Wanting to Change from Glass to Tin

[fishnman]

Howdy everyone. I've been in a glass rig for my whole fishing life. I've owned Ranger (8 yrs), Skeeter (8 yrs), and for the last 12 yrs, BCB. All of these boats have been fine, but all of these boats have had one downfall.....and that's that glass is fragile. Fiberglass cracks, it fades, it crazes, does poorly with UV....its just a fragile material. Not strength wise.....because 99% of these issues are cosmetic......but if you've got faded, cracked, or crazed glass....it looks bad and it hurts the resale.

That said, I'm thinking about moving over to Aluminum.

I've sold my latest glass rig and am ready to purchase a new one. I'm not into the 250's and all that.....I do fish BFLs and ABAs....and I mostly fish southern reservoirs. I don't fish many team tournaments, although my boys do fish with me from time to time (one at a time....not usually both on a single trip..college age).

I want decent speed (good enough to be reasonable in a ABA or BFL), a decent livewell for two, and decent storage. I also want a tandem trailer, a single power pole, and middle of the road electronics.

My fear is that I hear that welds on the aluminum can fracture? I also hear some about dents in aluminum. Scratches I'm really not worried about.....as any boat is going to get some scratches.

Some of you guys who have moved from glass to tin.....I'd love to hear your comments....pros and cons. I really want to get away from the issues with glass.

[javjoe]

I always ran 18-1/2 foot glass boats with a 150. 2 years ago i switched to a ranger 198P with a 150 G2 and couldn't be happier.
I wouldn't be concerned with welds cracking. Yeah there's been a few boats of different brands that had cracks but it's a very small number. No different than glass boats getting blisters!

Don't know what you're looking for in speed but if you want to run over 60 you need to look at boats with a 200. That would be Xpress and Vexus, both nice boats.

[King_Fish]

I went with the RT198p and have no complaints. I take care of mine as far as keeping it clean, touching up scratches, etc... and that's just because I am anal. I do run it pretty hard on the water, been bumped and banged around in the waves and wakes, and all good thus far. I prefer the light weight of aluminum for hauling and for maneuvering around in my driveway as I have to unload and pull it into my garage by hand. The only cons I can come up with, which are non-factors to me, are -> (1) no matter how you slice it, they are not as smooth a ride as a big heavy glass. However, the aluminum pad hull rides very nice up on plane. (2) They are a bit more susceptible to wind, not horrible, but it requires more TM work/diligence to keep her stable. I will upgrading to an Ultrex at some point just based on all the advantages it offers. (3) With wind and descent waves/wakes you will get wet, this is based on hull contour. Again, not a show stopper. The Vexus folks claim this is not an issue with their hull, but, I cannot substantiate that claim.

I tournament fish a lot, and my livewell is just fine, never lost a fish due to livewell design.

With a 150HP on any stock aluminum rig, you most likely won't see speeds in excess of 60-61 mph. If you need higher performance, you should consider a hull that will accommodate 200HP.

All things considered, I will never go back to a glass boat.

That's all I got, good luck...

[Panama]

I have owned glass boats just like you. All total, I have owned about 25 or so boats. I have owned Ranger, Champion, and Cobra. So I can relate to your situation. I had fiberglass blisters twice and that was enough for me. If they still made aluminum boats like they did 20 years ago, I would still own fiberglass.....but they don't.

I love Ranger boats and have been happy with my RT188......it suits me fine and is easy to maintain and fish from and goes fast as I want to go anymore....... That said, from your post I would recommend looking at the Xpresss X series. Look hard at a X19 with a 200 SHO on it. You still want to tournament fish some. You can fish this boat anywhere and will seldom get passed by a normal boat. It rides great and Xpress has been at this a long time. The aluminum is also thicker than most boats. I fished out of one a good bit until my buddy passed away. It is a great boat from a company that has been building aluminum for a long time.

[Pokie Pa]

I have owned glass boat too. Fished TXs b8t nothing big. I sold my Triton TR21 a few years back and went to Tin ( Aluminum ). I have not looked back. They are lighter,
better fuel running and towing, and meet my needs in every way, I don't fish TXs anymore so I went with the Ranger RT188. I love it. If I was doing TXs, I would go with
a Ranger RT198 or a Vexus. Check them all out. There are many good aluminum rigs out there. Get the one that meets your needs. You will never look at glass boats again.

[Rich Phalin]

Lund ProV bass might me an option too. They take some big motors and are riveted construction if your worried about the welds.

[rng518]

fishman check your IM call me i live in statesville nc

[Great Scott]

If you dont have a garage, any boat constantly
exposed to mother nature will deteriorate, whether
glass or aluminum. If a boat cover is the best you
can do get one that has a high UV rating. I saw a boat
as the owner uncovered it, the top of the seats had
deteriorated from the sun, worse than if it had no cover at all.
It had been covered most of the summer.
I want to use my boat but I never want it to look used. LDS

[GeauxTide]

That said, from your post I would recommend looking at the Xpresss X series. Look hard at a X19 with a 200 SHO on it. You still want to tournament fish some. You can fish this boat anywhere and will seldom get passed by a normal boat. It rides great and Xpress has been at this a long time. The aluminum is also thicker than most boats. I fished out of one a good bit until my buddy passed away. It is a great boat from a company that has been building aluminum for a long time.

Panama is right on the money. I love my RT188, but they don't sell them within 2 hours. I've fished out of my Uncle's X17 and later X19 and they were fantastic. His 19 had a 150VMAX, running 58. Handled like a glass boat. My main concern is a 150HP+ motor on a .100 hull. The Xpress are tanks.

[fishnman]

I want to thank all you guys for your comments. You guys have all been very helpful. I'm going to look into the 198, the Vexus and the X19. Thank you guys very much.

[n2ratfishin]

I jumped from a Cougar to my RT188. It's not the best riding boat on big water, but it gets me there. I agree with the choices you listed in post 10.

[Jeff Hahn]

I have fished from my buddy's 2014 RT 188 many, many times. It fishes like a glass boat, but alas it still rides like a tin boat. Last spring we both had the chance to run and fish out of a Vexus 1980 for a week. This boat is far and away a better ride than his RT188. In my estimation, the comparison isn't even close. My buddy is now in the process of buying a Vexus 1980 and I can hardly wait to fish in it!

[King_Fish]

Fishnman - all solid choices, please keep us in the loop on your experience and decision. Good luck!

And BTW, a gentle reminder to us all, comparing an rt188 to a Vexus 1980 is not a fair comparison. They are two completely different hulls...

[rdcarleton]

I’ve been kicking tires on tin recently as well. I’m currently in a 2013 Nitro Z9 with 250 ProXS. I’ve never tournament fished, just a Saturday fun fisherman. My boat has always sat outside under the factory cover and I’ve recently noticed some sun damage on the motor and south facing fiberglass fender. My garage is only 21’3” and can only use one side (wife gets the other). Side entry garage and can’t turn a tandem trailer into it. I’m seriously considering selling to avoid further sun damage. I’m thinking I could either get an rt188 or a Vexus 1880 in the 21’3 of garage. I crawled around a rt188 today and wow the storage difference compared to The z9 was quite concerning. I don’t know if I’d be happy going that small. I fish guntersville and it can get pretty rough especially in spring winds. My option are limited with the garage I have. I’m also thinking maybe a Z18 with single axel but don’t know if it will squeeze in the garage. I have not had the opportunity to look at Vexus. I rarely run more than 50 mph, But I’m thinking a 115 is topping out at maybe 48 mph. Will the tin boats handle tackle and gear for two? Where does the back seater put his tackle? Those rear compartments are tiny.

[blakesfav]

I’ve been kicking tires on tin recently as well. I’m currently in a 2013 Nitro Z9 with 250 ProXS. I’ve never tournament fished, just a Saturday fun fisherman. My boat has always sat outside under the factory cover and I’ve recently noticed some sun damage on the motor and south facing fiberglass fender. My garage is only 21’3” and can only use one side (wife gets the other). Side entry garage and can’t turn a tandem trailer into it. I’m seriously considering selling to avoid further sun damage. I’m thinking I could either get an rt188 or a Vexus 1880 in the 21’3 of garage. I crawled around a rt188 today and wow the storage difference compared to The z9 was quite concerning. I don’t know if I’d be happy going that small. I fish guntersville and it can get pretty rough especially in spring winds. My option are limited with the garage I have. I’m also thinking maybe a Z18 with single axel but don’t know if it will squeeze in the garage. I have not had the opportunity to look at Vexus. I rarely run more than 50 mph, But I’m thinking a 115 is topping out at maybe 48 mph. Will the tin boats handle tackle and gear for two? Where does the back seater put his tackle? Those rear compartments are tiny.

The 18.5 foot Lund Pro v Bass may be a good option for you. It will handle Guntersville waves as well as your Z9, has as much storage, and will likely fit in your garage. It’s unique among the large group of 18.5 foot aluminums on the market. The deep V hull creates tons of storage. It is a 60 mph boat with a 200.

[javjoe]

Fishnman - all solid choices, please keep us in the loop on your experience and decision. Good luck!

And BTW, a gentle reminder to us all, comparing an rt188 to a Vexus 1980 is not a fair comparison. They are two completely different hulls...

Same can be said RT188 and the RT198P, two completely different animals!

[pabasshawk]

I changed from glass to a Ranger 198P in 2016 and will never go back. Wish I had a little more room in the cockpit but the tin fishes great and has all the storage I need.

[PolarKraft195]

I've owned several very nice Fiberglass bassboats, and I think my favorite bassboat I've owned could be my present boat, which is a tin!

[Mechanic Bob]

I just down the road from you in Wilmington and have a RT 198P without Carpeting. Also I have the Aluminum Trailer as I fish the Saltwater too. Very happy with my rig. (The wife offered if I wanted to get the Z518 CI that is for sale on this site and I told her no, as I am more comfortable with my current rig. I do miss hitting 74 mph though.)
The RT 198P has plenty of storage, I have the Mercury ProXS 4S and really really loaded boat and do about 52 mph. So it is fast too.

[Bill Reynolds]

I’ve been kicking tires on tin recently as well. I’m currently in a 2013 Nitro Z9 with 250 ProXS. I’ve never tournament fished, just a Saturday fun fisherman. My boat has always sat outside under the factory cover and I’ve recently noticed some sun damage on the motor and south facing fiberglass fender. My garage is only 21’3” and can only use one side (wife gets the other). Side entry garage and can’t turn a tandem trailer into it. I’m seriously considering selling to avoid further sun damage. I’m thinking I could either get an rt188 or a Vexus 1880 in the 21’3 of garage. I crawled around a rt188 today and wow the storage difference compared to The z9 was quite concerning. I don’t know if I’d be happy going that small. I fish guntersville and it can get pretty rough especially in spring winds. My option are limited with the garage I have. I’m also thinking maybe a Z18 with single axel but don’t know if it will squeeze in the garage. I have not had the opportunity to look at Vexus. I rarely run more than 50 mph, But I’m thinking a 115 is topping out at maybe 48 mph. Will the tin boats handle tackle and gear for two? Where does the back seater put his tackle? Those rear compartments are tiny.

I still fish club tournaments and my partner puts his tackle at his feet. There is no room for it on the back deck. I use the port side storage as an ice chest which leaves the one on the starboard side empty. It will hold three or four tackle trays but my tournament partner doesn’t bother with it.
Otherwise it fishes great, the front deck is large enough for 2 and I have plenty of tackle and rod storage.




The rear compartments on the RT198P are much larger, it has a 150 HP rating and you can mount 2 power poles if desired. Coming out of a glass boat, you may be happier with it.