# Aluminum Bay Boats



## Red Arrow

I have been looking at 20 ft aluminum bay boats recently.  I'm hoping it could serve double duty as a fresh water boat but still go inshore / near shore in the salt several times a year.  I've been looking at the Xpress, Excel and the new Ranger RP190.  Anybody have experience with these good or bad?


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## Dustin Pate

Contact Nicodemus on here. He has an Express I believe. He uses in in the Florida panhandle bay systems.


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## puddle jumper

I've got a sea ark that does double duty, its a 24' Big easy, great fishing platform, I pull the couches out when I'm making a run to the coast.. just make sure you flush it real well every day and make sure you get a aluminum or galvinized trailer or you will have problems in the long run " I didn't and regret it"
PJ
PS, I don't use the Trevola and the deckhand in salt water,


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## Red Arrow

All these bay boats seem to come with aluminum trailers.  I looked at a 22 ft Sea Ark bay boat.  The price the guy quoted me was $10K more than the other 20 ft boats...  That's way out of my price range.


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## Red Arrow

That "big easy"   looks huge!!  Very nice!!


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## Red Arrow

How much trouble is it to pull those couches out?


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## mike352

I bought a 2072 pro made by seaark in 2012 with a 115 suzuki 4 stroke for 21,000 out the door with out trlr. Its a excellent all around boat and also a very dry boat.


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## oops1

No experience with an aluminum bay boat but.. did buy a glass one.. It spends more time joy riding and fishing fresh than salt but it does a fine job when we do go south. Not knocking aluminum but I will say this.. We took my friends Lowe deck boat to destin one time.. Years ago.. The ladder.. Cleats and everything else on it started oxidizing. Not saying an express will do that.. Just saying you should buy a boat made for saltwater if you're planning on putting it in salt.


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## puddle jumper

Yup the big easy is a beast, If you look around at the prices I got mine just short of 30 as a year end leftover ,and then started adding the toys, so there are some deals out there..
The couches aren't to bad to pull out about a dozen screws on each one...
Good luck on finding a boat , shopping for them is part of the fun,,
PJ


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## Forestfloor

you should check out some of the custom aluminum builders while you are shopping, get a 3/16" 5086 hull that will last a lifetime


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## Red Arrow

Thanks everyone for the feedback


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## mesena man

Are you against fiberglass?


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## Ihunt

Those flat bottom boats will beat you to death in the bay. On calm days you'll be fine but I always seemed to go on the choppy weekend. Sold my fiberglass flat bottom and got a real bay boat. Cant wait to get it out.


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## Red Arrow

mesena man said:


> Are you against fiberglass?



Not against glass.  The glass boats overall look to be more expensive and need more horsepower than the aluminum.  I take my boats shallow and bumping rocks or oyster bars happens pretty regular.  Some of the aluminums carry a life time hull warranty.  I have not seen that on a glass boat.


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## LowCountryAngler

I used to have a Grizzly 1860CC center console- great boat for saltwater.  I could scrape that boat over oyster rakes no problem, just throw on a fresh coat of paint when the season was over. 

Two things to keep in mind about an aluminum boat: they get very hot and noisy under foot.  I can't tell you how many times I spooked a school of reds dropping my pliers on the deck.  I also like to fish barefoot when its warm and it could get like the surface of the sun mid-summer.  I added carpet, but it only made a slight difference.  I graduated to a glass boat and never looked back.


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## DRBugman85

Check out Gator trax bay boats,Kent bulds some very nice Aluminum boats and the Hydro Turf STOPS any sound plus you can stand on it in 100 degree sunny day and not feel the heat.And you can power it with less HP.Fished with my buddy in Louisana last summer and it impressed me.


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## Red Arrow

Thanks ya'll.  I'll give the Gator Trax a look...


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## mesena man

Red Arrow said:


> Not against glass.  The glass boats overall look to be more expensive and need more horsepower than the aluminum.  I take my boats shallow and bumping rocks or oyster bars happens pretty regular.  Some of the aluminums carry a life time hull warranty.  I have not seen that on a glass boat.



Yeah... Glass doesn't like oysters lol. The reason I asked is I recently bought an epic bay and love it... Not quite as nice as some others but I saw them advertised for like 29,900 with a 175 zuke brand new which is not a bad price... Also the blue wave boats seem to be top notch


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## doomtrpr_z71

mesena man said:


> Yeah... Glass doesn't like oysters lol. The reason I asked is I recently bought an epic bay and love it... Not quite as nice as some others but I saw them advertised for like 29,900 with a 175 zuke brand new which is not a bad price... Also the blue wave boats seem to be top notch



Where did you get the Epic from?


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## GThunter5

I bought a G3 bay 18 dlx with a 90 for bass fishing and striper fishing

Pros - light, I leave it in the water a lot, I'm not careful and bumped the dock hard when I first got it - just a scratch as opposed to gel coat repair. I take it skinny after the frog bite and don't even think twice. I run it up on the bank to play with the dogs on island and don't think twice about it. One cleat somehow untied in my slip and the boat rubbed against the dock for two busy weekends and damaged my dock with no damage to the boat. 

Cons - light weight, 15-20mph winds are my limit for running open water but that's a good chop for any boat. Slow down for other boat wake, should have gotten 20' should have gotten 115 hp. 

There's no hull slap and it blows around just like any other boat imo

It bass fishes and striper fishes 2 people really well. Gonna try 3 this weekend but definitely go 20' looking back 

Sea ark is the thickest but I didn't like their boat layout options

Xpress is nice too but I went G3 on a coin toss really and just didn't look back

Some days I wish I would have gotten glass but I would have spent $40k on the glass boat I want

No joke I once saw a guy have his aluminum 1860 I can remember the brand drop halfway off his trailer at the end of the boat ramp. We ran down to help.  He got out looked at it, got in his truck and just continued backing up with the boat hanging off scraping the bottom until it floated. Parked his truck got in boat and off he went. Lol


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## Stonewall 2

I have a G3 1860 cc with the 90 horse Yamaha and take it Down to apalachicola bay every year and love it. As far as the hot floor and noisy bottom check out Styx river neo mats they are awesome and come pre cut for a lot of the aluminum boats.


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## Nicodemus

I have an Xpress H20B bay boat with a 115 Yamaha and I love it. It`s the perfect boat for me, fishing The Forgotten Coast. Comfortable ride and it will get shallow.


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## Red Arrow

Thanks for the feedback y'all.  Great looking boat Nic!   I picked up a used Xpress 20' H20 in south Alabama yesterday!  I think it's gonna work good for me....


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## mesena man

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Where did you get the Epic from?



Palmetto marine in monchs corner. Pretty nice folks


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## ThatredneckguyJamie

how's the new boat purchase? take it out yet? G3 bay and the Xpress are on my short list..along with the new Ranger RP190


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## Red Arrow

Very happy with the Xpress so far.   I have not gotten down to the coast yet with it, just in lakes and up the river so far.  I wish I had a little more speed, it tops out around 38mph, but I can live with that...  The Ranger and G3 were on my short list as well.  I just happened to find the right deal on the Xpress and saved quite a bit buying an 18 month old boat...


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## plumber_1969

*Xpress boats*

Red,
I picked up a 2013 xpress H18 in October of 2014. The boat and motor had only 30 hours on it. It has the 115 Yamaha, about the same speed as yours. It came LOADED, stereo with amp and 10" speakers, Power Pole, LED lights everywhere, 7" Garmin Touch Screen GPS/Plotter, 4 Batteries with Perko switch for $24,000 and the motor still had 4 years of warranty left. I will tell you this, I have been nothing but happy with it. Floats in a foot of water, I primarily redfish the shallows in Northeast Florida and Southeast Louisiana with it and it has always done fine. I also alligator hunt from it and occasionally bass fish from it. I did upgrade the bearings and hubs to a brand that has a 100,000 mile warranty. I have fished as many as 3 in mine and had no problems. Best of luck to you.


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## Red Arrow

Good to hear Plumber.  I'm hoping for a good experience with it.  I still have 18 months on the warranty and found out I can add 3 more years for about $900.  Mine came with the 100,000 mile vortex axle.  I couldn't resist and checked the bearings the other day and they still looked like new.  Been thinking about the power pole.  Sure seems like it would come in handy...


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## GA Carpkiller

Congrats on the boat Red Arrow!


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## Red Arrow

GA Carpkiller said:


> Congrats on the boat Red Arrow!



Thanks Carpkiller!!


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