Buying a boat... which hull?

[1980Galaxy]

I am looking at buying my second boat. I want a fishing boat that I can fish in tournaments, mostly on the river... I would also like to take it on the lakes too. I will be "beaching" the boat on the edge of the river, for sure. Of course, I don't want to tear up the hull and will be as gentle as possible.

Aluminum or fiberglass? I know that I will likely scratch the fiberglass but HOW BAD? Will i be able to buff out most of the scratches? I am not looking for a 'show-room' boat but don't want to rip apart the hull in the first year of use either.

If fiberglass would be OK, then it would leave more options open for me when buying.

Maybe I am asking a dumb question but would like your opinions. Thanks.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

i would buy fiberglass boat for a few reasons. the first being that you can always fix any thing that you do to it. aluminum you can fix it unless you know how to weld. i would get a fiber glass trihull. it will sit good on the beach. when your fishing it will also give you a stable platform to fish off of and don't have to worry about the boat rocking back and forth.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

if you are fishing Bass tournaments you want a FAST boat! gotta get to the honey hole & weigh in 1st.

 

[BoatingCop]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

I had an '09 Tracker tournatment v18 with a 90. It had all the room and storage of a glass boat, pluss the ride was great and it was MUCH less than a glass boat. Mine had a 90 hp Merc with pushed it about 45 MPH. Great boat, and Tracker's quality has seem to increased. Just my experiences. Good Luck!

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

I guess I just want to know if I should rule out fiberglass hulls altogether. seems like I will be fine as long as I don't take a big gash out of it huh?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

Of course it really depends on the nature of the river you'll be fishing. If it's a tailwater with current, lots of rocks and fluctuating water levels then a traditional fiberglass bass boat would not be a good choice. Since you're in PA I'll assume we're not talking about a tidal river. That said, assuming you won't be fishing either of those types of rivers a glass rig will be fine if that's your preference. A keel guard would be a wise addition if you don't get one that's already thusly equipped. That said, I take issue with the assertion that one must be a welder to repair an aluminum boat. That is simply not the case. In fact, an aluminum hull can be easily and effectively repaired with any number of cold weld type products that can be tapped, sanded and painted to near invisibility. Just had to get that out.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

Of course it really depends on the nature of the river you'll be fishing. If it's a tailwater with current, lots of rocks and fluctuating water levels then a traditional fiberglass bass boat would not be a good choice. Since you're in PA I'll assume we're not talking about a tidal river. That said, assuming you won't be fishing either of those types of rivers a glass rig will be fine if that's your preference. A keel guard would be a wise addition if you don't get one that's already thusly equipped. That said, I take issue with the assertion that one must be a welder to repair an aluminum boat. That is simply not the case. In fact, an aluminum hull can be easily and effectively repaired with any number of cold weld type products that can be tapped, sanded and painted to near invisibility. Just had to get that out.

Thanks for the input. its hard to say exactly what's in the river here. I'm talkin about the susquehanna river and it gets shallow in some places and deeper in others with rocks and such in some places and others just sandy mud. I have seen both types of boats out on it now that I think about it tho. I will be 'beaching' it alongside the boat launch waiting for the tournaments to kick off so I don't want to rip up the underside every week or so. As long as I can fix minor scratches and such fairly easily then I will be happy.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Buying a boat... which hull?

If others run it with glass boats you should be fine doing the same. Just keep an open mind during your search. You might fall head over heels in love with a metal rig. If you do end up going with glass be especially careful when beaching her and make a keel guard a priority. A buddy of mine had a Ranger fish and ski without a keel guard and the keel got goobered up pretty bad from beaching.