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Started By
Message
Aluminum Bay Boat ride and opinions
Posted on 9/19/21 at 2:48 pm
Posted on 9/19/21 at 2:48 pm
Looking into purchasing a Sportsman’s Fabrication or Uncle J type bay boat with the next year or two? Anyone here has any experience with these boats and how they ride? Do they ride similar to a fiberglass bay boat or a little stiffer?
Looking at a 24x7 or 26x7. Still undecided on a flat or padded hull. Will be using it for hunting and fishing. Looking to fish bays for speckle trout and possibly close in rigs for snapper. Mainly fish the Venice and Buras/Empire areas.
Looking at a 24x7 or 26x7. Still undecided on a flat or padded hull. Will be using it for hunting and fishing. Looking to fish bays for speckle trout and possibly close in rigs for snapper. Mainly fish the Venice and Buras/Empire areas.
10
Posted on 9/19/21 at 5:52 pm to JasonL79
Not familiar with Uncle J boats. I have seen a few Sportsman Fabs and those things look like tanks. I am curious as well as how they ride in chop. They didn’t seem to have a very steep deadrise although I’m sure the longer you go the better it will ride.
Posted on 9/19/21 at 6:22 pm to JasonL79
DP
This post was edited on 9/19/21 at 6:24 pm
Posted on 9/19/21 at 6:23 pm to JasonL79
If you want an Uncle J or Sportsman put your name on the list. They running about a 10 month lead time, at least Uncle J is.
This post was edited on 9/19/21 at 6:25 pm
Posted on 9/19/21 at 6:31 pm to CHEDBALLZ
quote:
If you want an Uncle J or Sportsman put your name on the list. They running about a 10 month lead time, at least Uncle J is.
Yep, that’s why I’m planning ahead. Saw a few months back where he said his lead time was 10-11 months. Looking to purchase something in next 1-1.5 years. Doing my research now.
This post was edited on 9/19/21 at 6:33 pm
Posted on 9/19/21 at 7:15 pm to JasonL79
My experience with bigger aluminum boats used for the type fishing you are describing is that they will beat you up pretty good. Not as good a shock absorber as a chunk of fiberglass under you.
Posted on 9/19/21 at 7:27 pm to CHEDBALLZ
quote:
If you want an Uncle J or Sportsman put your name on the list. They running about a 10 month lead time, at least Uncle J is.
Yeah I put my deposit on an uncle J in June, should have it Feb-March time frame (35-40) weeks
Posted on 9/19/21 at 7:36 pm to JasonL79
Flat bottom aluminum boat isn't going to be a good snapper boat from anywhere, much less Venice. Make it as long as you want, a flat bottom aluminum boat isn't going to handle open water very well at speed. Get some deadrise and it gets way better way quicker. Get a 15* bottom. There's no secret sauce here, deadrise, length and displacement are how you get a good ride. A flat bottom boat has none of those.
Aluminum boats are lighter than fiberglass and are restricted in what kind of lines they can have with normal build processes. They will almost always ride worse than a comparable glass boat. The positives are they are generally cheaper than glass, and most of them look shitty all the time so there's no upkeep. No big deal to beach them on an oyster reef or bounce them off the dock.
Aluminum boats are lighter than fiberglass and are restricted in what kind of lines they can have with normal build processes. They will almost always ride worse than a comparable glass boat. The positives are they are generally cheaper than glass, and most of them look shitty all the time so there's no upkeep. No big deal to beach them on an oyster reef or bounce them off the dock.
Posted on 9/19/21 at 8:07 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
Flat bottom aluminum boat isn't going to be a good snapper boat from anywhere, much less Venice.
Not talking about a completely flat bottom boat. Something like this which I think is a 24x7 (Sportsman’s Fabrication boat). Also not looking to go out when it is too rough. Grew up in Venice so I’m very familiar. I fished snapper rigs when I was younger in much smaller and completely flat bottom aluminum boats. I wouldn’t attempt that now though.
This post was edited on 9/19/21 at 8:40 pm
Posted on 9/20/21 at 7:18 am to JasonL79
thats a a pretty boat. I'm a big fan of the pad on boats. My thought is that the last little bit of Vee doesnt do much on ride quality anyway, so it helps speed, and more so on the draft side. You want a fast boat fishing Venice with the long runs down river. The shallower draft helps with all the sand bars.
I also thing Aluminum is the way to go if your going to use it to hunt. dont have to worry about beating it up.
THere are always some big ones for sale online. May be able to pick one up and then customize it how you want since its aluminum.
I also thing Aluminum is the way to go if your going to use it to hunt. dont have to worry about beating it up.
THere are always some big ones for sale online. May be able to pick one up and then customize it how you want since its aluminum.
This post was edited on 9/20/21 at 7:19 am
Posted on 9/20/21 at 7:57 am to JasonL79
I have never owned a bay boat and I don't fish coastal waters but I love a good tin fishing boat. I used to have a Lund Pro V that I caught a ton of fish with. I've also fished PolarKraft, G3, and Alumacraft.
I do know a guy around here that fishes a Crestliner 2200 Bay on Texoma and Eufala and he likes his. Texoma can be really rough with a stiff north wind but nothing like offshore.
My wife won't let me spend 100k on a fishing boat for just myself so I'm limited to going tin. I will probably be ordering a tin Deep V today.
I do know a guy around here that fishes a Crestliner 2200 Bay on Texoma and Eufala and he likes his. Texoma can be really rough with a stiff north wind but nothing like offshore.
My wife won't let me spend 100k on a fishing boat for just myself so I'm limited to going tin. I will probably be ordering a tin Deep V today.
Posted on 9/20/21 at 8:55 am to JasonL79
Kind of looks like a hanko. Whats the deadrise at the stern? Probably pretty damn fast and light. Looks like a great marsh boat. What bottom plate do they use?
I personally am not a fan of a pad on a open water boat. I like a plain v bottom with lots of flare at the bow and a really long flat keel.
I personally am not a fan of a pad on a open water boat. I like a plain v bottom with lots of flare at the bow and a really long flat keel.
Posted on 9/20/21 at 7:47 pm to JasonL79
Ivy St Romain, or something like that is the father's name.
His son builds those boats behind the tackle shop if it is still there.
That is a nice boat.
I remember when he started out behind the tackle store making crawfish boats.
He has come along way from that.
His son builds those boats behind the tackle shop if it is still there.
That is a nice boat.
I remember when he started out behind the tackle store making crawfish boats.
He has come along way from that.
Posted on 9/20/21 at 8:52 pm to johnnyrocket
Casey st romain is the owner of sportsmans fab, I use to work for him. His dad is Ivy
Posted on 9/20/21 at 9:27 pm to JasonL79
I've got a 22 x 6 Uncle J going on 3 years now. Padded bottom makes a hell of a difference and as close to a fiberglass ride in a aluminum boat as you'll get.
Posted on 9/21/21 at 10:53 am to bubba102105
quote:
Padded bottom makes a hell of a difference and as close to a fiberglass ride in a aluminum boat as you'll get.
Good to hear. Not expecting an aluminum boat to ride same as fiberglass boat but would like something that won’t beat me up in 1-2 foot seas close in with the gulf or 2-3 foot seas crossing a bay.
For reference, I have a 25 year old 20ft aluminum “Tim’s Marine” flat boat (flat bow also) now. It beats the crap out of you in any type of seas. Looking for something that will be a little smoother on my young kids. Aluminum is attractive for me since I had my other boat for 25 years and have not had to do any major welding on it. Thing will probably last another 10 years and is still a tank. Also would like something to use while doing some heavy hunting.
My other option is possibly a Reno skiff. Wouldn’t mind a blackjack type bay boat but don’t think it would hold up for hunting.
This post was edited on 9/21/21 at 10:55 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 11:12 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
Whats the deadrise at the stern?
From what I could research online, looks like the performance hull is around 10-15 deg deadrise.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 11:47 am to JasonL79
get a rolled edge blazer bay. Treat it like a reno. All composite, won't rot, and you can just splatter paint it in 10 years and it will look brand new. I've got a sportsman's fab and had a gravois for years. The glass boats are just so much nicer.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 12:32 pm to nolaks
quote:
rolled edge blazer bay
What size? I've been looking at those
Posted on 9/22/21 at 1:12 pm to Saskwatch
if it was me i'd get the 2400
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