As for hidden places , those places can be found from one end of a system to the other . Yes , they ’ re frequently far back in creek arms and up rivers , but they can also be tucked away behind marinas right off the main lake ( check out the YouTube video of Poche squeezing behind a marina at the Lake Murray event this spring to show just how tight a space you can fit with an aluminum boat ).
The biggest thing is having a trained his eye to see the little spaces and think “ I can get my boat in there .” And then , often , doing your homework and planning on how to get back in there . For Poche , that often means spending an entire tournament practice running around figuring out where he can squeeze his boat as opposed to fishing . For DeFoe , he remembers spending hours and hours walking the shorelines of various places he felt he might be able to get his boat on the rivers and lakes near his home in East Tennessee .
“ You need to plan your route , because once you commit to running it , you can ’ t stop ,” DeFoe said . “ That is , unless you want to do a lot of pushing .”
a little rusty
While there are definitely some serious pros to fishing from aluminum boats , like everything else in life , there ’ s a give and take . And in talking with Poche and DeFoe , the give is obvious . Speed . “ That ’ s the single biggest drawback ,” DeFoe said of small aluminum boats with small motors . “ Keith ’ s boat goes around 45 mph . So , if it took you 45 minutes in a fiberglass boat to get to a spot , it might take you an hour or hour 15 in an aluminum . For my boat , it can only go 30 mph . So , it ’ d be at least double the time . That ’ s pretty limiting .”
Both pros admit that they ’ re fortunate on the BPT that they only need to run one way , as there ’ s no weigh-in to get back to at the end of the day . If Poche takes forever to get far up a creek arm or something , he doesn ’ t have to worry about doubling that time on the way back . But to be honest , that lack of speed and subsequent fishing time can be a seriously limiting thing
PHOTO BY J . D . BLACKBURN
DeFoe shows off the results of an upriver jaunt in his 17-foot aluminum boat .
for many anglers thinking of using them as tournament boats .
Then there ’ s big and rough water . The fact is , aluminum bass boats simply don ’ t handle waves as well as fiberglass ones . The bumpy ride is one thing , but the lack of speed plus the lack of weight demand extra caution when fishing big water in an aluminum boat , both for time and safety ’ s sake .
“ I can make big runs in big water when I need , but I just have to watch the wind ,” Poche said . “ It can eat up so much time if have to go slow , and if you ’ re not aware , it can become a safety issue . You don ’ t want to get yourself in a bind .”
Finally , if there ’ s one thing an angler needs to make peace with when fishing out of an aluminum boat DeFoe says , it ’ s that you ’ re going to get stuck .
“ Sure , you can fit it in places you can ’ t get a fiberglass boat , but that doesn ’ t mean it will be easy ,” DeFoe
said . “ When considering an aluminum boat , don ’ t get one so big you can ’ t get it loose by yourself . That ’ s extremely important .”
DeFoe always carries a push pole in his aluminum boat for that very reason , and Poche actually has a winch on his boat in case he really gets wedged .
So , yes , there are some great pros to aluminum boats . They ’ re durable and can get just about anywhere , opening up possibilities to fish untapped areas . Yet , the lack of speed , big-water safety and hassle of changing mindsets probably means they ’ re not for everyone . And that ’ s OK .
As we mentioned , fiberglass boats are getting more and more remarkable every year . But if nothing else , hopefully this article opened your eyes to new possibilities . At the very least , maybe you won ’ t scoff the next time you see a guy putting in his aluminum boat at the ramp .
JUNE-JULY 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 31