Why do you run a tin rig?

[krr6581]

Well Frank, I've had a glass rig a Triton TR186. Beautiful boat and I enjoyed it and it wasn't the fastest boat compared to the guys with the 200 and larger motors. My 175 XR6 was pretty good and 65mph was about my top end. I babied that boat and always worried about keeping it clean and scratch free. Well the EX got half of it when we went our seperate ways. Well 9 years later I decided I'd like to get another boat since my obligations from that divorce ended. I considered getting another glass boat but didn't want he headaches of upkeep. So for I decided to look at the tin market. I was going to buy new but a friend had a Tracker All Fish V18 and I was really impressed with the ride. I found the same hull with Trackers TV18 which is the bass boat version of the same hull. It had low hours on the motor and was clean as a pin except for the seats where the Tracker dealer left the boat outside without any cover for a little over 9 months. Buying it saved me $10K and the rest is history. I don't regret going tin and I got a 5 year old boat that overall was like brand new except for the ultra violet damage to the stitching of the seats. Best thing is I'm not worried about scratching gel coat or screwing up the finish some other way.

[crankbass'n]

Alright, so how does the ride compare? What's the benefit of fiberglass (other than apparently speed)?

[Tommy O.]

Fiberglass boats are more stable.

[bdog7198]

Alright, so how does the ride compare? What's the benefit of fiberglass (other than apparently speed)?

Ride is better on glass but newer tins are not nearly has bad as even 10 years ago.

Trying to think of any other benefits, mainly speed.

[bdog7198]

Not as much anymore, go from my RT188 to a friends 18ft glass and not a noticeable difference.

If I remember correctly with the width of the Ranger even the front deck is a little bigger than some fiberglass boats.

[Macsimus]

I keep trying to talk myself into a tin rig for a lot of the reasons mentioned in this thread. But then I go fishing in my 20' Cougar and realize just how completely spoiled I am. My fishing nirvana right now is the Canadian Shield lakes of northern MN. Every time it gets windy and I'm on the west end of the lake and it's time to call it a day and head back to the resort at the far east end of the lake, I just smile because that Cougar rides like a big ol' caddy in the waves. I'm 64 and I'll eventually wind up with a smaller tin boat and fish smaller lakes when I can no longer take care of the glass boat, but not yet. Not just yet.

[crankbass'n]

Ride is better on glass but newer tins are not nearly has bad as even 10 years ago.

Trying to think of any other benefits, mainly speed.

ok, define "better" and "newer". I've only been in glass as a coangler. Looking to purchase soon and looking at used which I would think means "older" LOL.

[BigJfrank]

Here's my take on this chatter: I have had a 19 foot glass and a 20 foot glass, 4 tin boats from 17 to almost 20 foot tin. AlumaCraft, Tracker, Crestliner, and now Ranger RT188.

Glass: for me, the biggest thing was a MUCH drier ride in my 20 foot Skeeter and that is the thing I miss most. When it's windy, I can sometimes take a bath in the RT188, whereas it really didn't matter how windy it was in my Skeeter, I stayed dry. I miss that a lot. Also, the Skeeter was very very stable, but so is my RT188 to me, so kind of a wash.

Tin: All the advantages spoken about above. Plus mine has an Ultrex so all the "I get blown around in wind" is negated by the Game Changer.

For the tin I would rank them overall this way:

1. Ranger RT 188
2. Tracker 190 tie
2. AlumaCraft 19.5 tie
5. Crestliner (it was a turd, wettest ride EVER)

[slonezp]

Ride will greatly depend on the hull design. A tin mod v will offer a rougher ride than a v hull. Some mod v's have a v the length of the bottom and some do not. Some are a pad hull. A 15 degree v will ride better than a 12 degree v and so on.

[Whitaker201]

Because I can't get my Stratos into the same places I can get to with my Tracker with a jet drive.

[contium]

Because a real fisherman wouldn't be seen dead in a sparkle pony.

J/k (kind of) I've owned glass boats going back to the late 80's. Got burnt out on the tournament thing. Got tired of the cost of the boats and the upkeep. Got tired of chasing the cheese (keeping up with the Jones). Didn't bass fish for a while. Wanted to start back up and got a tin to keep it real. I own a business and have a 17 month old son and don't have the time or desire to deal with a glass boat. I love my 178 but will be getting a 188 shortly. Of course my dealer has a Z185 sitting next to a 188 and it sure is pretty lol.

[Macsimus]

So, is the 188 "realer" than the 178?

[contium]

So, is the 188 "realer" than the 178?

Ha! No, but I regularly fish 3 people so the 178 gets pretty cramped.

[Goldstar225]

I have never owned a glass boat and I'll stay with tin for a number of reasons:

1. Where I fish much of the time is too hazardous for a glass boat. Stumps and lots of them. Beaching on sometimes rocky shores. Fishing on shallow areas. The bottom of my last tin was heavily dented but held up. I would hate to see what a glass boat would look like, or the repairs.
2. Cost. While I could afford a more expensive boat, I'm unwilling to spend the money on a glass boat. I don't tournament fish, pleasure only so the increased speed and rough water capabilities of a glass boat have no added value to me. If it's that rough, I'll stay home and fish another day.

For those who can afford and want a glass boat, I'm truly proud for you and I wish you great happiness. I'm perfectly content with the speed and abilities of a lesser boat.

[TheSilverFox]

I figure it cost me $24,000 in 5 years of ownership with my Skeeter... and I didn't recoup any of it, just depreciation. I was shocked when I came up with that number but that's probably on the low end for some people. A $60,000 boat can be a $35,000 boat pretty dang quickly. I know the new tin will lose value quick to but it is what it is. The tin should be here long after the fiberglass is gone in most cases.

[shfishinsticks]

Another plus for tin:. When you wear a tin out beyond it's usefulness, you can sell it for scrap. When you wear out a glass boat, you can't even give it away.

[HarrisOK]

Entry level cost for my RT188.
Also weight pulling behind my truck. I got the aluminum trailer and you don’t know it behind you.

[Panama]

I have had my share of fast glass boats. My first glass bassboat was a 1972 model tri-hull. I don't want a glass boat anymore.

I had two cases of blisters on a glass boat. On one pretty much the whole bottom was covered. On the second one, it blistered where the bunks are. If you have never experienced this, it is a long expensive process to fix them. On the first boat, they had to pull the motor, batteries, rigging, gas tank, and turn the hull upside down to fix it....then put it all back together. They don't warranty against blisters. Some manufacturers say they have it fixed but I have been told about fixed boats getting them .... So I am not so sure..... Neither are they or they would warranty the boat.

The newer aluminum boats with the large front decks and wide beam fish as good as glass boats. With a couple of exceptions, they are not as fast but I can live with that. They ride comparable to smaller glass boats of about 18 feet or so, but not as good a big glass boats. I have had my RT out in some bad rough water and it did fine and I felt safe in it.......but a 20 ft. Ranger would have been better. Driving sensibly in rough water is the key.

Unless some decent manufacturer warranties their boat for blisters, I will probably never own another one. You just can't imagine the feeling of finding them on your boat. It's a "fool me once" type of thing. I have been very pleased with my switch from glass to aluminum especially considering the type of water I fish and I avoid bad weather but did the same with a glass boat.

[oldsoldier]

Going to turn 80 next year. My 198P much easier to manage.

[n2ratfishin]

Going to turn 80 next year. My 198P much easier to manage.

80 and still fishing.