About to pull trigger on the rt188

[Nova Kaw 650]

The deck on smaller glass boats are WAY smaller.

Just something to consider also.

Don't know about that.... it doesn't look any bigger than my 18.5' Stratos when looking at pictures on the Ranger website, and maybe a little smaller.

[TritonTRXV8]

Nitro z7 is an 18'8" boat with a very large front deck. Nitros are wide up front. Even the z6 is a very wide front deck.

[buton]

you need to know what you want.

for example...

i know that i am not a good mechanic and i know little about motors etc... to be fixing them by my self...
i have a normal job, 7 am to 5 pm. monday to friday. i can only fish the weekends. i want to jump in the boat, start it and go fishing rather than going to the mechanic on the weekend leave there and go next weekend to pick it up because something failed.

if i would have bought it used, for sure at that price point i will have a fast nice glass boat. But i don't have the time to :
-be driving in rush hours across the metromess to go and test boat
-search on the internet for a boat
-make sure the motor works great, service record etc...

if you have time to really test the boat and make sure it will not be a problem in the future i would get the glass boat... there is one on
tff 2013 skeeter for 25k.

WTS: 2013 Skeeter tzx190***Price drop 25,900 | Boats 4 Sale | Texas Fishing Forum


Storage...

the RT188 fits on my 3 car garage with our cars on it. a bigger boat will not fit, and my wife would have not been happy by leaving a car outside.

[tin wacker]

The deck on my 2015 rt 188 is bigger than the deck on my 21 foot triton . front and rear

[Ozark Angler]

Nitro z7 is an 18'8" boat with a very large front deck. Nitros are wide up front. Even the z6 is a very wide front deck.

Go look at a 190 front deck, then a Z7 and see it in person. You'll be surprised. Especially the Z6.

[Ozark Angler]

Don't know about that.... it doesn't look any bigger than my 18.5' Stratos when looking at pictures on the Ranger website, and maybe a little smaller.

For the glass boats I saw in the show room which was a Triton and Stratos parked next to a 188. There is a difference.

I've seen the same thing comparing the Tracker 190 to the Z6 and Z7. It feels comfortable "in my opinion" on the 190. Just feels more open.

Not trying to insult your rig bud. I've not seen it in person. Did not mean to lump yours into my comparison. I was generally speaking based on my observations of side by side real world comparison. Pics don't really do it justice.

Again, apologies.

[Panama]

The deck on my 2015 rt 188 is bigger than the deck on my 21 foot triton . front and rear

Agreed. You are exactly right.
It is also bigger than the deck on my 19 foot Ranger and the 20 ft Champion I had. These glass boats get very very narrow toward the front and the RT188 does not.

[Tommy O.]

The deck on the z7 is much wider and bigger than any tin boat out there.

[TritonTRXV8]

Go look at a 190 front deck, then a Z7 and see it in person. You'll be surprised. Especially the Z6.

I did 4 weeks ago they were parked next to each other........
PT190
image.jpg
Z7
image.jpg
RT188
image.jpg
Skeeter 190
image.jpg

[Nova Kaw 650]

The RT188 is a little under proportioned in the picture compared to the others (should be almost as long as the Skeeter), but the pictures give a great indication.
On a side note, if you want to make a front deck "feel" bigger, compare a single console to a dual in an otherwise identical boat. The impression will be that the single console boat front deck will feel bigger, when it's actually the same size.

[Agdoc2000]

Ozark and Buton, does the boat feel stable to you? moving around the deck doesnt tilt the boat too much? do you ever feel unsafe at all in your boat?

[spinningreel]

That is where the RT series shines, when the TM is down and your moving about the decks fishing, very very stable, minimal tilt, hardly noticeable at all. Have never felt unsafe one time, but I also don't fish Huge water like Lake Erie, Champlain, etc.

But I do fish pretty good size lakes, such as Douglas, Cherokee, even Guntersville, As Pamama stated earlier, if its too windy for the RT, then I pretty much don't need to be out there anyway.

The huge front deck is nice, its way bigger than my previous 17' Glass boat, its even got more front deck space than a buddies 185VS glass boat, but the storage lockers aren't as deep as a glass boat though, but the deck surface area is very roomy.

[buton]

I don't feel unsafe. it is very stable for a tin boat. I feel this boat is really solid to fish on. I have had two other buddies with me and it fishes really good.

when it is windy I just try to position my terrova against the wind and then u just follow contour or spot lock, this is when a terrova in a tin boat shines

[Kodiak16]

Buy what you like. Unless you have unlimited time, its tough to make tournaments and tougher to win. So do you really need the giant motor and rig? Is getting there 5 minutes earlier gonna make a difference? I see 60,000 thousand dollar rigs and 500 dollar ones at the ramps and you know, we all catch about the same amount of fish on any given day. Buying the boat is the cheap part, it's all the other crap that will pinch your pocket. If your mildly handy you can do most of the maintenance on today's boats yourself.
It's the pleasure they bring you and your family. Focus on that and you'll be happy.

[TritonTRXV8]

The RT188 is a little under proportioned in the picture compared to the others (should be almost as long as the Skeeter), but the pictures give a great indication.
On a side note, if you want to make a front deck "feel" bigger, compare a single console to a dual in an otherwise identical boat. The impression will be that the single console boat front deck will feel bigger, when it's actually the same size.

Thats the best pic I could find of an overhead of the ranger. It was late.