Thinking about going 'glass

[bbheli]

Originally Posted by Racer268

Trailer is going in too deep. You should be driving onto a bunk trailer. Then winch the last little bit. Those guides should out of the water.

You are right on the money. Use a Drotto boat to trailer tell them I sent ya free shipping.

[HYATT]

Noticed many of the comments are from users of "Pro" style fishing boats (flat deck with pedestal seating, livewells, and a small cockpit) & if that's your thingy, HYATT™ doesn't really have an oar in that water, never having owned or used one.
BUT, if you are open to a Deep-V hull style boat that can double as a weekender pleasure craft and has the typical back-to-back seating or maybe a captain's chair set up in the front of the cockpit & bench-style seating in the rear, you can get a lot of fishing mileage out of one - if you choose wisely.

First, a bit of digression - for context:

HYATT™ grew up on the Chippewa and Eau Claire river systems & has been using both aluminum and glass boats longer than some of our associates here have been alive -built his very first 8' fiberglass covered plywood flatbottom skiff (duckboat) in the backyard in 1962 at age 9 and slapped a 10hp Martin on the back.
Along the way HYATT™ has owned a number of boats ranging in size;
•12' aluminum johnboat with that same 10hp Martin.
•14' aluminum Starcraft with a 7.5hp Mercury Keikhaefer Rocket.
•16' Alumacraft with a 5hp Monkey Ward's Sea King & a 1 gallon gas can.
*(Made the fishing deck out of an old ping-pong tabletop & a swivel bar stool from a defunct restaurant counter.)
•1963 15' fiberglass blue & white Starcraft with a 28hp Johnson Super Seahorse (with the VERY rare blue cover).
•Some can't-remember brand late 50s 16' fiberglass with FINS & a 1955 25hp Evinrude.
•1979 18.5' Checkmate Exciter with a 115hp Mercury (worst ride ever - guaranteed hip displacement, it was so rough).
•1974 18' Sea Ray SRV?193 bow rider (completely gutted & rebuilt stringers and floor with a friend, but didn't ACTUALLY own that one).
•1986 22' Celebrity 221CC with 350/260hp Mercruiser Alpha One
*(wood floor and stringers went to **** - thus no more wood floor boats here).
•1998 17' Regal 1700LSR with 3.0L Mercruiser (all glass inside & out).
*(It took a walk one night and never came back - swear we fed and watered it regularly so don't nobody go calling the ASPFB [American Society for the Protection of Fishing Boats] - the local cops were bad enough.)
•A host of boats - a couple dozen at least - owned by friends that somehow HYATT™ always got drafted to captain.
Both aluminum, and glass up to a 32' Sea Ray - which maybe stopped just short of being classed as a "yacht".
Just so you understand that HYATT™ has SOME knowledge of what he's about to impart to you about aluminum and glass boat ownership.

So here it is 2019 and yesterday a really sweet forest green trimmed 1999 Starcraft 2212LX (all glass inside & out) - that was only driven to revival meetings by a middle-age fishing widow on Sundays - accidentally attached itself to the back of HYATT™'s recently acquired from California absolutely rust-free 2003 RAM 1500 SLT, (for well below-market value dinero on both, btw).
(It's easy to cheat fishing widows because they never went shoppng for equipment and thus know nothing about cost. )

Honestly, the guy just never used it and wanted it off his dying grass - & being the good samaritan HYATT™ is, he offered to step up and help the poor fella out.
Spoke to the mechanic who's worked on it most of it's entire life & got the whole scoop on it's 3-owner history first though.
If this boat has more than 200 hours on it, (less than 100 on the replacement 5.7L EFI somebody let freeze without winterizing), HYATT™ will lick the entire hull clean - on video.

Now, on rivers, aluminum hulls & outboards are really the only way to fly.
Rocks, logs, and sandbars, are SERIOUSLY hard on glass hulls & even rougher on I/O drives.
So if one fishes primarily river systems with shallow and/or obstructed waters, HYATT™ would definitely stick to metal boat hulls.
There's rarely anything in the way of REALLY rough waters that an aluminum boat can't easily handle and hull deformation is vastly preferable to glass repair and composite-soaked hull material in freezing climates.
Shallow-V hulls and even flat-bottom boats are well-suited to river systems, whereas Deep-V hulls are neither needed nor suitable.
These boats will serve in a pinch on the rare occasions you might get out onto bigger water, but definitely keep a weathereye open wide & take no chances.

BUT, if you are like HYATT™, big water is more your style - in which case there was never an aluminum boat built that will ride as well as a glass one in fugly weather.
Not all glass boats are even up to the challenge as HYATT™ discovered when the 1999 PWT Championship came to Madison, WI.
All those "Pros" in their $40,000 Tritons, Lunds, etc. Walleye rigs were pissing themselves silly and moving at barely headway speeds DOWNWIND in the 4'-5' rollers Mendota got on Friday.
Ron "Commander Troll" Seelhoff won by wussing out on Waubesa trolling 2# fish because he couldn't handle the bigger water.
Rich Mellon did catch the biggest fish (8.94#) the next day but when HYATT™ saw him sitting on Dunn's Bar on Friday, his rig was standing at a 45 degree angle and he couldnt even stand up in his $35,000 "Walleye boat".
(HYATT™ went up into the Yahara and broke off a 10# class Walleye on Friday - saw the white tip on the tail though. Dang 4# test costs ya once in a while. )

The point being made here is that while those fancy fishing rigs couldn't even manuever in high winds, HYATT™ in his heavyweight fiberglass Celebrity 221CC, was plowing UPWIND through the crests at full throttle and laughing like a maniac as he went past all the retreating pansie Pros who got chased off Lake Mendota.
Sure, it was a hella pounding, but you know what?
That heavy glass can take it and nary a drop actually came into the cockpit past the windshield.
(The wife was laying on the floor screaming "Take me back to shore!)

If you fish big water, and eventually you WILL take heavy weather, glass is better than aluminum and WAAAYY better than those "Pro" rigs by the tournament trail sponsoring manufacturers.
Better ride, better wave cutting, and IMHO, way safer with their deeper freeboard depth and thick gunnel widths with easy hand grasp ability inside to catch yourself if a big one hits.
Much better lateral stability in heavy weather & sharp turns too - which also works in your favor if you want to wind-drift fish in moderately calm weather, because the more vertical you can present windward makes for faster trolling speed without power.
And yes, if you want to spend for it, you CAN install a trolling motor on a glass boat - even a cuddy model (with an extended shaft).

If there is a downside to glass;
• It WILL cost you a little more in maintenance and upkeep if you want to keep a nice boat looking nice & running without problems.
• a 3/4 ton truck is better than a 1/2 ton truck for toting it around - if you exceed 20' & need a dual axle trailer (4,000# or more rig).
HYATT™'s Starcraft rig is 4,650#-5,000# and hauling it back to Madison, the lack of "oomph" from the 5.7L Hemi with a 3.55 rear end was noticable.
Not that the 5.7L Hemi has all that much "oomph" to begin with.
Our 2012 Chrysler 300 is WAY faster getting out of it's own way.

HYATT™ started out way back in a Starcraft and has come full circle.
Starcraft has been making boats for a long time (1903), has a great (albeit low-key and under most peeps notice) reputation for high quality fishing boats and took that seriously when they started designing their glass powerboat models.
HYATT™ can't see any shortcuts in this 2212LX - it's built right, and tough, with quality evident throughout.
Plenty of free sidewall space for fishing rods, a nice swim platform on the back to sit on and dangle yer feet in the water so minnows can nibble yer toes - you can even sit on the flat cuddy roof and fish out front (and put your beer and bait in the handy rope locker under yer butt).

Can't wait to rig up the locator and rod holders and start getting some fall Walleye action soon.

[seidl9]

I am also in the camp that moving from AL to glass is not a lateral move in most cases. I have a 189 Tyee and a friend of mine has a 1875 pro V and think the Glass is smoother riding than the AL when it gets rough.
When shopping for the 189 I looked at a lot of boats and rode in a as may as I could get a ride in. I was originally gunning for the 1880 Ranger, until my wife saw the 1850 Ranger and the 189 Tyee GL. Rode in both the 1850 and 189 and I could not really tell a difference in ride between the two. Both road better than my Larson I was replacing. It came down to my wife and I preferring the layout with separate ski locker vs rod locker on the Lund a little more than the Ranger. 200hp rating on the 189 vs 175 on the 1850 also played in to it for me. I think Ranger has a little better attention to the small details like the side pieces and deck carpet than the Lund GL but not light years better. Did ride in the 208 Tyee and it had a high tendency to porpoise so could see where it could be a rough ride in choppy stuff but water was calm for that ride.
Where I typically go I have not been in long rollers so can’t comment on the ride in those but have no complaints on the ride in peaky 3-4 foot waves, haven’t had it in any thing real bad yet though. I have ben able to drop down trim in an cut through most of it but need to slow down for the 4 footers. I am running a hydraulic jack pate no trim tabs. The Lund does sit high on the trailer so shallow launches are a challenge, deeper launches I have no problems launching by my self, even easier with the Drotto.
If we weren’t a 50/50 water sports / fishing family and more fishing geared I would definitely take a look at the Ranger 619 (May be tough to find one in your budget) the Yar-Craft 186, or the ZV19. Honesty any thing in the 18/19 foot range with a 200/225 (50-55mph) will have a hard time keeping up with the 20 footers with 300HP category.
Layout ultimately comes down to personal preference so ride in as many as possible to help make the decision on what you like, happy shopping.

[oldlund]

I have a 2019 1880 and agree with all the comments. I fish 80%, 20% family. The 1880 has really high quality jump seats if that matters. I keep the back two seats out. It allows our family if 4 to have a lot more room when boating/swimming. Really a good package for that. I have had a few annoying quality control issues that were easily addressed. It’s a nice ride, though I’m still thinking of adding an air wave or wave pro for long rides in the nasty stuff.


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[2sac]

Originally Posted by oldlund

I have a 2019 1880 and agree with all the comments. I fish 80%, 20% family. The 1880 has really high quality jump seats if that matters. I keep the back two seats out. It allows our family if 4 to have a lot more room when boating/swimming. Really a good package for that. I have had a few annoying quality control issues that were easily addressed. It’s a nice ride, though I’m still thinking of adding an air wave or wave pro for long rides in the nasty stuff.


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What motor do you have hanging off the back?

[oldlund]

Mercury v8 pro xs. I love it. It might be the way I drive but it seems thirsty. I can get 50-54 (hit 55 once) depending on conditions and load. I prefer to cruise around 40-47 and it’s great for that.


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