Modern aluminum boats vs glass

A fella told me the other day a modern 17-18 foot aluminum boat rides better than the 20 year old aluminum boats – any truth to that or is extremely marginal ? I find it hard to believe as hull design looks the same as my 2004 to 202x but curious to what IDO says .

Also how does an 18 foot fiberglass boat hold up ride wise compared to an 18 foot aluminum boat ? I assume better being glass , but again is it worth the money and can take some bigger seas ? Obviously the 20-23 footers is a better ride but the 18s ???

15-20 year old glass boats are still 25-30 k . And a new 18 footer aluminum isn’t bad compared to price. Especially some of the deals lacannes was running . Just makes a guy wonder
. For reference riding or dying with the beat up crestliner for another 5-10 years . Scratched up rigs are fun to fish out of . Just a topic we had at camp last week .

In my opinion if you are comparing alum to glass you need to compare the Lund IPS hull with the Pro Guide tiller packages. Ride in glass is better, price is cheaper in the alum but if comparing to the Lunds it’s certainly not a wide margin. Those Lund Pro Guides are crazy expensive when you get to the 19-20′ models.

This subject is like arguing which truck brand is better. It’s personal experience and the money you have available to spend.

To be honest my buddy has a 20′ Alumacraft tiller, if I had to buy a alum I would buy that over the Lund Pro Guide. But I don’t see myself buying anything but glass.

Should have added – full windshield boat guy . No tillers for me.

That won’t matter. The hulls mostly are the same the difference is the top cap.

Or… you could just go fishing. Instead of spending 50k on a boat and worrying about ride quality. A red 14ft Lund will catch just as many fish.

There are advantages nd disadvantages of both. Obviously fiberglass can handle rougher water and will ride better in a chop because it’s heavier. But being heavier you burn more fuel towing it.

I personally have zero use for a fiberglass boat. Rarely fish big water. Plus my garage is only so big too.

As far as aluminum boats go new vs old I would say brand is a bigger determinant than age. I’ve been in some relatively smooth old aluminum hulls and I’ve ridden in some newer aluminum boats that pounded the crap out of you.

Just me but I am just as happy with my 2000 Crestliner 182 Tournament Series as the day I bought it for my fishing. As far as ride the bigger heavier sparkly boats are going to ride better. Since I do not tournament fish anymore if it takes me a bit longer to get where I am going I just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I don’t think weight has everything to do with the ride quality. It is easier in a fiberglass boat to add ridges to the hull that can catch water and dampen the bounce. In an aluminum hull one can add rivets to the hull to help add give and help dampen the bounce. Aluminum hulls can only be designed in certain ways for manufacturing. I don’t think aluminum will win until we can build a hull that has rigids like we see in fiberglass designs. It is a lot easier to form fiberglass to any form that models best.

Weight isn’t what makes the glass boats ride better it’s the ability to form the hull in any manner they want. Aluminum is limited in how it can be formed so they need to use other means to control spray like rub rails and a chine. I love my boat alumacraft tournament sport 185 but we had a rough and wet ride a few times on low. It was more because of wind direction than anything we could go into or with the waves.

Mike J wrote:

Or… you could just go fishing. Instead of spending 50k on a boat and worrying about ride quality. A red 14ft Lund will catch just as many fish.

What color is the sky where you are?

I have said this before on this site in a previous post. I had a 2005 Pro-V 2025 I ran for a few years. I also ran a 385 Stratos. The Lund was a little over 20′ the Stratos was 18′-6″. I would take the ride of the 18.5 glass boat over the 20′ tin Lund any day of the week. I liked the space of the Lund but the ride was rough and very wet in big winds. There was no comparison for me. I have been running a 621 Ranger now for the last several years (my 2nd 621) and I like the ride of this boat. I have fished in several glass boats and it is as good or better than the boats I have fished out of. I will say that I have not been fishing in a new Pro-V tin boat, so I would think they have been improved since 2005. To the guy that suggested that a 14′ lund will catch just as many fish as a big boat is pretty much full of crap. On a small lake with no wind, I would agree. A lake of any size with wind chances are you wouldn’t get out with the 14′ boat. Hard to catch fish at home. Can you make a long run with the 14′? Maybe but at 20mph and a 5 gallon gas tank. You don’t need a big fancy boat to fish in waves and make 30 mile runs, but you will be a lot more comfortable. Those run long runs and waves can also be fished in a 18′ boat and like in anything you just have to respect the lake and be smart about it.

Mike J wrote:

Or… you could just go fishing. Instead of spending 50k on a boat and worrying about ride quality. A red 14ft Lund will catch just as many fish.

Yep, you can catch just as many fish out of a red 14Ft lund. The question is will you live to enjoy eating them. There are a few bodies of water that you would not want to risk on many summer days here in the midwest in a 14Ft boat. Can it be done – Yes. Will you have to limit what waters to fish on some days – Yes. But that is the case with all boats. A bigger boat simply limits the days and waters you can fish more than a 14 ft lund.

wormdunker wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mike J wrote:</div>
Or… you could just go fishing. Instead of spending 50k on a boat and worrying about ride quality. A red 14ft Lund will catch just as many fish.

What color is the sky where you are?

Won’t a inflated 6 foot raft too, as long as you can get to the spot ?

It’s correct that a boat has never caught a fish. But they will get you where you want to go and back in comfort with a bit more safety.

I would take a 14′ over a 12′, a 16′ over a 14′, a 18′ over a 16’….you get the idea. Also fiberglass every day of the week. However as I’ve said many times, it’s your money spend it any way it makes you happy.

Dutchboy wrote:

Also fiberglass every day of the week.

For overall ride quality and dryness, yes agree. But if I was primarily fishing the river or beaching on rocky shoreline lakes, I might be looking at an Aluminum hull. Of all aluminum boat you see for sale here in the midwest, Any Lund would be my top pick.

I love my Ranger, treated me well over the years. It don’t own me a dime. I love my 16 ft Alumacraft jon boat too. Get’s the job done on a lot of small rivers and can do just fine on big rivers like pool 2.

Truth is a guy needs about 5 boats to cover it all well. I would sure like a big ol pontoon some days just to go for a cruise.

-J.

Jon I agree. However these old bones don’t do any hardcore fishing or boating anymore. I just toss a crank or spoon over the side, slip it in gear and away I go. Catching is way down the list at this point. It’s all comfort and scenery for this guy.

love that 16 foot jon

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
Also fiberglass every day of the week.

For overall ride quality and dryness, yes agree. But if I was primarily fishing the river or beaching on rocky shoreline lakes, I might be looking at an Aluminum hull. Of all aluminum boat you see for sale here in the midwest, Any Lund would be my top pick.

I love my Ranger, treated me well over the years. It don’t own me a dime. I love my 16 ft Alumacraft jon boat too. Get’s the job done on a lot of small rivers and can do just fine on big rivers like pool 2.

Truth is a guy needs about 5 boats to cover it all well. I would sure like a big ol pontoon some days just to go for a cruise.

-J.

I agree with this. I love our Reata but it spends most of its time on the river. I launch by myself a lot where there are no docks. My old Lund 1700 Angler I didn’t mind running it up on shore. I’m a lot more mindful with the Reata.

I think a guy realistically needs 3 boats:

1) A shallow water jon or jet boat for the rivers.
2) a mid size tin boat for day to day use on lakes or rivers.
3) A big glass boat for large water and/or fish and ski duty.

shefland wrote:

love that 16 foot jon

I sure do, Dave! Best boat purchase I have ever made.

-J.