+1; I have a 16 ft. Bass Tracker. Wind is not my friend. But I'm a 70 year old Aggie, retired, and I can pick my days.

I'll never neglect those resident fish but I would like to become a better deep water angler which is primarily just a summer/winter pattern. I wouldn't say I would "primarily" fish deep but during those seasons I would certainly like to target them while they are deep. Spring is typically the windy season and we're all usually fishing shallow, summer usually has few windy days, and winter can be a little windy at times so I reckon the majority of the time that I am fishing deep it should be relatively manageable with some exceptions.

Have a 16ft. XPRESS and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT with my Minn Kota Ultrex.

Yep ^^^^^^^ Ultrex is The Game Changer

Windy days and open water can prove challenging in any boat, but the shallow draft and light weight of an aluminium can make it more challenging. I don't have the newer trolling motors with an anchor mode, but I can see the advantage in having one in the conditions you mention. I have fished both aluminium and fiberglass. They each have their own destinct advantages. If you are going with aluminium then go wide as wide as you can get, try and add some weight as well. Stability helps allot when you are riding waves, weight helps center the boat. Be careful out there!!

I own a 2016 Lund 1875 Pro-V Bass! Its outstanding!

I don't fish my 17' fiberglass in open water with heavy wind unless I'm really on them. An aluminum boat would be even worse.

Boats are like beers..
Every type and style has a place but you have to know what that place is.

The 188 is 18'8". Quite a bit longer and heavier than a 17'.

I don't fish when the wind is that high in my 175 Tracker but I didn't fish that wind in my Allison either.......

aluminum boats are for folks want a bass boat but don't want to spend glass boat money. if there was an invention of an aluminum boat that fished an rode like a glass boat the glass boat folks that build glass boats would go out of business because it takes a lot less money to make a aluminum boat. in the real world not ads or net garble aluminum boats don't ride as good an when you are sitting fishing don't do that as good an their livewell systems are not up to par with glass boats until the aluminum boats maker these needs of fishermen there will be two kinds of boats boats that fish good that cost a lot of money an folks that buy aluminum boats an hope when they go fishing the wind doesn't blow very hard.

I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of difference with anything under 17' but after that glass is hands down the way to go, if you can. I cannot so I'm looking at the Tracker 195 Tourney but the Nitro 17 is comparable. Tough call

Glass boat companies stay in business because of your flawed theory and clouded judgment. I could of bought any boat out there but bought an aluminum Lund for its excellent ride and its multi species uses. All that said... you are right about the wind pushing it around on really windy days. The trade off is if you are out on big water and the waves are forcing you back to the shore... im still fishing and staying pretty dry. Yes, i do get dirty looks from some of the bass boat folks for running a "Yankee" boat (their words not mine) but I'm glad i made what i believe to be the right decision and would do the same thing again.

hate to admit this but I've got an 18 1/2 ft ranger and a 16 ft aluminum Xpress boat and I have more fun in my aluminum boat than I do the glass boat....but....I rarely fish tournaments anymore and use my aluminum boat for duck hunting and river travels/shallow water fishing...
several years ago,I traveled from Minneapolis,Mn. to Albany,Ga. in 16ft Xpress/25 hp Yamaha boat which included traveling the length of lake pepin and kentucky lake then crossing Mobile,pensacola,ft Walton and panama city bays...I do not want to travel down those lakes or cross those bays again in a flat bottom aluminum boat....

I just bought a rt 188 no complaints. Just wasn't willing to spend a small fortune on a bass boat.
Just get what you can afford go fishing fishdont care.
J D