34 JUNE–JULY 2018 | International Boat Industry http://www.ibi-plus.com
Markets & Regions
FRESHWATER FISHING | US
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ALUMINIUM RULES THE MARKET ...
The vast majority of freshwater fishing boats sold
today – more than 80% of them, according to the
NMMA – ride on aluminium hulls. Although top-of-
the-line models can retail for more than US$60,000,
the majority of aluminium fishing boats retail for much
less, and typically sell for less than their fibreglass
equivalents, giving them an edge with young families
on tighter budgets.
“Today’s aluminium fishing boats represent
exceptional value at every level,” says Smoker Craft’s
senior vice president of marketing and corporate
development, Peter Barrett.
“Today we’re seeing even entry-level boats come
with standard features that were once only found on
top-of-the-line models, yet they remain attainable
and affordable.
“The level of sophistication and innovation in
today’s freshwater fishing boats is just amazing, so
there are compelling reasons for anglers to make that
purchase or upgrade their old boat.”
While an attractive sticker price is undoubtedly
part of aluminium’s appeal, so too are the materials’
light weight, low maintenance requirements. “Even
larger aluminium fishing boats can be towed easily
with a family vehicle,” says Barrett. “Beyond that,
their light weight and incredible durability makes
t hem e a s ier to l au nch a nd re cover at u n i mproved
boat ramps, which opens up more possibilities to
anglers.”... BUT FIBREGLASS RULES THE BIG WATER
Although they represent a smaller percentage of the
overall freshwater fishing boat market, fibreglass
outboard-powered boats have also shown steady
growth over the past year. Fibreglass boats tend to sell
particularly well in markets with large, open waters,
where their stable ride characteristics are especially
valued. Fibreglass bass boats tend to dominate on
large reservoirs in the southern US, for example, while
fibreglass offshore boats designed for salt water fishing
are especially popular on large bodies of open water
like the Great Lakes or the Ozarks. “It’s important to
remember that among outboard-powered, fibreglass
fishing boats, the top-selling boats aren’t the
40-footers,” says SSI’s Ryan Kloppe. “The top-selling
length is 21ft, followed by 19ft, 22ft and 20ft.”
On substantial freshwater systems like the Great
Lakes, many serious anglers prefer large fibreglass
dual console, walkaround and centre console boats
designed for the open ocean. “The Great Lakes can
get really rough so it’s always been a strong market
for offshore boats,” says Alan Lang, national sales
manager for Summerville, South Carolina-based
Scout Boats. “The freshwater market has been
growing for us, not only in terms of units, but in size.
We sell everything in freshwater, from our 17-footers
right up to our 42 LXF. The 17ft to 22ft models
probably represent the greatest volume overall, but
we see demand right up the line, depending what the
customer wants to do.”SPeter Barrett,
SmokerCrat’s senior
VP of marketing
SRyan Kloppe,
SSI’s director of sales
SXCrestliner’s
gunnel rack system
(top) onboard its
1750 Raptor walleye
boat (right)