I know this is a question that has been asked many times but I hope a few of you would still be willing to give me some pointers.

I recently moved to San Antonio from Idaho and I'm looking at buying my first boat. I've spent a lot of time fishing out of friend’s boats and my dad's boat but do not have much experience with bass boats.

I'm looking at aluminum over fiberglass because I want a lighter boat. I'm going to be pulling the boat with my Toyota Tacoma and an aluminum boat is going to be 1/2-2/3 of the weight of a fiberglass boat. I also like the durability of aluminum. Do any of you have a reason why fiberglass is much better than aluminum.

I'm looking at buying a new Tracker Pro team 190 tx or possibly a tracker tournament V-18?

Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about tracker or Tracker PT 190 in particular?

I will mostly use the boat for bass fishing but will use it for other species. I would also consider buying a used boat but I don't want to waste my "fishing time" fixing a broken boat.

I've also looked at Lowe and other aluminum boats but as far as I can tell a new tracker would give me the best value (unless I can find a good used boat). I've been looking at Craig's list and other websites for the last three months but haven't found a used boat I would be interested in.

One major concern I have with Tracker or other aluminum boats is they will not ride as smooth or handle waves as well as some of the other bass boats out there. Is this true?
Will the tracker 190 work better than a tracker 170 for fishing larger reservoirs like Falcon or Amistad?
Would the tournament V-18 be better than the 190 in 3-4 foot white caps?

As far as I can tell the resale value of a tracker isn't any worse than most other boats. If this is not true please speak up.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Service for Tracker seems to be a nighmare. I owned one and won't own a second. If you want a good alum. look at GIII or Xpress. The Xpress will lift and ride like a glass boat. An 18'/115 is a good match. A friend of mine has been running one of them for 6 years and loves it.

one thing glass boats have over alum. boats is REPAIRABILITY. when you whack a stump with a metal boat, the pad will NEVER be the same. a glass boat can be made like new again.

in rough water a glass boat will absorb the shock where a metal boat may pound ya.
i'd get the biggest x-press boat you can afford. like a 19 or 20 footer. you'll be happier in the long run!

p.s. not all metal boats are as light as what you think!

Any Aluminum boat will be a rougher ride than a glass boat in rough water. If you want to smooth it out some get a V bottom so it will cut the waves some, the lighter weight makes for a rougher ride. I've owned a Tracker and I'm not sure I would own another one and it isn't because of the boat, I just don't think I'm cut out for fighting an aluminum boat. They are also harder to control in the wind while fishing.

check out master marine, they have some nice Alumacrafts, tracker and lowe seem to be halfass super mass produced (one company supplies boats to three, no four dealers in the SA area, well maybe three), and if you want to handle chop, get a bay boat, i take my flat bottom 1650 across aransas bay in 15-20knots, not as bad as the horror stories make it seem, good luck!

I had a Tracker 185; good starter boat but that's where it ends. I agree with you on the issue of towing a lighter boat especially with the gas prices. I now own a Triton 186 and love it. I'm totally for aluminum b/c you can go more shallow versus glass boat. Also, Tx lakes are full of stumps. Correct me if I'm wrong but glass repair is costly. As far fighting the wind, I installed a Power Pole system on mine and although spendy it's worth every penny. I've been fishing more in 15 mph winds and less on the trolling motor. I also don't get any anchors stuck in timber as well.

Look for a boat that's all aluminum weld. Tracker's deck is wood and will rot on you in due time. Also Tracker doesn't have a very wide beam and your boat will lean when two people are on the same side.

Hope this helps in your selection.

Like Steve says. My 2001 TV-18 with a Mercury 115 fourstroke wieghs #2660 loaded

Thanks for all of the responses. It is good to hear all of the bad things about a boat as well as the good. If anyone else has any suggestions or opinions about tracker I would appreciate it.

I have a 2007 Tracker 190TX with a 90hp Optimax. It is a good boat but narrow in the beam. I would prefer a wider beam. I have not had the boat out in rough water so I cannot speak to the boat's ability to handle rough water. However, I have hit a few stumps with no worries. It is a good starter boat for sure.

I bought a Bass Tracker 175 w/ a 50hp to rent out this fall and so far I like it. Had it out in Galveston Bay when the winds were 22mp and I had her out on the lake all week with the winds up to 35. I had no problems. The ride was wet and bumpy but to me that makes it half the fun.

She floats rather well in the water, no waves rolling over and such, which is a good thing!

I think the V-18 would be handle the larger rollers better. In July I am taking her to Port Aransas to see how she handles near shore adventures I think that will be the ultimate test for any boat.


-Z-

I have a tracker pro 175XT which is 17' 2" with a 50hp 2 stroke merc and have owned a couple glass boats as well in similar sizes (skeeter and tidecraft). First I will say the reasons I went aluminum were so I can tow easily wtih a smaller car and to save on fuel. My last boat was a skeeter with a 90hp evenrude and it was alot heavier to pull around. I towed it with an F150 with no problem but my son's ford escape with a V6 would strain a bit on hills and coming up out of water. My tracker on the other hand will tow no problem with his escape or my wife's explorer.

Also it is about fuel economy. My skeeter would burn thru 20 gallons of fuel during a full day on the water. My tracker can go a full day on its 18gallon tank and still be at about half. Also I used to run a trolling motor at 24 volts on the skeeter where my tracker does fine with a single 125amp hour 12 volt trolling battery.

Now as for rough water ability, fiberglass definately has the aluminum beat there. I was out yesterday in the tracker in about 25mph winds and it was brutal on the open water. Didn't feel unsafe but was certainly a hard ride and just had to fight thru it to get to the next fishing spot. I'd say aluminum boats are much happier in 15mph winds or less. My skeeter on the other hand cut thru big waves without much problem at all. With the skeeter all you felt is a surge where with the tracker, you feel a slap when you hit a wave.

As for repairs, I will respectfully say I prefer aluminum. A good welded aluminum hull is not that expensive and quick to repair. Fiberglass on the other hand is much more expensive and time consuming to repair. I had to replace the transom and patach the hull on my skeeter after a few years and it was an expensive job. Also if your boat finish is faded, they can't match the gelcoat exactly so never looked quite right. Cracks on aluminum hulls are a simple and quick fix and a good aluminum welder can also patch holes without too much effort.

So i would not suggest aluminum to the tourny fisherman who goes no matter what the weather is and/or those that feel they just have to go 60mph on the water to be competitive. For weekend fisherman/recreational boater, those wanting better fuel efficiency on boats and tow vehicles, aluminum is worth a look.

I have owned express bass boats for 7 yrs.I run the 21ft with a 225 yamaha and I love it. I have run 6 differnt brands of glass boats and this is by far the better boat.

Take a serious look at the Tracker Tournament V-18. While the TX-190 is not a bad boat it will not comapre to the V-18 in ride and rough water ability.

I get a lot of opportunities to talk to the Tracker and Nitro pro staff. These guys get to or have to run every boat in the line. For aluminum bass boat hands down thier vote goes to the V-18.

My buddy has a express hands down the best for the money...lifetime hull warranty....can hold a big motor..ride great in rough water...there just good boats!

I would look at the Xpress X19, much more stable and rated up to 200 hp. Take a look at West Boats in Mesquite. PM is you need any helped.

I have a xpress 18 1/2 ft. with a 150 on it if you use jell cell batteries on your trolling motor you can put two up front and help the wind problem and the rough water problem. people will tell you that the batteries will get beat to death in the front of your boat but where do all truck and car mfrs. put their batteries I dont think my boat is as rough riding as a 1 ton dully I once had. The Xpress is a all welded all aluminum boat. No wood anywhere.

A buddy of mine has one and he enjoys it. I like it but don't think I would want one, I think for the price of a new one you can find a nice fiberglass boat. I really thought about buying one when I was first shopping for my first boat. However I decided not to go with it because I knew I wouldn't be happy with many things. Stability while fishing was a top priority, storage space, ride, speed, power and many other features. So I was willing to pay for a new Tracker but when I did my homework I saw that i could pay a bit more for a good used fiberglass boat and be completely happy with no complaints. If I were to ever get an aluminum boat it would just be a plain jane jon boat with a small motor for small waters.

My worst fear about buying my first boat was having regrets after purchasing it. Did i get enough power, did i get the fishing stability, etc... and so I went with a bit more money but what I wanted all the way around. No complaints here.

Xpress form www.Westboats.com will get you where you want to be!

Bazz :Fish:

I will tell you with out a doubt, the TV18 will be the best 18' aluminum or fiberglass bass boat that you will ever ride in. This is by far the best rough water boat you can buy. Huge front deck and a ton or storage for an aluminum boat. You will not go wrong purchasing this model.

Dude I just ordered and 18hdccf xpress boat and sartin marine in yantis, tx was $1500 to $2000 dollars cheaper than any other dealer I got a quote from. He beat west marine by $2100

Dude.. you got that Wrong!

West Boats and West Marine are not affiliated in any way.

Bazz

Sorry I meant west boats, west marine doesn't sell xpress they sell war eagle.

I have a 2002 21 ft Xpress with a 225 V-Max I bought off my old man when he got a new one in 05. This is the third Xpress he has bought from Sartin Marine in Yantis. They are absolutely awesome boats. We have fished all over the SE and been in all sorts of water with it and have had nothing but great luck with them. It looks long and skinny from the outside-but once people look on the inside-they are blown away at the size of the decks. My boat is a little narrower than his new one (I think by 4 inches), and it has better handling. Because it is so light-we have been in skinny water fishing only to look back at other guys in glass boats that can't get in because they are too heavy. (We know this because we talked to them when we came out) The only negative thing I can ever say about it, is that because it is so light-in open water on windy days-you have to stay on the trolling motor to stay in place. And no-you don't need a 225 on it if you aren't fishing tournaments!!

I have an Xpress boat and I love it. Handles like a glass boat and is tough as nails. I pull it with my 6 cyln Jeep. No problem. Also Xpress has taken good care of me where service is concerned.

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm still looking. With the current market I may find a good deal on a good used boat. When I make a decision I'll let let everyone know.