Going From Glass to Tin

[pabasshawk]

No regrets. Love my 198P

[whatroads]

I grew up fishing in a tri-hull glass boat. It was very stable for the windy lakes here in the Mid-West. I now have a Tracker 190 TX. I am most impressed by how this boat handles windy lake conditions. For myself, the other advantage a tin has over glass is that all three lakes I primarily fish have lots of standing timber. I'm usually right in the middle of the timber catching crappie. Now, if I mostly fished big open lakes I might go glass or even a v-hull tin.

[BoilermakerRT178]

Went the other way. Out of my tin and moving to a larger glass. Loved that RT but wanted something with a little more of everything. Found myself at redline and wanting so much more almost ever time I was out.

Need a a new online handle.

[blakesfav]

Love my Pro V Lund on windy days. Except when it sprays you. On calm days, I miss being able to just wind one out. But it’s all a compromise. Since I fish on big Texas resovoirs, the Lund was a better set up than the glass rigs I looked at.

[maralunatic]

I went from a Ranger to a Lund..Loved the Ranger, but it was a beast to load on the trailer on windy days and towed pretty heavy behind the truck. I loved my tin boat for the simple fact that I had no problem taking it anywhere and it was designed for multi species fishing. Also handled the waves better than the Ranger on rough days. Gotta love the deep V

[n2ratfishin]

I bought another motorcycle for the days when "I feel the need"

Pad vs non pad. You have to run fast and clean enough to get the boat up on the pad, then keep it there. The reason the deep V rides so well is dead rise. Everything is a tradeoff. Look at what kind of fishing you do most and buy accordingly.

There is a LOT more to how a boat handles than if it has a pad or not.

[CBuckBassin]

I ran an 18 foot Skeeter and made the switch last year to a Ranger 198P. Do it! Ride is great, speed is same as my Skeeter 60mph, and the storage is unreal. I would suggest putting an Ultrex on the boat for the spot lock capability. It does blow around a bit more than my glass rig, but not enough to be a big issue.

[King_Fish]

I'm loving the switch from glass to my 198p! The only thing i noticed is you do get pushed around in the wind a little more, not enough to be an issue but it is there.

Overall i have no regrets

X2...and all Tins are susceptible to wind.

[King_Fish]

Did it a few timestin to glass to tin to glass to tin....

This does not answer the OG's question, please stay on topic Bud...

[grandbassslayer]

Love my Pro V Lund on windy days. Except when it sprays you. On calm days, I miss being able to just wind one out. But it’s all a compromise. Since I fish on big Texas resovoirs, the Lund was a better set up than the glass rigs I looked at.

The pro v should be a drier ride than any glass bass boat. I never get wet, every now and then some water sprays on the windshield but its rare and would have soaked someone in a bass boat.

[figueira]

X2...and all Tins are susceptible to wind.

×3
Ultrex seems to help a bit

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

I'll post since I've have both the big glass boat (Skeeter FX21 250 SHO) and a tin boat (Lowe 17HP Stinger - Pad Hull 90 Opti 2 stroke). I love both boats, they both have their strong points. My boat storage situation is such that the Skeeter doesn't fit in my garage. It is under cover under my big deck behind the house so it is protected from the weather as good as being in the garage. It is a pain to drag it out and take the cover off so I found myself only using it if it was an all day trip. I got the 17HP and with the folding tongue it stays in the garage ready to go. I find myself using the glass boat for longer days out, for tournaments, for more than 2 people (counting myself) or for those days when I just have the need for speed. The tin boat make it possible to go for a few hours in the evening and is better down on the river. You give up speed and some comfort going to tin but I really think the comfort thing is overstated by most in my opinion. If my tin boat would go as fast as the glass boat then I'm sure the aluminum hull would be much rougher but since cruising speed is 33 mph in the tin compared to 50 - 60 mph in the glass boat that speed difference makes the bumps feel about the same if you can follow my thinking. I've often thought which boat I would keep if I had to get rid of one and it might be the glass boat. As I said I use the tin boat more, it tows easier, is more river friendly, takes less time to keep looking good, uses less fuel and still does ok on the big lakes as long as I use common sense about conditions. Keep in mind that my tin boat is only 17' long. The big tin boats may be much closer to the big glass boats in ride quality at speed and storage. I think in the end we should just be thankful that we have something to fish out of and the health to do it. One of my favorite quotes is - "Gratitude - turns what I have into enough." Whatever you get just use it as much as you can and enjoy being alive!

[Macsimus]

The only way I'd go tin is when I decide I no longer want to fish big water or my schedule gets to the point where I can pick my days (eg, less traffic weekdays and better weather days). Until then, I'm sticking with my big glass boat and loving the way it rides through the waves and doesn't beat the crap out of my body.

[PolarKraft195]

This does not answer the OG's question, please stay on topic Bud...

next time I see you up on Presque Isle, I'm going to buzz your ass within 10ft at 52mph, only because that's as fast as I can go!

[King_Fish]

next time I see you up on Presque Isle, I'm going to buzz your ass within 10ft at 52mph, only because that's as fast as I can go!

Not Nice!

"Ramming Speed..."

[Kodiak16]

Spot loc on your troller will help with the wind. Every time I'm shallow or blowing into a dock or a rock kicks up on the road, I'm glad I have a tin.

[grandbassslayer]

The only way I'd go tin is when I decide I no longer want to fish big water or my schedule gets to the point where I can pick my days (eg, less traffic weekdays and better weather days). Until then, I'm sticking with my big glass boat and loving the way it rides through the waves and doesn't beat the crap out of my body.

A good tin will run just as soft as a glass. Look at a 2075 pro v bass, I would wager it'll run faster and softer in the rough stuff than 70% of glass boats the same size.

[Macsimus]

A good tin will run just as soft as a glass. Look at a 2075 pro v bass, I would wager it'll run faster and softer in the rough stuff than 70% of glass boats the same size.

Baloney. There's only so many ways a piece of aluminum sheeting can be bent and they're all pretty blunt. A fiberglass hull designer is unlimited in how he can design a hull.

[grandbassslayer]

Baloney. There's only so many ways a piece of aluminum sheeting can be bent and they're all pretty blunt. A fiberglass hull designer is unlimited in how he can design a hull.

I have had the personal seat time to compare and was personally surprised.

[blakesfav]

Baloney. There's only so many ways a piece of aluminum sheeting can be bent and they're all pretty blunt. A fiberglass hull designer is unlimited in how he can design a hull.

I’ve owned both - the biggest and baddest fiberglass boats, and the Lund Pro V Bass 2075. The fiberglass bass boats are rougher than the Lund. The Lund is wetter. The ability to shape the fiberglass helps direct spray lower and away from the boat. But pretty much every fiberglass bass hull on the market does two things poorly when it comes to rough water - not enough V, and too much weight in the back for speed that results in the boat going nose high on a wave then slamming down on the next one. The Lund runs flat due to weight distribution and hull design and it doesn’t beat you. I prefer it based on my experience.