I’m thinking of getting a boat soon. I’m sick of getting to go on the water when my boaters are available. I want to pre fish whenever I want/need. Keep in mind I fish the deleware, potomic, and northeast primary. I need something with a little bit of pep, especially for the northeast to get to my spots quickly. I have been keeping my eye on a bass tracker pro 16, but the aluminum set up and that tiny 30 on it dosent seem like It will make the cut, not to mention I don’t want to flip over when it starts getting choppy. Has anyone ever been on these things? My main question is if I can put on a big enough motor (biggest the boat can handle) would I be alright? I don’t have much money to spend, but I don’t want to buy something really old that I’ll have to put alot of $$$ into. Any suggestions, my max I would feel comfortable to spend would be around 9-10G’s. I was thinking of maybe the tracker 17 or 19 footer, but if I’m gonna go that big I don’t want aluminum. Oh and no jet boats either, don’t really like them. If you guys can point me in the right direction that would be great. Also list boats/motors to stay away from.
That is exactly what we looked into when my dad was looking for a boat. I ended up with it, its a 97’ Ranger alum 17footer with a 115 merc. Perfect river boat, I believe it was built as a musky/bass boat for big lakes. Just like this one but with a 115 (rated for a 120 and they DO check and write tickets on the sippi)
There are always trade offs in deciding what boat style to buy.
That said….I think any Tracker would be a good investment.
The problem (one of the only problems) with aluminum boats is they don’t ride as well ...particularly in rough water. This is because they are LIGHT…. something that’s an advantage in other areas !.
Anyway, the LONGER the boat, the better it will handle choppy watr. So I’d tell you to go longer and NOT faster. Many folks are mesmerized by horsepower. You should buy a boat that fits YOUR needs, not some other person’s or a boat dealer’s ....it should fit your need.
Realize too that Deep or modified V’s handle rougher water LOTS better than bass boats. If rough water is key….go longer and a deep v. You will love the difference in ride. When I moved to Minnesota, I switched from a Ranger 520 to a Ranger 620 (Deep V). WOW….the difference was night and day in terms of fishability, comfort and ability to handle rough water.
If speed is your desire….go with a bass boat, but you’ll sacrifice big water navigability.
If you are looking for an aluminum boat don’t just limit yourself to one brand look around there are some great metal boats out there. G3, triton and Express to name a few. I know Express makes an aluminum boat that can take a 150-175 outboard and my father inlaw had a G3 with a Yamaha 115, so look around and compare. The Tracker is a nice boat with a good reputation and I fish against some guys that have them and the do very well and stay competitve, just remember the boat and motor don’t catch the fish it just gets you there and you don’t have to travel 100 miles at 70 mph even though it is fun at times, you can stay close to the take off and maximize your time casting and catching.
Don’t rule out a preowned boat they can can be good starter boats then move up to a newer one later, there are some good deals out there just look and don’t rush into the first boat you see.
i would suggest looking at a preowned boat, there are some great deals to be had. look at bassboatcentral.com in the boats for sale, or other sites to see what you can get. like anything else if a boat is taken care of they will last a long time
If you are looking for an aluminum boat don’t just limit yourself to one brand look around there are some great metal boats out there. G3, triton and Express to name a few. I know Express makes an aluminum boat that can take a 150-175 outboard and my father inlaw had a G3 with a Yamaha 115, so look around and compare. The Tracker is a nice boat with a good reputation and I fish against some guys that have them and the do very well and stay competitve, just remember the boat and motor don’t catch the fish it just gets you there and you don’t have to travel 100 miles at 70 mph even though it is fun at times, you can stay close to the take off and maximize your time casting and catching.
Don’t rule out a preowned boat they can can be good starter boats then move up to a newer one later, there are some good deals out there just look and don’t rush into the first boat you see.
Good advice above that I forgot to tell you.
I would add what I consider (and many others as well) the absolute BEST aluminum boat made…..LUND.
Also consider AlumaCraft. Both these manufacturers make boats that will absolutely destroy aluminum bass style boats for a rough water ride. (again though….there are tradeoffs.) But your original post seemed to desire this feature.
If you really have 9-10k to spend on a boat…..you have tons and tons of excellent choices out there.
I am going to finance a boat. It would be easier doing it at a dealership rather than a private party. That’s why I was considering a bass tracker. I did notice triton makes a aluminum boat as well. I had a friend that sold his champion 18 foot bass boat a few years ago for 10k thing was in awesome shape. I would like to find a deal like that at a dealership. As for getting a loan threw a bank idk If I could because I don’t have much credit, just a car payment and insurance. I shouldn’t have any issue going threw a dealership though, I did ask one of the guys at the bass pro about financing, he ran my credit and said I should be fine. I just dont want to jump into something I dont like.
If you really have 9-10k to spend on a boat…..you have tons and tons of excellent choices out there.
I am going to finance a boat. It would be easier doing it at a dealership rather than a private party. That’s why I was considering a bass tracker. I did notice triton makes a aluminum boat as well. I had a friend that sold his champion 18 foot bass boat a few years ago for 10k thing was in awesome shape. I would like to find a deal like that at a dealership. As for getting a loan threw a bank idk If I could because I don’t have much credit, just a car payment and insurance. I shouldn’t have any issue going threw a dealership though, I did ask one of the guys at the bass pro about financing, he ran my credit and said I should be fine. I just dont want to jump into something I dont like.
be carefull about how many times you run your credit, it will bring your credit score down and stays on there for a while
If you really have 9-10k to spend on a boat…..you have tons and tons of excellent choices out there.
I am going to finance a boat. It would be easier doing it at a dealership rather than a private party. That’s why I was considering a bass tracker. I did notice triton makes a aluminum boat as well. I had a friend that sold his champion 18 foot bass boat a few years ago for 10k thing was in awesome shape. I would like to find a deal like that at a dealership. As for getting a loan threw a bank idk If I could because I don’t have much credit, just a car payment and insurance. I shouldn’t have any issue going threw a dealership though, I did ask one of the guys at the bass pro about financing, he ran my credit and said I should be fine. I just dont want to jump into something I dont like.
You sound like a young guy so here is some credit advice from an old fogey…..(I’ll spare you the lecture about paying cash)
1) Financing through a dealership is identical to financing through a bank. Fact is….that’s what the dealerships do. Boat dealers are not liquid enough to go into the financing business. If you can get a loan at a dealer, you can get one at a bank. Especially in today’s tight credit market.
2) Who finances your car ? If it’s a bank….go to them . As long as you’ve made your payments you’ll be oK.
3) MOST IMPORTANT….don’t let anyone sell you on you don’t have “MUCH credit”.... especially on a secured loan (as opposed to a credit card). The financial institution’s risk is minimal as long as you have 20% or so down. The asset can be liquidated to mitigate default. Don’t get caught in the “I need more credit to establish my credit” trap. It is pure BS. Have as little credit as you can.
4) Find a local credit union and join. Establish an account there and take care of it. Credit unions are GREAT sources of money for borrowers as they are non-profit institutions. ‘
If you really have 9-10k to spend on a boat…..you have tons and tons of excellent choices out there.
I am going to finance a boat. It would be easier doing it at a dealership rather than a private party. That’s why I was considering a bass tracker. I did notice triton makes a aluminum boat as well. I had a friend that sold his champion 18 foot bass boat a few years ago for 10k thing was in awesome shape. I would like to find a deal like that at a dealership. As for getting a loan threw a bank idk If I could because I don’t have much credit, just a car payment and insurance. I shouldn’t have any issue going threw a dealership though, I did ask one of the guys at the bass pro about financing, he ran my credit and said I should be fine. I just dont want to jump into something I dont like.
You sound like a young guy so here is some credit advice from an old fogey…..(I’ll spare you the lecture about paying cash)
1) Financing through a dealership is identical to financing through a bank. Fact is….that’s what the dealerships do. Boat dealers are not liquid enough to go into the financing business. If you can get a loan at a dealer, you can get one at a bank. Especially in today’s tight credit market.
2) Who finances your car ? If it’s a bank….go to them . As long as you’ve made your payments you’ll be oK.
3) MOST IMPORTANT….don’t let anyone sell you on you don’t have “MUCH credit”.... especially on a secured loan (as opposed to a credit card). The financial institution’s risk is minimal as long as you have 20% or so down. The asset can be liquidated to mitigate default. Don’t get caught in the “I need more credit to establish my credit” trap. It is pure BS. Have as little credit as you can.
4) Find a local credit union and join. Establish an account there and take care of it. Credit unions are GREAT sources of money for borrowers as they are non-profit institutions. ‘
Good luck
Very sound advice. I have dealt with my local credit union on all of my vehicles and boats. Their rates are very comparable to larger banks and the tend to take care of their own so to speak.
Thanks for the heads up! I am 22 years old and don’t have any credit cards (those will get me in trouble) My girlfriend goes threw a credit union called tru mark, I might check those guys out. My vehicle is through toyota finantial, not sure if it’s directly threw them or a bank that they go threw i’ll look more into this. I just want to get my feet in the water with this whole boating thing. I’m very passonate about fishing the only thing thats holding me back at becoming much better than I am now is time on the water with my own boat. Yeah I have 4 or 5 people that I know that have boats that I go with, but it’s not every weekend like I would like it to be. Maybe something small would be ok for me considering I don’t plan on entering any tourneys as a boater any time soon. I appreciate all of your feed back, I just don’t want to hop into anything without knowing enough.
Thanks for the heads up! I am 22 years old and don’t have any credit cards (those will get me in trouble) My girlfriend goes threw a credit union called tru mark, I might check those guys out. My vehicle is through toyota finantial, not sure if it’s directly threw them or a bank that they go threw i’ll look more into this. I just want to get my feet in the water with this whole boating thing. I’m very passonate about fishing the only thing thats holding me back at becoming much better than I am now is time on the water with my own boat. Yeah I have 4 or 5 people that I know that have boats that I go with, but it’s not every weekend like I would like it to be. Maybe something small would be ok for me considering I don’t plan on entering any tourneys as a boater any time soon. I appreciate all of your feed back, I just don’t want to hop into anything without knowing enough.
Good for you. That is a great thing. You will enjoy it immensly. Like all good things, they come with a price. Take your time, and examine everything carefully. Also remember….when you borrow money YOU are the customer. Never feel they are doing you a favor. YOU are doing them a favor. As long as you pay your loans properly, you will always be a welcome customer at all lending institutions.
Go get ‘em !
I wouldn’t rule out the private party deals. You can usually get much more for your money since the value drops quite a bit as soon as it leaves the lot. I have a 14ft PolarKraft tri-hull. It’s not a deep v, so it rides REALLY shallow. And with all my gear and the floors built in, it handles some smaller lake chop no problem. The only downside to my boat is the outboard…I only gots an 18hp. It will get up to about 16mph on a calm day with 2 people and gear. I bought it for $2300. So there is my 2 cents. If you have 9-10 to spend, Im sure you could find exactly what you want by doing some digging and finding a used one only 3-4 years old. And probably spend a lot less.
