models I encourage you to compare specifications boat to boat rather than assume aluminum are always lighter. During my search, I found some of the fiberglass models I was looking at were nearly identical in weight to the aluminum models of the same size with similar layouts.

X2 on this.

It’s a common misconception that gets stated as fact all the time.

When comparing apples to apples, there’s very little difference in weight, and in some cases, comparable sized glass boats can even be slightly lighter.

Waxy

[SLE]

Originally Posted by gbin

..........................

- What ultimately decided you on whether to go with fiberglass or aluminum?

- What ultimately decided you on what length to go with?

..................
Gerry

99% of my fishing is large reservoir fishing in ND and since I'm still in the working class, my days of fishing are limited to the weekend. I refuse to let the wind dictate which days I fish or limit my ability to run several miles of open water. I chose glass 100% based on rough water ride, dryness, and overall performance.

In my younger years, length was dictated by my wallet and balancing newness with size. I owned two 19' glass boats and an 18.5' glass boat before jumping to my current 21 ft class boat. I have zero regrets doing so. Most every decision I have made boat-wise starts with ride, dryness, performance, followed by boat layout and fish-ability. Cost finds it's way in eventually, lol. Weight, towing, storage, etc, and some of the other things I've heard people discuss has never entered the conversation.

[goosechaser]

I mainly fished medium to larger sized lakes in SD, NE, and KS. I was doing this out of my 18.5' alum. boat. Still had to watch the wind forecast though on some days. I liked this setup at the time. Then I wanted to fish Erie. So i stepped up to a 20.5' glass boat. The ride and dryness of it is amazing compared to my alum. It fishes and tracks better in windy conditions. I will be stepping up to a 21.5' glass boat soon. For me I have always tried to get the longest boat I could afford because it would ride better. Plus you have more space and storage. Layout and storage is important when I choose a boat. What made me go to glass was the ride and dryness, and I'm glad I did

[jjy]

- What ultimately decided you on whether to go with fiberglass or aluminum?
I went Glass and had many cracking issues. Not worth dealing with in my opinion unless I fished saltwater everyday or was rich and didn't care. In the end I went with Aluminum boat 20.5 with a 250HP for less $ than my smaller 18.5' glass boat with 150HP.

- What ultimately decided you on what length to go with?

I fish Great Lakes 90% of time, it's true, longer is better for ride. In my experience my longer Aluminum boat rides better than my smaller glass boat.

[Anonymouse]

Having owned many of both aluminum and glass hulled boats, Anonymouse can tell you WHY he decided on each at the time.
Growing up on the Chippewa & Eau Claire Rivers (and points north all the way to Lac Court Orielles, Lake Chippewa, Namakagon Lake, & Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Lakes) the choice was always aluminum and smaller, with a short-shaft outboard that would be easy to repair shear pins on in a hurry without a wetsuit.
The roads in & out are terrible, the waters are treacherous, rocky, and full of "downs" & there is no way to know from year to year how the channels and hidden hazards have changed due to spring flooding.
Shear pins better be numbered in the dozens in your tackle box & you better know someone with aluminum welding experience too (we did).

Now that Anonymouse lives in the southern half of the state, the Wisconsin River is the only dangerous water around and Anonymouse would STILL choose that sort of smaller rig with a short-shaft o.b. motor over glass and/or an I/O.
But that's if river fishing was the only or at least your main consideration.
(Anonymouse freely admits his annoyance at the fact his current 22' glass cuddy is totally unsuitable for fishing the Wisconsin, as it's a tremendous & challenging fishery with gorgeous scenery.)

As for size, 16' is great of you only take 2 peeps in the boat but it becomes severely restricting for 3 or more.
For 3 or 4 peeps to be comfortable in an aluminum river rig, 18' is the minimum length and even at 20' Anonymouse wouldn't recommend 4 in the same boat.
Not for safety concerns but just because of the lack of "elbow room" for 4 peeps in a typical metal hull.

Down here in the southern part of Wisconsin there is more "big water" & not a lot of navigable rivers - so large waves, ride, wetness, and stability becomes more of the primary motivator in choosing your hull.
For open waters not only is glass the logical choice (for all the reasons mentioned by so many who understand the virtues of it) but the roads & ramps are generally quite "civilized" as well, so weight of the tow isn't even an issue no matter which type of hull you choose.

With glass boats you generally have more "legroom" - i.e. you can actually get up and walk around in the cockpit - try THAT in any aluminum hulled boat layout & you're invariably tripping over one of your buddies or his equipment.
It's not so bad for half-day trips but spend a 12 hour day on the water - or multiple days in a row - and it does get annoying for everyone concerned.
Having owned and fished out of both smaller AND larger aluminum hulls as well as 15' up to 30' glass hulls down here, the aluminum hulls are almost always uncomfortable and often downright scary in bad weather while even the smaller glass hulled boats "feel" more secure & handle weather better.

Trust Anonymouse on this one (lmfao), glass is REALLY hard to flip over, but aluminum is not.
After bailing out a submerged 16' aluminum that Anonymouse had the misfortune to tip far enough over to allow it to fill up with water (they all stay afloat, luckily, if you have the required floatation in them, but older aluminum ones DO NOT!), there are few situations were aluminum is even a consideration anymore - the Wisconsin River being the one exception that comes to mind.

Ultimately, for Anonymouse, the choice now comes down to "Bass-style" open bow or enclosed "Cuddy" models - but definitely fiberglass in any case.
Given Anonymouse's preferred fishing style (multiple days spent on the water without coming back ashore) the cuddy style is his preferred model for lockup storage of equipment when you do have to leave the boat unattended for a while & for somewhere to catch 40 winks between marathon-length fishing episodes.

Additionally the cuddy style boats likely have inverters so you can run A/C appliances like a coffee maker, a TV (can't miss the Packers game on Sundays), a radio (the in-dash stereo/CD player usually covers that), reading lights at night, or even a cabin air conditioner (and they can have stovetops, refrigerators, sinks, showers, cupboard storage, etc. etc. etc.) - as well as recharge the batteries without having to pull apart wherever they're typically hidden under the engine cowl area to get at the terminals.
Engine noise is reduced over similar sized o.b. motors as well, as the engine cowl is usually soundproofed to some extent.
Engine work is more limited access with I/O models, so there is that negative to them, but you can always opt for an o.b. motor model instead, if buying new.

Did Anonymouse mention "privacy" as a plus?
It's like having your own waterbed on the lake and all the attendent advantages of mixed company fishing, as such.
Oh yeah, and you can take a poop/pee without everyone laughing at yer small weenie, because cuddy models come with a porta-potty.

Ideally, Anonymouse would own an aluminum-hulled 16'-18' river rig with a 25hp-30hp short-shaft o.b. motor AND a 22'-24' cuddy model for bigger waters.
(Going bigger than 24' feet in glass adds it's own set of handling issues.)
Alas, with 4 spots in the driveway already occupied, where to put the river rig starts to be an issue.
Could hide it in the back yard, one supposes, if only there was room to drive past the house to hook it up. The City frowns on driving across the adjacent park to do so.