1st boat advice

[Rick Hale]

I think I have talked the boss (wife) into a Bass / Fishing boat Later year.

We were at Bass Pro in SpringField, MO last weekend . I was looking at the "Tracker Targa 17sc". I like the layout of this Deep "V" bottom boat.

Total package Wt. is About 2400# --

My Full size 2001 Chev truck (6Cyl) (2wd) will do the towing.

I have 7 grand kids and my Dad(81) who want to fish / etc. I would be fishing by myself some of the time.



Any advise -- This will be my 1st Boat.

Is this boat built to last? I have heard both good and not so good about Tracker.

Should I go with theTarga 17 or 18?

Someone said - get the biggest boat with the biggest motor?

Any options that are a Must?

24volt T. Motor / On board charging system / Fish finder on the Bow (What model)??

What Model and size of Motor is best-??/and/- 2 or 4 Cycle?



I really do not want to buy a used boat as I"m not an expert and would not have a clue if I was getting a boat with problems or not. Also I can get better financing on new.

Since I only have a 6cyl. in my truck -- I must be thinking of wieght also-- (can't buy a boat and truck and keep a wife). I'm still working on the wife--She is not ready to run out and buy a boat. Wife told me after I build her a new deck and Paint the House -- Then we will talk about a boat!!



Is Sportsman's Outfitter & Marine in Lees Summit, MO a good dealer to go through or is there another dealer around the KC MO area.

Thanks guys

 

[Staci Matheis]

Rick -



You any relation to Don Hale, the Attorney in Steeleville? If so, tell him I said "Hi!"



Your truck should have no problem pulling either the 17' or 18' boats.



There is a lot more room for people and gear in that one, short foot.....



If cost were not an issue, I'd go with the 4-stroke - for many reasons..... Quiet! Economical. Quiet! Ease of maintenance. Did I mention it's Quiet?



Upgrade the fish finders to one of the offerings from Garmin or Lowrance. The displays are much better than the standard Hummingbirds. Garmins are the most user friendly. Having one on the bow is pretty much a "must" if only to tell you how deep the water is that you're in. There are some very good yet inexpensive models out there that will do well for this purpose.



Regarding the trolling motor voltage: Going to be using it a lot? Get the 24 volt system; it will last longer. Using it just a bit? The 12 will get the job done, you'll have less expense in replacing batteries and less weight to carry in the boat.



On board charging systems are worth their weight in gold! Come to the Rally (See link on the Home Page.) and you could win one provided by Sue at Guest Chargers!



OK..... I'll leave room for others to tell you what you should/shouldn't do! :^)



Welcome to the family!



me!

 

[Mike Levesque]

You've come to the right place for honest, good or bad opinions, Rick.

I'll leave the expert advice on this to the Targa and larger tin deep V folks. But will chime in with a quick personal opinion too,LOL.

In our case we went with the Pro Deep v 16 sc, and could not be happier after our first full year with it. Whatever you choose, good luck with it.



Only "complaint" I have with mine, which IS smaller than what you're looking at, is I wouldn't want to fish more than 3 people at once on mine, but in our case it's pretty much no more than 3 people at a time anyway.

Also, mine came with a 40hp standard, I upgraded to 60hp, could have gone up to 75hp on my model, yours would be much more hp I believe.You'll hear people say get the most hp you can get, and though mine's plenty for my needs, I do wish I'd have maxed out on hp when I bought it. egMike

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Rick,



There are some members of this board who live in your area and run your type of boat. I will let them chime in on the dealer. As far as the boat goes if you are going to do the tubing and possibly sking thing with the kids, just make sure you get the most motor you can afford. The boat is sturdy and will fit your needs. You didn't say where you were going to fish, bigger water usually calls for a bigger boat. Now if you want to get your pilot's license, I'm selling my 929 with a 225. Just ask my brother in law, it gives tubing a whole new dimension!! LOL You will get a lot of honest information here. There are just a few too many tin boats!!



TOXIC

 

[Scott Wildwood]

Rick, Welcome to the board. Your truck will safely tow anything in that falls in this class of boat (=>20' tin or glass runabount). As far as the boat goes, I did the dame thing 2 years ago. My opinion goes as follows. The 17'r with a 60hp would do the job nicely, the 18'r with a 75hp would be better. But both are great boats, I've been in both.

Spend some time and look at the 4 stroke models if you can afford them. They are quieter and smoother.

Unless you have restricted horsepower waters where you live stick with the 12v motor and go for another battery down the road.

While the Humminbirds are arguably not the best out there, they are affordable and they are nicely interchangable with what's already there. I bought a used Wide View that fits in the main as well as the bow.



Enjoy and Best regards



Wildwood

 

[Mark Fields]

Rick, TOXIC is right get the biggest boat and motor you can afford, any truck will pull a boat but stopping one is something eles, your full size truck will do fine.

 

[tim bromley]

As far as built to last..the answer is yes. Tracker now builds their boats with an all welded frame as oppposed to the rivit system they used to run. That is where the knock on Tracker cames from, alot of leaking hulls, popped rivots etc. I own a Tracker 18wt with a 75hp. That is all the hp I need. Just evaluate your needs and decide on the hp. I did about 8 months of research before deciding on the Tracker and decided that Tracker offered the best value for the money. If you have any more specific questions just post them here. Or you can E-mail me at [email protected]. Jamoke

 

[Staci Matheis]

.....but TOXIC's boat only requires a pilots license if you engage the optional rocket boosters.....

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Oh Scott, are you on a roll tonight or what!!



TOXIC

 

[JEFF WHITE]

i have the grandfather of that boat.and my 90 f-150 4x4 with a 6 cylinder pulled it,my 95 f-150 4x4 with the 5.0 tows it now.also towed mine with a 89 ford e-150 van with the 5.0 no problem.



go with the 18.you wont be sorry.get as big a motor as you can afford.i got a 90 on my 19 ft and with the gear,kicker motor,3 batteries,full of fuel,and 2 people it will pull 36 mph on the gps.



go for the 4 stroke.quiet,economicaql,and long lasting.no oil smoke trolling,which they will do nicely!get as big as you can afford.



bow mount go with a minn koda any model you want,60 inch shaft,and powerhouse 24v,i have a 65 on mine andpushes it round 3 mph on the gps in calm weather.



bow mount finder,go with whatever floats your boat.i have a eagle magna2 which i put on the boat in 94,still works,but has its problems,but i use it only when needed.i have a zercom lpg2000 on the stern which is the cats rear.i see things i never knew were there.i go over with the bow mount and see nothing,the zercom sees a lot more.if you like to have the high power on the bow,get a lowrance,or a hbird,whatever you like.



any options such as onboard chargers and such is your own preference.they are nice,but can be a pain at times.i dont have an onboard charger.i charge through my trolling motor plug.



oh dont listen to scott,he is a glass man!doest like tin!!



just kidding scott.now you know if i can make it to the rally there would be 19 ft more tin there! but job restriction this year holds me back.sorry.
http://

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Welcome Aboard..My personal opinion would be go with the 18..I know it's only a foot longer but it will take rough water better and if you take the foot in lenght times the width you will see you get a lot of extra space..as far as engines go..If you have not done so yet goto www.trackermarine.com and pick the boat you want and use the build this boat feature and you can pick the engine that fits your speed and budget needs..If you want a better finder on the console you can always move the 1 that comes with the boat to the bow..They are nice to figure out how much water you are running in and my Humminbird work great at trolling speed. and last but not least..

TIN RULES

BF

 

[Rick Hale]

Thanks ---

Scott--I do not think I am related to Don Hale.



I checked the Tracker web site -- The largest 4 stroke offered on the Targa 17 /18 is 115hp -- 41mph. If I go 2cycle, you can get a 150hp -- 53mph and cost $3000-$6000 more(ooch).-Checked out the Mercury web page --in 4 stroke models-- they go from 115hp to 200hp-- nothing in between.



Ive been wanting a boat for 30yrs. Someone said to get the boat and goodies the way you want. He had to go through 3 boats and 10 yrs. before they got what they wanted to begin with.

Thanks agian -- Keep the info comming.

-- and TOXIC I'm to old to learn to fly.

I think I'm going to be a "tin man".

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Once you go glass, you'll never go back!! Come to the darkside Luke!!



TOXIC

 

[Un-Rob Rasch]

I think I was the one on BBC who turned you onto this site (FishnGI)! I have dealt with Sportsmans Outfitters from the KC area and had good experiences with them. A nice group of folks. Never had to have service done as I never had problems with my Tracker, but I personally never heard any bad comments about them from anyone in the area.



The folks on this board will not steer you wrong!



Good luck in your search.

 

[TrepMan]

I'll echo the gang and say if you can afford it go 18ft. I've ridden in Tex Transplant's Targa 18 walkthru and it rode smooth, fished great and had TONS of room! He had the 90 and it ran mid-upper 30's with his prop.



I also agree with upgraded electronics on the bow, I went Eagle and love it, but Garmin/Lowerance are even better but more $$. If you think you'll tube and swim i'd add a rear boarding ladder and a front anchor mate. I did both to my Pro Crappie 175 and have not regretted either!! On board GUEST chargers are the BEST!!! I'd go Galvenized on the trailer, that way no rust to worry about and if you decide to hit salt/brackish water no problems. Oh and definetly add a Spare tire and mount!!



Good luck and keep us informed.

TrepMan

 

[Texas Transplant]

Congrat's. Most have given you good information. I run the Targa 18 (that Trep referenced) and it's very roomy. Enough room up front for me to fish comfortably, and more than enough in the back. You could fish several out of the back (depending upon technique/style) comfortably. I have the 90hp 2 cycle engine. It runs good, and will push the boat 38 on the gps with a minimal load. Full load + partner fishing, around 34-35 mph.



We had a Ranger V6 (5 speed) that would not do the trick on the ramps. It was NOT the big V6 though. Switched to a Merc Mountaineer with the BIG v8. Problem solved.



I now run Garmin's on my rig. 160 and 240 (interchangeable from bow to console). I wouldn't run another HBird if they paid me. Not unless they improve their quality tremendously. Purchased the custom top with side curtains. Wife loves it. Nice to get in from the sun on occasion. I take it off during tourney's.



I like it and it's a good serviceable boat. Make absolutely certain within the first 60 days to check every live well, bait well in the boat to ensure that they all work properly. Double check that the two livewells both have drain/overflow fittings.



Tex

 

[Dan J.]

I got my brother-in-law a Targa 18 SC a few years ago and hung a 150EFI on the back. What an awesome boat! I tried to convince him of the benefits of the walk through windsheild or at least a DC, but he really wanted more walk around space. He was right! The couple of times he's towed it up to Canada for our yearly invasion, that boat has carried five, more than grown, men around at 60+ MPH (GPS) in comfort and smoothness. I've ridden in the 17'ers and there is a noticeable improvement overall in that extra foot in length. IMHO.

 

[James D.]

get the 18' if you can with the biggest hp. you will be glad you did. welcome to the site, a lot of good folks and good information. i've enjoyed my stay here, saved some money, and gotten a lot of good advice. good luck with your purchase.



jd

 

[Jeremy Boyd]

My advice is to get the biggest motor you can afford and also the biggest trolling motor. 24 volt system and on board charger Also Take a look at eagle fish finders made by lawarnce. It will be cheaper for you to upgrade the fishfinders and add one to the bow by yourslef instead of through the dealer.

 

[Glenn Covington]

Congrats on getting permission for that 1st boat and start on that deck ASAP!! I bought a Targa 17 SC with the 75 hp from Sportsman's last September. Have taken it out only once before winter arrived and really love it, so far. I would suggest go with the size that you can afford since you don't want the bank hunting you down while you're out on the water fishing! The 17 has plenty of room for the 2 or 3 people I go out with and will hit 35-37 mph with the 75 hp 2 stroke on it, which is plenty fast for my fishing. I feel a lot more confortable in my Targa 17 on big water with some chop (ie Truman Lake) then in my old TX-17. Looked at boats at the new KC Cabela's but they didn't have anything with the layout and looks of my Tracker for the price I was willing to pay. I always put a second fishfinder, on the bow, and add rod holders all around. I also went with the convenience of an onboard battery charger, this time. You might want to check into upgrading the trolling motor. The one that came standard on the 2002 model will only last 1.5 hrs at its' highest speed. My 6 cyl Mazda Tribute pulls it great. I did add a trasmission cooler, for insurance. The swing away tongue on the trailer is great, especially if you garage your boat. The rig is 8 ft wide, which makes it fun putting it in my 9 ft garage doors! Sportman's was real helpful answering questions before and after I bought the boat and they don't put any pressure on you. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll help if I can. Good luck!