Made with serious tournament-ready features such as a raised front deck, recessed trolling motor pedal, generous storage, spacious rod lockers and a dash filled with performance instrumentation, the new Ranger aluminum boat offerings are going to change the long-held mindset that aluminum boats are for those who can’t afford fiberglass. (Photo by David A. Brown).
It’s a common dilemma facing many working class bass anglers – justifying the expense of a fiberglass boat can be a real gut check, but going aluminum carries the stigma of “settling for less.” Fortunately, Ranger Boats has bridged this gap with a lineup of aluminum boats boasting such an impressive array of quality and features that you might find yourself tapping the freeboard to make sure it’s really made of metal.
I got to fish out of Ranger’s new RT178 and RT188 aluminum bass boats during a recent outing at North Florida’s Bienville Plantation alongside FLW Tour pro Randall Tharp. The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup winner isn’t likely to give up his fiberglass Ranger rocket ship anytime soon, but after taking a spin in these sporty little tin jobs, Tharp was duly impressed with the aluminum vessels his boat sponsor introduced earlier this year.
“My impression is, “I need one,” Tharp stated. “The RT 188 (that we fished) has all the comforts of my 520 C. It’s a great all-around boat and it also has the advantages of getting in hard-to-reach places without damaging a glass boat. I don’t think you sacrifice a lot of performance in that boat but you gain a lot as far as what you’re able to do with it.”
Made with serious tournament-ready features such as a raised front deck, recessed trolling motor pedal, generous storage, spacious rod lockers and a dash filled with performance instrumentation (speed, tachometer, fuel and trim gauges) along with soft touch switching and flush-mounted Lowrance electronics, these boats are going to change the long-held mindset that aluminum boats are for those who can’t afford fiberglass. Continue reading the review from David A. Brown on the FLW website….
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