better rough-water handling, more room and better stability, all of which mean little to Cox when compared to the tradeoffs he gains in a lightweight aluminum.
“ I’ m not looking to run to Pelee Island on Erie,” Cox says.“ That’ s not my style. If we go to a big lake and it’ s rough, I stay close. It doesn’ t bother me.
“ As far as storage room goes, I carry, like, six rods and a couple bags of tackle – that’ s it,” he continues.“ I’ m not trying to store 42 rods under a deck and manage hundreds of pounds of magnum spoons, swimbait heads, drop-shots and 10-inch worms. I have plenty of room for what I carry.”
4. Shallow-water performance – What Cox does relish is an aluminum boat’ s ability to get on plane quickly in shallow water. His rig gets on plane in just a foot of water with his Atlas jack plate all the way up. Instead of idling for miles because he can’ t find“ enough water” to get up on pad, he is able to jump up fast and buzz in and out of backwaters with ease. And when he hits something on plane, which is inevitable with his fishing style, he says the boat tends to“ pop up” instead of“ torqueing sideways.”
“ Trust me, I’ ve hit plenty of stuff in both glass and aluminum boats, and the aluminum is so much more forgiving,” he says.“ The boat goes up and over, and most of the time I hardly even feel it.”
Cox has also“ planted” both types of boats on sandbars.
“ With glass you have to call your buddies to come help push or tow you off,” he adds.“ With aluminum, I just get out, push off and I’ m on my way.” phOtO By aNdy hagedON
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46 fLwfIshINg. coM I octoBer-NoveMBer 2016