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