V6 outboards cost alot to run. 20 bucks worth of gas doesn’t go very far. But, if you want to go 60 mph that is what you need. Fiberglass takes alot of care or your boat looks like crap. It also looks much nicer than aluminum. If you don’t use some sense you can put a hole in either one. Yes it does take more water to float a 18 foot glass boat than it does a 16 foot aluminum. Not that much. Most of the top river tournament fishermen run 18-20 foot glass boats, they seem to get to the fish. The bigger the boat the better the ride. But, on the weekends in the summer during midday, you can’t buy a big enough boat to overcome the onslaught of white fiberglass wave makers. They make any journey on the main channel a bummer. If you fish often and close to your ramp, within a few miles, a 16-17 foot 2-3 cylinder rig works fine and is less expensive to own. I think boats in the 17-18′ with 4 cylinder are a good comprimise. My friend has a Ranger R70 with a 115 Faststrike. It is a great 17′ boat and runs around 50 mph. I’ve fished bass on the river seriously for over 20 years from 14’ers with 25 horses to 18’ers with 175s. Most important. Get a big 24 volt trolling motor.