Tracker Boats
HARRY DUDLEY
Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
Harry D.
gary
HARRY DUDLEY <hdu...@brandywine.net> wrote:
: Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
I have owned a TX-17 for about a year and a half. Very easy to tow and use.
Top speed with two people about 30 mph with the 40HP Merc.
Snipe (USN,ret)
I've owned Trackers since '85. The first was the Pro 17 with a 40 hp Merc.
and got about 30-35 mph with two people aboard. Currently I'm running the
Pro Team 18 with a 90 Merc. It tops out at about 50 mph and the only time
I've experienced any instability was during high speed turns. The stern
tends to "skip" Tracker has a great line of boats. If you will be fishing
big/rough water, you may want to look at a deep V hull configuration. Good
fishing.
--
Lance
Ken K
"HARRY DUDLEY" <hdu...@brandywine.net> wrote:
>Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
>40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
>stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
>expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
>Harry D.
If you're considering aluminum, my experiences with Tracker a couple
of years back, were BAD. Fasteners popped loose along with
rivits=leaks. Had to double check bilge pump before leaving dock.
Factory replaced 3 hulls (a six month hassle each time). Cheap
fasteners always working loose.
Recommend a used fiberglass rig or manufacturer of quality hulls.
Unless you've got 200 pounders aboard, 40 hp gets it on a plane and
maybe 25 mph or so. Stability is generally not a problem in Tracker,
just poor quality, one reason prices are so attractive I guess.
KK
Nick Oder
HARRY DUDLEY wrote:
>
> Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
> 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
> stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
> expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
> Harry D.
Harry:
I have a 92 Model TX17 with the Johnson 40 on it. I love it! We fish
Santee Cooper lake systems and Wateree her in South Carolina. The 40
will push this boat right at about 30pmh wide open. A friend of mine
has the same exact boat only with a 60 on it and he relates he sees
about 45 on his speed-o-meter. I have no idea how accurate these
readings are, but they go fast enough for me.
As far as workmanship, I have no problems with it. I know some people
have had problems with small leaks at the rivets, but I have not. I do
recommend that you keep the boat under some type of cover when not in
use. The decks are treated plywood, but still I do not like the idea of
all that water on them in the rain.
Stability.. No problem. I been in some pretty ruff water with this
boat, and it did not become unstable. Fishability is excellent. My
wife has become a pretty good bass angler since I sold the jon boat (she
likes the comfort).
Hope this helps..
--
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( @ @ )
+-----------------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo-----------------------+
Gillraker
"HARRY DUDLEY" <hdu...@brandywine.net> wrote:
>Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
>40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
>stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
>expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
>Harry D.
Well, I have fished in a few trackers of that size, I think 40 will
suffice for you, but something with a little more thrust would allow
you to get the full potential from a tracker, they are mostly high
performance.
GiLL <|||||><
Steve Carter
HARRY DUDLEY wrote:
>
> Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
> 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
> stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
> expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
> Harry D.
I would say 40hp is NOT enough for a 16-18 ft boat. I believe you will
becom disatisfied with the boat and then want to spend bucks on
upgrading. My advice is to get the biggest motor you can afford, if you
can't afford the upgrade price that Nitro want for their motors I would
recommend purchasing a used boat with a decent sized motor, such as a
ranger, champion, stratos, etc.
As an aside, a larger boat with a small motor will perform poorly and
your resale will be horrendous, especially with a Nitro, which has a
poor resale value anyways.
Give small motors on larger boats a miss, and if you value quality and
resale value, give the Nitro/Tracker a miss too.
L8r,
Steve.
Bart White
I had purchashed a 1987 Tournament 17' with a 80 HP Mercury and was very
satisfied with the performance. I beleive you should always purchase a boat
with a motor that is within 90% of its rated HP. The only problem with the
boat is is was not large enough in large lakes and the bays around south
Louisiana. I did how ever get over 40 MPH with the setup
--
Bartman
whi...@hou.moc.com
HARRY DUDLEY <hdu...@brandywine.net> wrote in article
<01bbb2c8$b814e100$3c9f8ace@hdudley>...
Bass Taurus
Steve Carter wrote:
>
> HARRY DUDLEY wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
> > 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
> > stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
> > expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
> > Harry D.
>
>
fiberglass ones. That being the case, Tracker boats are probably one of
the pioneers in inexpensive bass rigs that may not be fancy but get the
job done. My Bass Tracker III (early 1980's; 16 ft modified flat
bottom) has a 50 hp Merc and can get to 30 mph with one person and gear.
That is the minimum I would get if I were you. Are you looking at a
flat or V-hull? Since V-hulls have more hull surface in the water (and
more drag) you should get even more horsepower. The ride will obviously
smoother with a V-hull and your kidneys could handle more mph on rough
water that with a flat-bottom. You can always cut the throttle back a
little.
Brent S
Sir Rogue
> Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so
> is a 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How
> about stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not
> really expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for
> help. Harry D.
I have a Tracker Nitro 16 footer with a 50 hp Force on it. It will do
about 35 which is plenty fast for me. On plane, I find the boat to be
very stable, even in pretty rough chop. However, with me on the front
platform and the wife using the aft platform, we've buried the nose a
couple of times meeting a series of two-feet wakes from other boats.
All-in-all, I think the small Nitros are a good value for the money.
However, when you get up into the bigger boats (20 footers), I think
something like a Champion might be a better value.
Another thing to think about is how long you plan to keep the boat. If
you are going to keep it for ten years, it's a good deal. If you are
going to upgrade in two or three years, you might find the resale value
not worth it. Small boats with small motors are in big demand in the used
boat market.
-> Alice4Mac 2.4.4 E QWK Eval:27Jan96
EVQWK 7.96.04 (Registered)
Roger Collins
I had a TX17 (95 model) with a 40HP. Great little boat, got it up over
30mph
without a problem. Had to trade though because my home lake it just too
big.
Bart White <whi...@hou.moc.com> wrote in article
<01bbb521$1feb8ea0$2c0a...@WHITEJ.lft.moc.com>...
> I had purchashed a 1987 Tournament 17' with a 80 HP Mercury and was very
> satisfied with the performance. I beleive you should always purchase a
boat
> with a motor that is within 90% of its rated HP. The only problem with
the
> boat is is was not large enough in large lakes and the bays around south
> Louisiana. I did how ever get over 40 MPH with the setup
>
> --
> Bartman
> whi...@hou.moc.com
>
> HARRY DUDLEY <hdu...@brandywine.net> wrote in article
> <01bbb2c8$b814e100$3c9f8ace@hdudley>...
BASSBUFF
I own a 1988 Tracker Tournament (Aluminum) V-17 with a 45 HP Mariner
that I bought NEW. I've never had any problems with the rivets or any
leaking. What I do have trouble with is the plywood deck, it will have to
be replaced in a year or two.
Another drawback to the Deep V's, is wind. You get blown all over the
place. The origional trolling motor was a MinnKota 12Volt. I replaced it
with a 24Volt Brute and solved that problem.
Now on the other hand, a good fishing buddy of mine, has a 1991 Tracker
Tournament V-17 with a 65 HP Johnson. He always has water in the bildge
and alot of problems starting. The good thing is, starting this year
(1991 Models) and later the decking and carpet has a lifetime warranty.
The water I fish, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, the Detroit River and
several inland lakes in Michigan, the V-17 is ideal. I believe that a
little larger motor would have been better though, say 75-80 HP.
One other note, I also know of a couple guys that have owned the
Trackers with the JonBoat Nose. They can Stuff a wave faster than you can
blink your eyes and will take on water. Not recommended for Large lakes
or big waves.
Personally, I WOULD buy another aluminum boat and a Tracker. If I had
any problem with leaking, I would get back to the dealer right away or
contact Tracker Boats to fix it.
Good Luck;
BassBuff
Ken K
bass...@aol.com (BASSBUFF) wrote:
> Good Luck;
> BassBuff
I'm glad you had better experiences. On the East Coast, the Tracker
factory is located far from the dealer. By the time it gets to the
factory and back you're looking at 6 months. My TX mounted an 80 HP
Merc. They replaced/gave me three (3) new hulls (but with the old
gauges etc). None lasted through one season on the Potomac. They did
stand behind the warranty and much of the wait was in winter months.
I'd haul it to the dealer in Sept and get the replacement in March.
Now I've got a fiberglass rig that will outlast the dang engine (175
HP EFI Merc, V6) for a welcome change. No pop rivets, no sheet metal
screws working loose, no cheap fittings, no poor wiring, no running
light fixtures that corrode, no wet storage lockers, no live well pump
parts falling off. Then of course no stress fractures in the hull or
rivets popping loose. I'm definitely prejudiced.
Bob Holder
Ken K wrote:
>
[SNIP]
>
> Now I've got a fiberglass rig that will outlast the dang engine (175
> HP EFI Merc, V6) for a welcome change. No pop rivets, no sheet metal
> screws working loose, no cheap fittings, no poor wiring, no running
> light fixtures that corrode, no wet storage lockers, no live well pump
> parts falling off. Then of course no stress fractures in the hull or
> rivets popping loose. I'm definitely prejudiced.
Just one word of caution, (not to burst your bubble!!!) I have seen
many engines outlast the fiberglass boats!! As they age, they seem to
get brittle, and it doesn't take much to split them by hitting stumps,
or other obstacles. This usually doesn't happen till the boat is 10 or
more years old, but, with proper care, the engine ought to last at least
that long. I have a very good friend who is in the used boat business,
and he has warned me time and again against buying anything that is 10
or more years old! (I am absolutely positive that it is for my good,
not his!!!)
Again, this is not to worry you or anything else like that, but just a
word of caution!!! I envy you your new rig, for sure!!!
Keep your hooks wet, keep what you'll eat, and throw the rest back for
the rest of us!!!
Bob
aluminum...@gmail.com
> Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
> 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
> stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
> expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
> Harry D.
dan/danl
wrote:
models I knew lots of guys used when I lived in WI. Always heard good
reports on em. Almost bought a Dominator, was ready to sign the
paperwork when I ran into a bad economy issue and pulled out. Have
fished out of both as a passenger and liked both.
Dan
http://www.alumacraft.com/models.php
dan/danl
wrote:
gbw...@gmail.com
Gary
Toronto Tom Evans
> elsewhere.
>
http://i50.tinypic.com/240xb15.jpg
hookse...@gmail.com
> Does anyone have any experience with Tracker line of Bass boats? If so is a
> 40Hp motor enough for two people in the 16-18ft boat size. How about
> stability for lake fishing.....or recemmendations for a not really
> expensive boat of this type, yet stable platform. Thanks for help.
> Harry D.
Bob La Londe
news:a53ee72e-7bc8-46df...@googlegroups.com...
outlawed all jets in their tournaments.