I have been using a fiberglass bass boat on the river since 1984. Before that I had aluminums. There isn’t many places that I feel would be better off having an aluminum boat. The fiberglass bassboats have a lower profile and makes it less prone to being blown around on windy days. They are usally more stable to walk around and the decks are closer to the gunnel making it easier to flip and pitch. I usually wipe it down with a wet towel when I take it out of the water to remove any scum lines and wax it 2 or 3 times a year. Not that big of a deal to me. I have a Hambys beach bumper on the keel and it really helps protect from scrapes on the bottom. If you do any walleye fishing when there is ice floating then you are better off with an aluminum boat. There are some really nice aluminum bass boats on the market now such as Xpress and GenIII but I still like the way my Ranger rides and the stable fishing platform it provides.