Guys, ya'll have given a lot of great input and a lot for me to think about. I appreciate it. Keith, by the way, are you originally from Ben Wheeler? I spent the first 20 years of my life in Van. My folks still live there.

Good points Keith. I think the original question involved taking the kids and needing more room and safety. Aluminum isn't always cheaper to operate. Many people think their aluminum boat is lighter because it's aluminum. While shopping around, check the total weight of the aluminum boat you select vs a fiberglass of equal length, both fully rigged. There won't be much difference. And those step pad fiberglass hulls are more efficient when running and track better in the wind. All a matter of what you can afford and your tastes.

For comparison, a G3 Angler V185F, that's 18'5", weighs 1720lbs,
G3 Eagle 190, 18'8" weighs 1150lbs with a 85" beam. My 19'1" Bass Cat Classic weighs 1245lbs with 93" beam.

You might consider sending a PM to TreeBass on this thread. He had about the same considerations as you've listed. He spent several months looking and comparing before he bought the Xpress. He's got as good of info on this as anyone right now.

What Ken said!

I have an aluminum G3 175 with a 50hp that goes about 35mph. Pros: Great gas milage with 21 gal tank you go all day
Easy to tow
50hp is bullet proof
Fits in the garage
Small trolling motor pulls the light boat all day

Cons: High wind, you get wet and take a beating
Wind does blow the lighter boat around

What would I like? 21ft Ranger fiberglass costing 70K, 250hp going 70mph with 51gals of gas costing $150 to fill up.

What do I have? Brand new G3 with lifetime hull warranty costing 11K, 50hp, 35mph, $50 to fill up, good gas milage, light weight makes towing easy.

Do I still catch fish? Yes...see pic
Is it a professioanl tournamnet rig? No

I like to fish weekly, this rig lets me do it at an affordable price so I'm happy.