Anyone own a Lowe 20 Bay? Looking for feedback as to how it rides in rough water and how it fishes for bass. Of all the alum bay boats, this one looks like the best cross over. I like the dual rod lockers and large center storage. Thanks.

Have you looked at the Xpress H20 Bay?

Aluminum center consoles ride rough.

exactly why I bought the Champ. I saw lots of Express' for sale when I bought almost 2 years ago.

My cousin has one I have fished out of many times. It will rattle the fillings out of your teeth in choppy water, gets you soaking wet, and blows around like a weather vane. We take mine if the wind is over 10 mph.

You do pay a price when going with an aluminum boat. Just have to decide if you are willing to sacrifice ride quality for the added durability of an aluminum boat. I have only had one glass boat, and have since had 4 aluminum center consoles so I guess you can say that I prefer the durability over the ride characteristics.

Durable? I ran a 1997 Champion 202 from 1997 until 2014 with no durability problems. Not one problem whatsoever with the hull anywhere when I sold it.

My scooter is 30 gauge aluminum, I've run both, I'll be running tin boats in the bay from now on.
San Antonio bay is covered with oyster reefs, if you've never seen what sliding over fifty feet of oysters will do to a fiberglass hull....it ain't pretty.

I've never owned a Lowe 20 bay boat but have owned and rode in lots of aluminum and fiberglass boats the past 45 years. I have always liked the Lowe boats I've seen at boat shows. They have been around a long time and seem well built. You asked about how they ride in rough water and fish for bass. As a general rule, a 20' glass boat rides better than a 20' aluminum boat in rough water. But depending on where you fish, shallow bays, rivers, or large lakes, you may prefer the versatility of aluminum over glass. Also, some aluminum hulls are better than others for rough water and shallow water running. A well built thick aluminum hull has a much better ride than a cookie cutter thin one. Probably good idea to take a ride in a few different boats. They all look good on a trailer.

I have a friend who owns a 20' aluminum center console and fishes primarily salt water on Sabine Lake. He takes his wife and kids with him during the summer to Sam Rayburn Lake and has lots of room for them and gear. He loves the boat and the room. I've spent 2 days fishing with him in his 20' aluminum and we had calm water one trip and choppy water the next trip. In the choppy water, it was tolerable. Not sure about rough water though. But on the calm day, it was a pleasure to fish in his 20' aluminum boat.

The 20' aluminum center console will fish bass or saltwater bays just fine. I think when deciding on a boat, ask yourself a few questions:

1-Where will I use my boat most days? Large lakes, small rivers, or both?
2-Will I mostly fish fresh or saltwater or both?
3-How many people will normally ride and/or fish in boat?
4-Where will I store the boat?
5-What will I tow boat with?

Answer these questions and it will help you decide which style and size boat is best for you. As far as Lowe, I like them, but it's your money.

There are places I take my aluminum center console that an fiberglass boat wont survive. I can run in 6" of water and plane in a foot to 15". You wont do either of those in most glass boats. I can bass fish if I wanted too. It does ride rough but I can go to the trinity river and run my gar trips or I can go to the lake and fish for whatever I want I'll just have to slow down if its windy. I don't worry about stumps, rock rash, dock rash, fish slime, beaching on gravel, etc.