What boats handle better in rough water...

[Ice-King]

Just curious as to what peoples opinions are on which boats seem to handle the best in rough water.

[rodmaker]

I have a YarCraft (glass) 1895 Storm. It handles Mille lacs well.

I think over all glass handles better in rough water. You will get alot of feedback on this.

[JeffB]

I have a lund 1700 fisherman (aluminum) and I love the boat. I spend 90% of my time on South Lida or Lida. I have had it on big water a few times and it did well. That being said if I spent even 50% of my time on big water I would have a fiberglass boat. They ride smoother and are dryer in rough water and this allows you to travel faster and more comfortably. The aluminum hulls have improved a lot over the years and definatly have some advantages, but for those rough windy days still aren't as good as the glass boats. IMO

[BobT]

Aircraft carrier handles pretty rought water.

When I had my 18' cedar strip canoe I thought it handled rough water well. But then when I got into my 14' aluminum fishing boat with its 8.5hp I thought wow. Then I got into my 16' Lund Rebel with 40hp and I thought I had a ship. Now with my 16' Sylvan with 84" wide beams 90hp I figure I can take on Superior in November. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit.

The point is that the deeper, wider, longer, and heavier a boat gets the more apt it will be to handle rough water and then add to that its hull design and motor and the water can get even rougher.

You're asking a question that really can't be answered well by anyone except you for your applications.

[BullFighter]

WARRIOR

Hands down!

Not even close.......

[riverrat56]

For big water exclusivly, go big and go glass.

[chub]

Just curious as to what peoples opinions are on which boats seem to handle the best in rough water.

Handle from a fishing standpoint? Forward trolling? Backtrolling? Running rough water at speed?

One persons "rough" is anothers walleye chop... .

A million variables and a million opinions.

I've got a Storm BT and in my opinion it works about as good as it gets for all of the above.

Best information you'll ever get is to find out for yourself. Beg, borrow or bum rides or trips in as many different boats as you can.

[harvey lee]

Boy, when it comes to glass boats, I fished with a guide on the big pond with a 20' Yarcraft and it about broke my back.

It was one of the roughest rides I have ever had in a boat.

[mrfish1991]

I agree with BullFighter, Warriors have the smoothest ride on big water than any other boat I have been in. The one that i have ridden in was equipt with some pretty heavy duty shock absorbers built into the posts on the seats. It was a dream to ride in

[guideman]

It all depends on whats to rough for you. Big glass boats do have softer rides than most of the alluminums do however they also cost about $40,000 or more. They also need a big motor, that sucks gas by the ton.

I have ridden in Warriors that road like a truck with bad shocks. I have also ridden in Yacraft that were smooth as a babies behind. If the lake conditions are bad enough, there isn't any boat that will give you a soft dry ride.

I have fished tournaments with 8ft swells in 22ft boats that felt like I was ridding in a duck boat. Two or 3 footers are childs play to me, you may have an entirely different out look on that issue.

Good expencive pedistals will make even a bad boat feel smooth to your behind. I think my 19ft Lund rides well in all kinds of water, but then I'm used to being out in high seas on a big lake. Just remember a great ride is cool, but how well a boat fishes is way more important if you ask me.

[JeffB]

If I was on big water a lot of the time I would go with a glass boat, but here are the reasons I went with aluminum.

1. Cost

2. When I do go to big water I pull it with the truck for 4-5 hours and the aluminum boat pulls a lot easier behind the truck.

3. Less hp and fuel required for boat.

4. Didn't want to upgrade boat lift.

If your wondering what the weight difference between the two types of boats for and otherwise equal boats is I would say between 200-300 lbs. 1850 lund fish. alum. 1530 lbs 1850 fisherman fiberglass 1800 lbs.

[rodmaker]

Before the YarCraft , I had an Alumacraft 185 compeditor tiller for 13 years. I fish Ml alot. It handled well, but i can tell the difference.

[MEGASLAM]

Big factor is how its rigged too. "Correct" prop, motor size to boat, how's the motor mounted, how's the boat loaded, and of course the driver

[JohnMickish]

It also depends how it's driven. A good operator can take a bad boat and make it ride nicer than a bad operator in a good boat.

I've got a Pro-V and my buddy has a Ranger 619. On big rough water I'll take the 619 hands down. New to new cost is pretty close for the argument makers.

[fishorgolf]

I think it depends on what a person considers rough water. I have been in 8' plus swells and a 14' duck boat would have been smooth because you are basically surfing between the swells. (scary but smooth) but a hard 3' chop on Mille Lacs can be bone breakingly rough. This is were I believe a glass boat really shines. I have had aluminum boats from 14-22' and EVERY one was a ball buster in these situations. I now have a 20' warrior glass and the difference is night and day in ride comfort under these conditions. That said I run 90% of the time on big water (ML, LOTW, Lac Suel etc.) so the big glass boat is right for me. If I ran mostly smaller water I would have a 17/18' alum. much less expensive and work just fine.

[WingDing2]

Warrior, Hands down! I have owned MANY boats none have a ride like the Warrior period. If you can afford it, I would not hesitate. I really liked the way it trolled, drifted and fishing out of it was comfortable.

[wheelerboy920]

everything better in a lund the ultimate fishing experance. the pro v best big water boat i've owned hands down.

[kc0myy]

Thats funny no one said ranger boats in this topic....hmmm that is weird. I would have to say go with warrior too.

[Eskimoman]

Boston Whaler!! Big glass and unsinkable

[Ice-King]

Well I can tell you from my experience fishing Devils Lake a few years ago that my cousins 17 1/2ft Warrior with a 75 Honda tiller easily ran circles around our partners 18 ft pro v with 150. This was in 3-4 ft waves the lund couldnt keep up in the rough water because of the harsh pounding it took from the waves.

But I have heard that Yar-Craft and Tuffy also have a nice ride in big water situations.

[PerchJerker]

Thats funny no one said ranger boats in this topic....hmmm that is weird. I would have to say go with warrior too.

Okay, I'll say Ranger. They have a repuatation for having the best ride and I think it's deserved. Definately not the fastest glass hull you can find but imo the smoothest and driest.

[rodmaker]

Look into the YarCraft. You won't be disappointed. Alot of storage, and two huge rod lockers. One 8', and one 9'. Two live wells

[bassNspear]

sorry guys, but as far as ride goes, there isnt anything out there that is going to beat a ranger!

[LMITOUT]

If the original question is general in nature and not asking about brands of boats, then I don't think there is much to say other than: fiberglass. Glass boats cut through the waves with their formed hulls and sharp keels compared to a relatively featureless aluminum hull which tend to ride up on the wave and then fall back down in the trough, giving you the rougher and wetter ride. Some aluminum boats handle that better than others, but it's hard to put any aluminum boat in the same category as glass when it comes to rough water boating.

I've never had the opportunity to ride in a Tracker Tundra but they might be the closest an aluminum boat has come to fiberglass since they have a pressed hull which allows them to have a hull and keel design very similar to the fiberglass boats yet without the weight of glass. I've seen them scoot across Sakakawea in some rough waters and they looked really good with the bow down and moving forward more than vertically in the big waves. I always thought they had a great concept and really hoped that other aluminum boat manufacturers would have followed suit. It's the best of both worlds.... hull design like a glass boat yet low weight like a tin boat.

A friend of mine had a 1898DC Warrior and I fished out of it many times on Sakakawea in some of the ugliest conditions. The only reason we were out there is because they didn't cancel the tournament, otherwise we would have watched the 20-30+mph winds blow from shore. It was a dry boat, no question about that, and it handled the waves fairly well too, but overall it was a bulky and heavy boat. When I rode in his boat it always reminded me or felt like it would be something you'd use out in the ocean or Gulf of Mexico, yet it was only an 18' class boat. That's the feel I got from it with the deep floor and high sides and the way it drove. If you want a bigger, secure feeling boat then Warrior would be a good look. It appears to be a good boat to use if you have smaller children and want to be able to take them out in slightly rougher waters.

Anyway, he sold the Warrior and bought a Skeeter 1880WT last year and he says it hauls the mail. It gets up and rides on top of the water in contrast to the Warrior which wanted to plow more due to it's bulk.

The old Yar-Craft Storm's from the 1990's would also rip across the water and looked good doing it too. I always liked the look of those boats on the water and wished they hadn't changed the design over the years since, but, time moves on I suppose.

While fishing and boating on Sakakawea you really get to see these different boats in action and can give you an idea of how they perform. Granted most people around here aren't going to be fishing waters such as that and the biggest waters they may ever navigate is something such as Mille Lacs which doesn't have the rough seas like a Sakakawea does, it's still nice to know what a boat is capable of handling.

[JohnMickish]

Thats funny no one said ranger boats in this topic....hmmm that is weird. I would have to say go with warrior too.

Look 4 post above yours.