Ranger Aluminum?

[J-Doc]

This isn't the Ranger I mentioned above but something like this could be a great find.

Here is the link.

If you're primarily a "bass guy"....you probably wouldn't line the deep V due to the small front deck. If you turned into a troller more than bass angling, this could be a great setup. (I caught more bass trolling than angling last summer with one being a personal best)

If you plan on hunting from one, forget the deep V. Look at the big Bass Tracker. Good overall fit.

[ozarkgunner]

Mine listed for 31k and sold for 25,500 out the door. This was two years ago but I'm sure similar deals are around. Get what you need to fish the water you will hit most often. I fish big lakes so I wanted a faster boat. If I lived closer to pomme a 17 ft tin boat would be fine same goes for Taney or upper bull. If Stockton was my main lake (fish it about 40 percent of my trips only) I would get a deep v.

[Feathers and Fins]

Its what you want to do out of a boat more than anything.

Mine cost me 18,000.00 out the door, Add in the HDS system 5grand more, downriggers 350.00 spider rig stuff 200.00 wireless trolling motor 700.00 so for 24,000.00 roughly I have a boat I can fish for any species comfortably for, I can handle very rough water safely I can employee numerous styles of fishing from casting to trolling to bait fishing. I can hunt out of it or pull a skier if I want.

I have owned Mako's, Rangers, Carolina, Bayrunners and Donzi's. Road any many others my favorite of all boats was my Mako and their are days I miss it, but for fishing these lakes my tracker is actually more suited to them and better. I do miss the mako though but she was a labor of love. 24ft wetdeck twin 200's double outriggers double down riggers more dam electronics than a fat kid in front of a tv. I built her from the shell up and never worried about anything when I was in her.

I guess what Im saying is find the frame you want to do what you want at a good price and build what you want. That's what I did with my tracker, it had the right bones at the dealership and I was able to do the cosmetics myself.

[Feathers and Fins]

Maybe this will help.. with so many manufactures having websites with overviews of the boat now its simpler than when I use to crawl on a roof and take a picture.

Go to the sites save the picture and then play with it on one of the DRAW programs to see what you can do with it. Here is an example..

[WHARFRAT]

There is a lot you can do with that style of boat. I do like how the longer tins are being made with the center rod storage. Do you find that more convenient, or is it just the flavor of the year. I wish the 2 storage compartments next to the rod storage were a bit larger. what size outboard are you running and also what TM are you running. I do like to pull cranks every now and then, and I'm hoping the 115 will go slow enough. I've heard from others that you might not be happy with the performance of a 90 on a 18.8' tin bass boat. I'm not that concerned about going 50mph, but I do want to have enough guts to make the boat perform as needed. The 50 that I have now is ok, but I wish it would troll a bit slower at times.

[J-Doc]

I agree. What do you need a boat to do and what species type are you targeting the most? Build from there....

[Wayne SW/MO]

When it comes to boat speed and motors on LOZ I would make sure I listened to what Fishnwrench had to say

[Feathers and Fins]

Wharf, my center compartments holds up to 8ft rods total of 8 dedicated slots.

Side compartments are loaded with tackle, First aid kits, Throw nets etc etc more than enough stuff in them

I run a 90 optimax and by myself it pushes 50 with doc in the boat and his coffee it gets 47mph boy cant live without coffee

Trolling motor is a Motorguide wireless.

Motor in gear it will troll between 1.7 and 2.5 mph ( Big motor) and its very quiet

Trolling motor is tied to a Optima Bluetop and last all day no problem on lower setting I can get it to pull me at .3 up to 1.5 after that the big motor gets turned on.

All in all its a multi-species fishing boat and a Waterfowling boat. I have had NO issues with it of any concern and still have more modification I want to do that will be simple. The really nice thing about it is I can take it in to very shallow water 8inches where most boats cant go and being metal I do not have to worry about bumping a rock or other obstacle and damaging the fiberglass

[J-Doc]

Leave my coffee alone!!!

Lol

[kjackson]

Room for coffee is always essential.

First-- this is going to be my retirement boat, not that people in my line of work retire, but I intend to get a boat that will keep me happy for quite a while. I also want a safe boat. Since Iim getting older, I don't want to be doing things like losing my balance and taking a dip, so I'm looking at that aspect as well.

I do like the layout of Fins' boat, and I'll probably follow much the same program. While I haven't hunted here yet, that is on my list of things to do next year. I probably would either go with a shore blind or a lightweight layout boat that would be transported by the mother ship.

As for the aluminum-fiberglass camp, I definitely prefer aluminum for rocky lakes as I do want to beach the boat for hunting, calls of nature, family time and so on. I do not want to worry about damaging a glass hull. Also, initial cost is a factor as well as the cost of towing and running a heavier boat.

I've heard good things about the ride of the Ranger aluminums--smooth, quiet and so on, and that's why I've looked at those. But I've owned three Lunds and run a buddy's 1800 Pro V enough to know the line. Lund makes a good deep vee boat, and I'm tempted to pick up a used one, but they aren't quite as casting friendly as they could be because of the level of the front deck. Back when I worked for Bass & Walleye Boats, I had an Alumacraft and a Crestliner for a season. Both were good hulls and while different, just as nice as a Lund in their own way. But I'd like to get a dealer in the area to work with, and they are thin on the ground in Arkansas...

Currently, I run an 18-foot Smokercraft/Starcraft/Sylan Sportsman (the same hull that can be badged for any of the brands)--a mod-vee jon-style hull designed to serve as an entry-level jet sled for Northwest rivers. Instead of a pump, though, I added a 50hp Yamaha two-stroke prop. The package works OK, but it's just OK. There is no real storage for anything nor a livewell. The tiller leaves a lot of room, but still, unless I was to do a lot of reconstruction and add storage and a livewell, it won't serve my purposes. Even with the modified vee, it's a rough-riding boat in certain chops, and it can be wet in a crosswind. It is well-suited for downriggers, and I've a pair of small manuals that run off the stern quarter tanks.

As for the fishing program, I'll chase anything from bluegills to walleyes. I'm not a big fan of trolling, but I do like to catch fish, and I'm finding it's a technique that works well. I will do a lot of trolling, but I also like to cast and will be doing that as well, so I want to troll and cast, and I need a boat that will work well for both.

I don't need a ton of room, but I will be fishing with one or two others on occasion. I'm hoping my grandson will take it up when he gets beyond the crawling stage.

I do appreciate the comments and am looking for more. Keep 'em coming, please!