Are you looking for a family-friendly aluminum bay boat? Are you searching for one that would also be a good fit for hunting? Here at L&M Marine and Day Break Marina, we have over 30 years of experience with aluminum boats, bay boats, hunting boats, and family-friendly boats. If you’re looking for something diverse, here are the best family-friendly aluminum bay boats that are also a great fit for hunting based on sales and customer feedback.

Things to Look for in an Aluminum Bay Boat

An aluminum bay boat would be the best fit versus fiberglass due to the environment you’ll likely be hunting. Aluminum is more durable and less likely to get chipped or damaged like fiberglass. 

Deck Space + Shallow Draft

The ideal family-friendly aluminum bay boat that’s great for hunting is one that’s compatible for hunting, for fishing, and still has enough room and amenities for the family. Some things to look for in an aluminum bay boat include floor space for gun boxes, game, etc.

Another thing to look for in your aluminum bay boat is a shallow draft. This will allow you to access an environment with shallow water and potentially vegetation and limbs.

Removable Bimini Top + Outboard

A removable bimini tp[ would be great for this kind of boat as it’s something that’s easy to take off to convert your boat into a hunting boat and create a duck blind. A hard top isn’t a good fit because you’re going to be going under branches and trees while hunting. Although many aluminum manufacturers don’t offer hard tops or bimini tops, we can easily add that to your aluminum bay boat for you. 

If you’re searching for a boat to use year-round, we’d recommend a boat that’s equipped with an outboard versus a surface drive due to the surface drive’s noise-level.

Best Family-Friendly Aluminum Bay Boats Great for Hunting

Versatility is a big factor as you need a boat that you can fish out of, a boat you can beach, and in that same boat go hunting in the fall. A big open deck is important and can be used to haul a treestand and decoys for hunting or toys and a cooler for the family. These boats are all available in camo and would be a good fit for duck hunting, deer hunting, hog hunting, alligator hunting, and more.

The boats listed below are all bay boats and are great for year-round usage. They’re all perfect for places the Delta and Gravine Island. 

Xpress H190B: 

The Xpress H190 Bay provides a lot of storage on the front deck, but due to the storage, there is less seating and is rated for four people. There are two livewells in the back and depending on which package you get, rod holders a Helix 5, and a Minn Kota Riptide 70 trolling motor are available. The Xpress H190 has a 36-gallon fuel tank capacity, 115 max HP, and weighs 1,205 lbs.  

Xpress XP20CC or XP18CC: 

The Xpress XP20CC is rated for eight people while the Xpress XP18CC, its smaller counterpart, is rated for four. Both boats are big, especially the XP20, so you’ve got room for family. Both boats feature flip-up jump seats that you can easily use for passengers and flip up to get out of your way when it’s time to fish or hunt. The Xpress XP20CC has an 18-gallon fuel tank capacity, 115-150 max HP, and weighs 1,261 lbs. The Xpress XP18CC also has an 18-gallon fuel tank capacity, 90 max HP, and weight 1,045 lbs.

Excel 1960 Stalker + 2072 Stalker: 

The Excel 1960 or 2072 Stalker is another good family-friendly aluminum bay boat that’s also fit for hunting. The 1960 Stalker is 19 feet long is very similar to the Xpress H190. The 2072 Stalker is 20 feet long, a 19 or 20 foot boat is a great size as it’s still big enough to bring your family with you (and your gear) but you still have amenities such as livewell. The 1960 Stalker is rated for five people, 115 max HP, and has a 12-gallon fuel tank capacity. The 2072 Stalker is rated for six people, 150 max HP *website lists different HPs*, and has a 12-gallon fuel tank capacity.

Choose the Boat That’s Best Suited for Your Environment

One thing to consider when choosing a family-friendly aluminum bay boat that’s great for hunting is your environment, are you in flooded timber? Then a smaller boat that’s 18-19 feet such as an Xpress H190, or the Xpress XP18, or the Xpress 1960 Stalker would be the best fit. But if you’re taking it into open water or a large river, a larger boat such as an Xpress H20Bay or the Excel 2072 Stalker would be a better fit. 

The capacity of each boat is dependent on weight and how many people you can comfortably fit depends on the amount of gear. There are different camo patterns for different environments from reeds, marsh, and timber, choose the pattern that will blend your boat in the best to match the surroundings of where you plan to hunt. 

Summary

When making your decision the most important thing to consider is your primary goal with the boat as well as your budget. 

• Everything is a trade-off - if you’re planning on doing more hunting than anything, the Excel 1960 Stalker or Excel 2072 Stalker would be the best fit. These boats have fewer amenities but more deck space therefore more room for gear. 

• The Xpress XP20CC or XP18CC fall right in the middle of the Excel 1960 and 2072 Stalkers and Excel H190B or H20B, as they have a balance of deck space and amenities.  

• If the boat’s primary usage is more of a family boat, the Excel H190B or Excel H20B would be best suited. Both the H190B and H20B have lots of amenities including two livewells, rod lockers, and a tow kicker on the console, making it better suited to be primarily a family or fishing boat.
  
  

All these boats fall between the mid-$20,000 range to the upper $30,000 price range. You could hunt out of bigger boats, but if you’re doing more hunting than hanging with the family that impacts your decision as far as which boat is the best for you. 

These boats are a good fit if this is your sole boat and are more of an every man’s hunting boat versus a boat such as Gator-Tails which are purpose-built and have limited seating and amenities. 

Overall, the boat should be compatible for hunting when it’s not fishing season, but still have enough room for the family.