You will regret this decision 6 months down the road.... Reason I am selling my aluminum boat and buying a skeeter. It is not as convenient as you think it is going to be...

Be sure to keep a change of clothes in the new tin boat. The second or third time you fall out of it you will understand.

I wouldn't buy a new boat... why not a 16 or 17? way to much markup on a new one.

Tin boats are epic game changers, you go from Texas Hold'em ( fiberglass ) to checkers ( tin ). Let's all suggest he buys tin, he's already made up his mind anyway.

Tracker all the way.

I've had a couple of both. The glass boats definitely fish so much better in the wind, but I completely understand wanting the peace of mind that comes with an aluminum boat.

Fishing out of a tin boat can definitely be a lot of work, I always was thinking 200 feet and thirty seconds ahead because that's how fast you can drift in the wind sometimes, but that made me a better fisherman.

But the real peace of mind came from not really worrying about bumping into docks or getting right up on bluff walls or whatever could do a bunch of damage to a glass boat pretty quickly. I didn't need to worry about wiping down the boat every time I got off the water.

On rough days with tons of boats running around on lake austin, for example, I could tie off my boat to the dock in the afternoon and just let it bang around while I ran to get the truck. I probably wouldn't have done that with a newer tin boat, but mine was an older Lowe all-welded and it was stout. I did that once with a Basscat and that smashed part of my rub rail off.

So yeah, it's a tough choice, but with an Ultrex which so many people have said is a game changer for tin boats, I would definitely think about getting into a tin boat again. Maybe. Try and find someone who has a tin boat. Spend a few hours in it and see how you like it.

Honestly, I'd never get a tracker, though. Stick with one of the proven brands like Ranger, Triton, G3, etx, maybe even more of a "multispecies" boat like a Crestliner or Lund. They make some really nice "V" hulls with spacious decks and open floor plans. I was surprised at how much I really liked a Crestliner boat that I looked at recently. Even with a full "V" those boats really need very little water to float in.