Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

[The Man 5150]

Hello I am new to this fourm, let me introduce myself. I am 39 and a disabled vet from the first gulf war. I am looking into getting my first boat. I plan on buying one after the first of the year and I am pretty much set on getting a new boat or possaiably a 2 - 3 year old used boat but only if it would make a really fantastic deal. I am also pretty much set on buying the boat from a dealership. This way I have somewhere to take it for repairs and maintance.

I have been looking on the web for awhile now reading reviews and looking at diffrent brands. I have also just started to go out to the local boat dealers and see the boats up close. So far I am seriously looking at the Tracker line of boats specificly the Tracker Pro Team 175 TF and the Pro Guide V-16 WT.

I live in Kentucky and am within 25 min's from 2 lakes and about an hour from the Ohio river. There are several lakes all around me and I love to fish ( bout all I can do any more ).

I would really appericate any and all experiances coments and recomendations that you all might have had reguarding Tracker boats.

I would really like to hear from all of you that actually have these boats and hear all of your pros and cons about them.

I would also like to hear about about any recomendations about any and all necessary items that I will need for outfitting the boat also I would like to know about any really cool unnecessary items that I could add to my new boat.

I thank you in advance for your comments!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

Do a search for Tracker boats..... They are a low cost, low end boat, you get what you pay for. Even on the stripped out "hull only" models they have problems, it's a build quality and/or engineering problem. My little 14' jon boat developed cracked welds on the transom corner braces that I feel was due to lack of proper welds and the transom being designed weak. I saw an Alumicraft 14' jon a year after buying mine, it was a MUCH better built boat and the price difference was minimal. I wished Alumicraft's were available in my area when I purchased the Tracker, I would have spent the extra money.

If considering a Tracker I encourage you to read their warranty. "Every new Mod V and Deep V comes complete with a transferable Limited Lifetime Warranty covering all external welds and a Limited Five-Year Warranty covering the hull, interior ribs and transom." So what happens if a weld fails below deck...........

 

[Socal Pat]

Re: Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

I think if you do a bunch of reading up on this you'll find that the "issues" that Tracker owners are having are not being seen on the Pro Team series. Most weld issues are showing on Grizzly and jon boats. I have an '04 PT175 that gets taken out about 100 times a year. Like you I wasn't 100% sure what I would be happiest with so I bought it used for a real good price $5,000. I know I can get my money back anytime I want.

I have made a few changes. The trolling motor is kinda on the weak side so I put in a top-of the line Minnkota 80# thrust with Ipilot. I use the GPS driven Ipilot so much that the foot pedal is now in a storage compartment. Not cheap but really coooool. A bimini top is also a great addition for a few hundred. Last week I trolled around my lake for stripers in the rain and stayed dry. Also good for shelter from the sun and a good place for your significant other to nap and read a book. I also have a downrig and a few removable rod holders. Next up is a nicer fish finder. IMO these are a great entry level boat.

 

[bobmk]

Re: Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

I have a 2005 Pro Guide V-16 I bought used and haven't had any structural problems with the boat. The only problem I experienced was a finicky tachometer. I too have the bimini cover which is nice at times but I do remove it when I don't think I'm going to use it. Don't like the original trolling motor either - that will be my next upgrade.

The upgrades I did do were a Jensen stereo, rod holders, trolling motor mounted fish finder and a new GPS Humminbird fish finder for the console.

The deep V has a smooth ride and takes rough water nicely. The only downside to the deep V is I won't take it on the local rivers.

 

[dt5150]

Re: Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

i have a 2010 pro guide v16 sc that i bought new last year. price and features wise, trackers are a good value. quality wise... eh. mine has some fit and finish issues. some minor stuff like carpet, but it also has some fairly major stuff that's wrong with it. the rod lockers have never worked properly. i had to tweak the lock itself as well as the "tab" inside the compartment to get them to work. even then, you can still pop them open with little effort and bare hands. also, the lids of the rod lockers have started to sag at the aft end of the hinge. this is probably caused by me sitting there while i unhook a fish or hook up a downrigger, but this shouldn't happen. it should be durable enough for me to sit there for 30 seconds while i'm doing something and not get bent out of shape. i'm going to bring it back to the dealer this fall after the season is over and have them fix it under warranty. we'll see how that goes...

another suggestion, if you plan on fishing bigger water, i'd highly recommend getting the wt model instead of the sc model. i've gotten soaked on several occasions in rougher water and found myself wishing for a wt boat.

this is my 2nd tracker, my first being a 97 pro team 17 which was a great boat. i liked it so much that i bought another tracker, but if i had it to do over again, i'd go with another brand. starcraft, lund, alumacraft... seeing them in person, i can clearly see the difference in detail and fit/finish. just better quality. not to say that my boat is a POS or a bad boat, i just wish i'd bought something else, something better. and like another poster said, they others may be slightly more money but it's not much, and you're getting a better product with better resale value. just my 2 cents.

 

[The Man 5150]

Re: Looking for sugestions on Tracker boats

Thanks for all of your comments,
I guess the main reason I am looking at the Tracker boats is because I really like the ideal of the " total package deal", This way I can look and see what I will be paying for upfront instead of looking at a boat then wondering what the bottom line will be at the dealer after I add on all of the stuff I would like to have.

I also am really set on an alunium boat and I dont know of another boat maker that offers this kind of set up.