17 or 18 foot boat

I am about to buy a new boat and am curious about what y'all think about size. I am going to get either a ranger or triton aluminum crappie boat and can't decide between the 17 foot or 18 foot. I am not into speed so that does not matter, just looking for some thoughts on the matter of boat size. I will be fishing smaller lakes mostly, Nacogdoches, Naconiche, Murval, etc. That is what I like and I like taking my grandkids with me. So I was just curious. They all have the same beam and bottom, so the length is the only difference.

Thanks for your input.

later...don

Very interested in this as well.

Definitely an 18 footer for me. Especially if you're taking other people fishing. The extra foot will not hamper your fishing ability on small water but will really help accommodate extra people and take the waves much better. The overall ride is better with the 18.

I would also consider Crestliner boats.
and 18' for sure.

I have a 17ft Triton fiberglass. I fish Lake Nac, Naconiche, and Murvaul. It's perfect for weaving through stump fields. It can get through places that big boys won't. Never felt unsafe in it. Get the biggest beam possible on any aluminum boat. I ride in my buddy's 18ft, and really there's not a noticeable difference to me. Maybe a tiny bit more front deck. I would maybe consider the 18ft just for a little added weight. A little easier to keep still and stable in the water, maybe a little smoother ride, and room for the grandkids.

BIGGER!!!

Size matters.

18 nuff said lol!

Sounds like 18 wins the curiousity contest. I was kinda leaning that way anyway. I have an 18 foot ranger now and really like it, just ready for a new boat and wanted to go back to aluminum. Thanks for the replies.

later...don

18', put a 80#, 24V TM on it, Sweet

18

18 will also be wider, which to me is a bigger deal than length.
I just went from a 17' Xpress to an 18' Ranger, and there is NO comparison in the amount of room!
Worth every penny to go up a notch. 17s are usually bare minimum models.

I would go 18.

Definetly 18

I don't recall ever hearing anyone say, 'man, I sure wish I'd bought a smaller boat'!!!!!

And most 17' are limited in the length of Rod Storage.
slabexpress, I thought your old boat was a 16' ?

My wife appreciates the extra foot..........on my boat.



If the cost is not a concern, get the 18' so you never feel like you settled and should have got the bigger boat.

Cost is always a concern to my wife. I have a ranger 188 now and really like it, and I have had 17'ers in the past. I am pretty sure I will go with the 18, I have another grandkid on the way. They love to go out fishng with me and with the crappie boat with the 3 across seating in the front, it will make easier for me to keep up with them. I will probably add seat belts to the front seats. (LOL)
Anyway, ready for a new boat and that is what I am wanting, so again thanks for the replies.

later...don

I had a 17' before my 19' and I will say that the ride quality is better as well as you feel much more stable in high winds. And the extra deck space is nice, usually its me, another adult and my daughter trying to fish off the front.

I have a 16'6" Lund because I can handle it easy by my self, fits in my garage and I can use a 12v trolling motor system (55#) with two batteries in series for all day plus some fishing. That said get the biggest boat, motor you can afford - for your circumstances.

My Lund has an 88" beam and is my dream boat come true.

Like said above. Unless you have some specific need for a smaller boat then buy the biggest one you can afford. I know I've never wished i had a smaller boat but oh how I would love to have a bigger one.

18

Wish I had a 18

At least 18. 19 is better.

I saw one of the new Ranger deep V aluminum boats at my local dealer the other day and they are sweet looking boats. Plenty wide and plenty deep. Looks like a great crappie boat to me and should handle some rough water as well.

I apologize if this will sound like an advertisment for Tracker, it's not. I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I'm just very pleased with my boat. If you want a test ride and are in NE Texas, PM me.

I bought a new aluminum boat about 2 months ago and love it. I was origonally looking at a Tracker pro 175 but ended up with the new 195 pro, not the 190 pro. I bought the bigger boat for 2 reasons, size for fishing and power for pulling a skier or tube. The 195 pro is 1" shorter at 18'7" than the Ranger but the beam is at 98" which is 6" wider than the RT 188. I looked at the Ranger and was seriously thinking about buying one but for about the same price of a RT 188 with a 115 Etec, I was able to get the 195 with a 150 HP Merc 4 stroke with SST prop. It will absolutely pull a 2 person tube with ease and literally planes out in about 3 seconds. I like having the extra power with the 150 but rarely use it. I generally run at about 3000 to 3500 rpm's and depending on how I'm loaded, I get 35 to 38 mph on the gps at 3500 rpm's. 35 loaded heavy, 38 or so loaded with 2 people. I've had it up to 59 on the GPS at full throttle with 3 people. According to the tests I read about the Merc. 150, it gets it's best mileage at 3500 rpm's. It burns about 3.5 gph at that level and is pretty quiet. My son and I can talk at fairly normal tones at that speed. They both have good warranties. The Tracker now has a lifetime hull and deck warranty and the hull thickness on both the Tracker and RT 188 is .100. The Tracker does have a very small amount of marine ply on the deck with all of the doors being aluminum but as I said, it does have a lifetime warranty if there's ever an issue. Everything else is all welded aluminum. I believe the RT 188 is all aluminum.

If you are looking at using the boat for tubing as the grandkids get older, I would definately want the 150.

It is my understanding that Tracker now owns both Ranger and Triton, if that matters to you.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BPSIFrame?catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10151&targeturl=http://www.trackerboats.com/&tab=4

Edit, the rod box on the 195 will hold up to 8.5 foot rods if that matters to you. Look at the spec's and photo's on the link, they show pretty good detail. Also, the ride in rough water is good.