jbuchanan

I know this thread is a tad old, but I was searching about Ultrex and 16' john boat opinions. I too am looking to upgrade TM. I am looking to go from my 12v MK Terrova to a 24v MK 80lb Ultrex. I was wonder if OP did the upgrade and how it has been going or any other's experiences. I too am tad concerned of the overall room it will take up or if it will be somewhat similar to the Terrova footprint. Obviously the Ultrex is going to be bigger but a lot or not as much as one would think. I believe my Terrova is 45" shaft and the Ultrex I am eying is a 52". Reason I am more interested in 52" is I can swap it to bigger boat down the road if I upgrade boats in future. I know the additional battery weight is also a concern. Right now I am running a Group 31 AGM for TM and Group 27 Wet for starting/electronics. With the boat only being 16' would Group 27s be sufficient for the Ultrex or should I look at min Group 29s. I am not one to worry about speed. I have run 3 batteries in it before (2 in parallel to help TM last longer), sat the back in down a little but boat ran fairly well. I do have a 60hp Merc 4s pushing this boat. Any suggestions / experiences / advice is more than welcome Thanks in advance

I agree with the responses on upgrading to 24v system for your boat. As well buying new batteries dedicated to trolling motor from same manufacturer and age. Check the current wire gauge running to your trolling motor plug as well as the plug specs. Being a bass boat it might be pre-wired already to push a 24v setup, but that all depends on the model TM you are looking to install they all seem to have different electric draws at wot. Not sure your current 12v TM model but some of them 12v TMs pull more amps than a 24v from what I have researched. Bigger the wire gauge (lower awg is bigger gauge) the less power loss from battery to trolling motor. Another idea might be to move the current TM battery to be used for your cranking battery depending on the draw the outboard needs. Many of the deep cycle batteries now a days are dual purpose bats. Might be an idea if you are running a good deal of electronics thru your cranking battery.

All: I know this thread is a little old, but I am looking to add livescope to my rig. Currently I have two older model Gamins on my boat. I have a Ecomap 93sv at the helm and a Ecomap 73dv at the bow. I know these are the older versions and are not the plus units. I need to link both so I can share waypoints. The bow graph runs through the built in transducer on the Minn Kota Terrova TM which isn't ideal seeing you can only see 2D. Having waypoints sharing would be an improvement as I can locate from helm, mark and setup from front. Now to the bigger question. What graph should I lean more towards for the livescope. I am torn between the GPSMAP 1222 or the Ultra 102/106. If you recommend the 102/106 is 102 just as good seeing I wouldn't need additional mapping the 106 provides (I believe that is the only difference in the 102 vs 106). I have a smaller boat (16' Lowe aluminum). Would the 12" be a tad too big for the smaller boat as there might not be enough room to mount with the already 7" graph up there and the TM? I know the ultra's are touchscreens which I miss. I am trying to stick around the max of $3500 ideally. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as reading thru this thread has been very helpful. Thanks in advance, Jake

Bruce424 Out of the three boats you mentioned, myself personally would lean toward the Classic XL. Price wise it is mid pack when you look at the standard package with the motors they offer before paying extra for upgrading. If you were to go apple to apples on motor size the XL would be cheaper out of the three. I would strongly suggest get the largest motor the boat can handle. If you are light on motor any extra gear or people you add in boat will dramatically effect its performance on smaller boats. I think the 40hp and 50hp motors are very similar and most might recommend the 40hp anyways because i believe it is a much more common motor. A couple other major factors to consider with the XL over the others is the overall width, beam width and length difference than the other two. The XL is wider and longer which in turn will make for a much more comfortable outing on the lake and allows for more gear weight. The wider the boat the more stable it will be when you are standing up fishing. Smaller al boats can get pushed around easily in the lightest amount of wind and a narrow boat makes it even harder to keep balance when fighting getting blown around. Another positive is the thickness of aluminum (hull material) over the Pro 160. You will bang the boat on rocks and timber at some point of time and you will want as thick of hull material as possible. I do like the Grizzly's as well due to ruggedness. Myself I prefer no carpet because fishing in rain or getting deck wet is going to happen and wet carpet doesn't smell great in garage esp over time as boat get used more and more. Not to mention no carpet makes cleaning a breeze. If you are on a specific budget the Grizzly might not be for you unless you can find a used one. The reason i state that is you will have to equip it with trolling motor, fish finder and etc. Though it is nice to do it yourself because you get what you want. The XL is also coming with a break away tongue to make storage in almost any standard garage work. I would strongly suggest visiting a local Bass Pro and crawl around on each of these model of boats. Everyone is different and fits different people's needs/wants. If you look around on used market you can sometimes find great deals on these size/types of boats. Sometimes they are tough to find because they are in general to rest of boating world more economic to afford and people tend not to unload them as quickly. I personally have had a 16' jon boat with kitted 9.9hp (due to local lake restrictions) was a great boat for smaller local lakes and now have a 16' john boat with 60hp 4s and love it. Feel free to hit me up with any additional questions and I will be more than happy to help. Good luck and stay safe out there. I also assume you have read and been following this forum topic? This thread is awesome and these guys have come up with some ingenuous affordable upgrades and tricks to trick out these johnnies. I love following this thread.

Mako makes a 15' skiff. Below is link the 2020 15' skiff but they also have a 2019 model as well that you might be able to get slightly cheaper https://www.makoboats.com/boat/?boat=5009

Just because your state might not require boat insurance the lakes that you boat on may require it. Like everyone else mentioned it is just good practice to have regardless if required or not. It is too cheap not to have it.

Nice additions. Good choices.

Recently moved up to DFW area (Midlothian), I know this is a bass fishing forum but I am looking to start stock freezer with some gills and crappie. Wondering if anyone knows of good lakes around DFW.

I would go with the HDS Gen 3. The touch screen option is rather nice but you also have the normal button functions as well. The other plus is you can link other units to the Gen 3 and share info

Did you check out this graph at Bass Pro? https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Garmin-EchoMAP-93SV-CHIRP-Fishfinder-and-Chartplotter-with-LakeVu-HD-Maps It includes maps. $100 over the $500 you mentioned but it is a 9" screen instead of 7". I am in the market for a new graph myself and would ideally like to stick around same price range you mentioned. I just would like to have a 9" at console and eventually go after a similar size for front of boat next year. Just not in budget to get two right at moment.

Noticed what seems to be a pretty solid deal on this FF at Bass Pro. I was thinking about picking up this unit for a temporary graph on console and possibly purchasing one of the Plus models come next year and moving the regular chirp to bow and installing plus model on console. Question(s): Does anyone know if one can link the regular EchoMap to a plus version and just utilize one transducer? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for heads up. I just purchased one myself this morning

From my past experience the registration numbers are issued by the state in which you register. I am not sure if you can request specific numbers like auto license plates. Once registration is processed they will send you paperwork back with your registration numbers

@PECothanks for the insight. I did like the Triton 179s too but just knew they wouldn't work. Would love to have FG again. No worries on scaring me because I am thinking I will most likely have to look closer at the Crestliner Storm 1700s. Which appear to be a pretty solid backup option. If money wasn't the issue I would go after the Bass Cat Margay. Appears BassCat does take the customers in consideration and offers custom trailers to accommodate people in similar situations as me..... I had a Basscat Jaguar years back and them things are beasts. They handle rough water better than most. I put them right up there with Rangers on handling rough water.

@PECo I hear you on the builders not putting itself in the shoes of the customer. My issue with going to dealer is the closest one is 100 miles from me. I am notorious for bringing a tape measure with me when I look at boats. I am hoping I can get some good responses on here that will help in either checking these models off the shortlist or not. Before I buy this time, I will make sure next boat fits the garage. No way do I want to pay storage fees anymore.

So I recently relocated for work to South Dallas area and sold my bay boat due to size of garage on new house. I know I know... buy house that has garage big enough for boat. Well there were compromises. I am actively looking for a new to me boat that would fit the single bay side of the garage. The depth of garage is right at 20' the width is 7'-10". Even though it will be tight, I would be fine with a 7'-8" wide boat. Initially was was looking at the Tracker boats, specifically the 175TXW and new Heritage due to the package widths and lengths. The more I research and look, I am really liking the Triton TX17 or Crestliner VT17s. The Triton/Crestliner styles seem to be much more equipped and decked out for the style I fish. I have tried to research the overall package width's of both the Triton TX17 and Crestliner VT17 and get mixed understanding of the true width of these on trailers. Was wondering if anyone that has one or experience with them could shed some light on the widths for me? Feel free to recommend other boats that would work in my situation. My budget will most likely around the $12k range. Ideally below that so I have room for upgrades (TM and depth finders to start) Thanks in advance

@livemusic The cable trolling motor will give exact response time rather than a lag the electric cable paddles give. While fishing banks or around tight areas, I like the comfort when I push the pedal the trolling motor goes the direction I want it to instantly.

After having a MG spot lock trolling motor on my last boat.... This will be a must. I will compromise on other upgrades to have this. Next boat first big upgrade will be the new MK Ultrex cable with spot lock. The ability to quickly hold location in deep water is awesome. Esp if your fishing solo and have to leave trolling motor for a few.

The Lowe 1648 I had worked out well when I fished solo or had a buddy in there. With 3 people it would be rather crowded. Being 16' it isn't going to be as stable as the 17' or larger boats, but it wasn't bad at all. As far as big enough you can fill it up rather quickly. I would only load the gear for what I was targeting that day. Two people with each's own tackle/rods and cooler would have the boat full quickly. Solo trips it wasn't bad. However I would suggest a min 17' boat if your budget can swing it. The 16'ers typically don't have storage compartments if they do your life jackets and misc required boating equip take them up. So rods, tackle and reg gear will be left to be loose laying throughout bottom of boat. This can be a pain. Numerous road tip breaks or tripping over tackle boxes/coolers. The one I had was rigged with 9.9hp kitted to 15hp. We had a great deal of 10hp below lakes back where I grew up in Southern Ill. I never hesitated to take it on big lakes either. (Kentucky Lake, Galveston Bay, Lake Texoma and various others). I would just have to pick my days and where I would launch. One big factor to keep in mind is boat storage. Do you live in neighborhood where you will have to keep it in garage or pay for storage unit. This is the biggest limiting factor to me at the moment. I don't live in country anymore so I am limited to 20' of total boat length (back of motor to front of trailer). If you have to pay storage this can get pricey over time. I am 50/50 on the Heritage. I think it is a good deal. Being brand new, you get the warranties and a little more peace of mind things shouldn't need fixed for a bit. However the upgrades I would want to do on the Heritage to be rigged like I would perfer would make it a $15k boat quickly. Like Fishnkamp mentioned try to stick to used. There are plenty of used rigs that come up for sale at good prices. And they will typically be rigged closer to what you would prefer at cheaper price or you will have room in budget to rig it as desired.

I agree with fishnkamp on the Tracker. I think the tracker is a good price and the current owner has already done some of the common upgrades. I also think at the price he is asking you would be able to get your money back after a few years of running/learning. How about the Triton Fishnkamp posted. Not sure on the price of it, but those are great boats as well. Triton tend to hold value a little better than Tracker and I believe they are 100% alumn construction (decks in all) where as Tracker's are pressure treated wood decks. I grew up in the midwest as well and had a Lowe 1648 for almost 10 years. She was a tank. Never had a single issue with it. Actually it was my first every boat too. Lowe's are very popular around your area.

Got to say I was pretty stoked to come across this forum while searching info about this boat. This entire forum is a wealth of information and it has quickly become a morning must to buzz thru prior to getting motivated for work day. Not going to lie i tend to read a little more during misc breaks throughout the day as well. Another good forum to check out is 2coolfising (mainly for the saltwater guys)

Congrats to you and the family. I think we need more parents like you in this world. Too many kiddos are being neglected to what is really out there in this world to experience. Video games, tablets, tv, phone etc have allowed for parents to occupy kids time and reduce burden of truly being parents. I still remember the first day my dad put a fishing pole in my hand. Similar situation as you. He was never a fishing type but he just wanted to spend the time with me and my brothers. My dad still doesn't get into fishing like I do, but he doesn't hesitate to go because he just wants to spend that time with me. I think you picked a perfect first time starter boat for you and your boy. One thing I would strongly suggest is to take a boating course (both you and junior). I would even reach out to any friends, family or even send a request on this forum to anyone that might be able to join you out on the lake with your new boat and show you the ins and outs of boating. This boat is a very manageable boat and great learner boat. Enjoy and congrats. You def got props for taking the initiative for being a good dad/parent in my book

You should be fine. Like everyone mentioned the smartest method to tackle big lakes is watching the weather and launching boat close to where you plan to fish to me this goes for big or small boats. To me a large lake is no different than a small lake if you plan accordingly. Sure the unexpected on large lakes can turn for the the worse quickly but if you keep your head in the game and prepare you should be fine. Just always want to keep your eye to sky for weather systems rolling in and scanning lake for big boats traveling. Pop up wakes from the big boats are no fun unless you see them in advance. I had a 10hp 16' jon boat a few times on Kentucky lake even crossed main body multiple times with it. Not going to lie and say there wasn't a pucker factor going across esp with the big boats coming down, but the ole Lowe 16'er crossed like a champ. That Triton you are running should do fine. I have had a various assortment of of fresh water fishing boats (16' jon boat, 21' bass boat, 18' bayboat and 24' pontoon) and to be honest the smaller the boat the more attentive one is of their surroundings. I wish I would've never parted ways with the jon boat and bay boat. If you are targeting bass on Kentucky lake you should have a blast. That lake is chalked full of LM and SM. Another real fun fish to catch on that lake is bluegill and redear. There is a big group of people where I grew up that make trips to this lake every weekend from end of April to mid May targeting the gills when they are spawning. Some toad gills on that lake.

I was thinking the same thing on the impact on the 160 and 170 sales. I also think it will effect the used boat sales market on trackers in similar size to more of a buyers market. Does anyone have any ideas if BPS will produce only certain quantity of these boats or will they keep pumping them out at the price they are offering till demand eases up? Hate to commit that kind of money without seeing in person.

JFrancho, I did look at the specs. The Heritage has a max person weight of 555lb and max person, motor/gear of 1025lbs. The 170 has same 555lb person but 980lb person, motor/gear. The difference I assume where they come up with the 3 person limit is the average package weight of the Heritage is 1704lb vs the 1836lbs of the 170. I agree with you one would exceed the rated weight recommendation easily whether it was rated for max of 3 or 4 people when you add up three grown men, motor and gear. I was thinking 4 people for the smaller families or buddy fishing with 2 young kiddos bobber fishing with light gear and light weight kids. Me personally i wouldn't want 4 people in the boat at any given time especially bass fishing. Teaching younger kids or just the basic boat ride with two couples out anchoring and floating is the only time I would entertain four people anyways. As for the 50hp option, i am also with you the only motor options would be to go lower hp and not any higher. My thoughts on the higher was due to the fact the specs in comparison to the 170 were so close and the 170 offered the 50hp option. All in all I think for the price this is a good deal on the whole package even at $11k once you add in the typical BPS prep/freight/tax. Like Catt mentioned the motor alone brand new will be running in the $6k range. Basically $5k for boat/trailer and basic accessories is a pretty fair deal.