Anyone Know The History Of Nitro Boats?

[BassCats]

I would like to know the history of nitro boats before they were bought by Tracker marine. I was told that it used to be an East Texas boat company.

 

 

[J Francho]

I'm not sure I recall the place of manufacture, but I've been in a couple. They were both tanks, really well made, if not dated in design.

[Jig Man]

The boats were made by Savage.  I don't know if or not the current Savage company is the same one.  In their day they were a good line of boats and held up well.  Since John L Morris bought the company they have been through some ups and downs.  For a while about 10 years ago they were the fastest depreciating boat on the market because they didn't hold up well.  There were lots of stress cracks, caps coming loose, and carpet coming unglued.  I understand that improvements have been made and they are better quality now.

[jhoffman]

I have to wonder how much of that nitro abuse was due to guys who bought glass boats and didnt know how to run or maintain them. Its probably THE most affordable brand new glass boat on the market. Guys run out and buy them as a first boat cause they can afford it vs a 50,000 ranger. I dont own one, not sure if I ever will but the new ones are definitely nice.

[tritonguy]

Nitro has had more structural problems with their boats over the years than all other boat companies combined.  The newer Z series boats are supposed to be 100% better than anything made before them but resale on a Nitro still follows it's sketchy reputation, not that any boat is an investment.  Nitro does come up with some neat features like a trash recepticle.

[Fishing Rhino]

Nitro has had more structural problems with their boats over the years than all other boat companies combined.  The newer Z series boats are supposed to be 100% better than anything made before them but resale on a Nitro still follows it's sketchy reputation, not that any boat is an investment.  Nitro does come up with some neat features like a trash recepticle.

 

Which also meets the regulation of needing a bailing device.  The plastic bucket is easily removed from its place to be used for bailing.

[Nitrofreak]

I would like to know the history of nitro boats before they were bought by Tracker marine. I was told that it used to be an East Texas boat company.

 

Nitro boats have always been a product of Tracker Marine,  Mr. Morris originally purchaced a few boats from someone,  of whom I am not sure and converted those boats in 1978 to offer a full package deal,  that was something no one had offered,  you used to have to buy your boats by choosing your own options way back when,  by putting the boat, the engine and the trailer together you got a much better deal rather than purchacing them all seperatly,  also sometime in 1978 they (Tracker Marine) started to build their own aluminum boats.

 

Originally they offered 3 models Bass Tracker 1, 2, and 3,  I think if I am not mistaken they were only 16 and 17 foot models,  it was not until the later 80's that Tracker Marine began their start in glass boats,  the Nitro series was first produced in 1988.

[Nitrofreak]

I'm not sure I recall the place of manufacture, but I've been in a couple. They were both tanks, really well made, if not dated in design.

 

I know Tracker Marine has a shop in Springfield and in Clinton Missouri,  The Springfield plant was the first for them and that is where the aluminum boats were manufactured,   but they built a fiberglass plant in Clinton in 1986,  I am not sure if the Nitro boats are manufactured in Clinton but I assume it's one of the two places there in Missouri.

[slonezp]

I have to wonder how much of that nitro abuse was due to guys who bought glass boats and didnt know how to run or maintain them. Its probably THE most affordable brand new glass boat on the market. Guys run out and buy them as a first boat cause they can afford it vs a 50,000 ranger. I dont own one, not sure if I ever will but the new ones are definitely nice.

Go on their website. With options, you can price out a Z9 at 70k There are other mfgs starting to follow suit with "ready to fish" boats listing pricing on their websites. Phoenix, Stratos, Charger and some tin dealers to name a few. I think that is where Nitro beat out the others in the past. The, "Here's your no haggle price". I think people have it in the back of their mind they are getting screwed if their haggling. With the advent of the internet, a little bit of homework, you can make some pretty good deals. Fact is, Nitro lists their option pricing on the site and charges mfg list. We can buy those options online and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the final price of the boat. I almost bought a Z9 when I was looking. I was looking at a new leftover 2010 model that was discounted deeply. By the time I whould have rigged it the way I wanted, it whould have cost the same as the boat I bought, which was brand new and with a better reputation.

[RyneB]

Go on their website. With options, you can price out a Z9 at 70k There are other mfgs starting to follow suit with "ready to fish" boats listing pricing on their websites. Phoenix, Stratos, Charger and some tin dealers to name a few. I think that is where Nitro beat out the others in the past. The, "Here's your no haggle price". I think people have it in the back of their mind they are getting screwed if their haggling. With the advent of the internet, a little bit of homework, you can make some pretty good deals. Fact is, Nitro lists their option pricing on the site and charges mfg list. We can buy those options online and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the final price of the boat. I almost bought a Z9 when I was looking. I was looking at a new leftover 2010 model that was discounted deeply. By the time I whould have rigged it the way I wanted, it whould have cost the same as the boat I bought, which was brand new and with a better reputation.

good choice, your new boat is beautiful

[BuckMaxx]

It is correct Nitro has always been a BPS gig. They were kinda the Bayliner of the ski boat. Economy package bass boats that were disposable. They were financed of sweetheart 7-10 year terms and most of the early ones wouldn't make it past 5. I don't know about the newer ones but the early boats were junk.Johnny Morris is a smart smart man. I highly doubt their quality is still sub-par nowadays. He has some heavy competition out there in the marine world. These new boats are probably pretty good. I was at BPS last week and a new z9 was about 54k.

[John P Vickery IV]

I worked for Nitro Marine in Longview, Texas in the late 80's & previously for Skeeter Boats in Kilgore, Texas. Nitro Marine was located @ 6099 Gilmer Road, Longview Texas. At Nitro I was first a Carpet Installer & then a Boat Joiner (assembled Hulls & Decks to make them one piece). It is my understanding that: The Owner had at one time worked at Skeeter in R & D (Research & Development). Nitro was first sold to Coleman & then I lost track of it all.

[MackE]

John P is correct. Longview TX. I own an 87 Nitro with an 88 Yamaha 115. The yellow Coastguard capacity tag lists an address of Nitro Marine Longview TX. It is a fish and ski. It is no trailer queen. It has countless hours of skiing, tubing and fishing on it. It has given me no structural problems over the 15 years I have owned it. I am currently repairing some chips in the gelcoat on the bottom and planning to re carpet soon.  It tops out between 52 and 54 mph. This actual boat was used on a TV fishing show by Opfer Productions in Branson, Mo. during the late 1980s. From what little I know bout it, it is a much more solid boat than some of it's later model counterparts. I realize this is an old thread revived by Victor and I just wanted to confirm he is giving the CORRECT history of Nitro. i remember when BPS was only a small tackle shop that J. Morris set up in a local liquor store that I believe was owned by maybe his father. I was just a little kid but I remember going there with dad for tackle.(of course) The Springfield MO. BPS sits in almost that exact location.

[Catt]

Alan Stinson

 

Alan was not only the founder of Nitro Boats, which he sold off to Bass Pro Shops, but he was the designer of the well known Skeeter Starfire, and the world record holding Stratos 201 hulls. He has designed every hull Javelin Boats currently have in their production line up. These are the same hulls they have been running under Javelins for some time now. He also designed the proven 19, 20, and 21 foot Stratos SS hulls. 

[rustoleum]

Know it's an old thread but I was looking for some history on nitro and stumbled in here. I have a 1990 tracker nitro 165. Everything original and in nearly perfect condition if you discount the speedo doesn't work and i burned up the trolling motor pedal this past Sunday. Oh and some scratches and scars on the bottom from actually being used 

[Born 2 fish]

42 minutes ago, rustoleum said:

Know it's an old thread but I was looking for some history on nitro and stumbled in here. I have a 1990 tracker nitro 165. Everything original and in nearly perfect condition if you discount the speedo doesn't work and i burned up the trolling motor pedal this past Sunday. Oh and some scratches and scars on the bottom from actually being used 

I had the same boat with a Johnson 70 HP.

[volzfan59]

I must have been extremely lucky. My first "real" bass boat was a 1997 Nitro 640 with the dreaded Force 90 HP on it. The boat, motor or trailer never gave me a problem at all over the five years that I owned it. The only reason I sold it was to get a bigger boat, a 19' ChampioN.

[Log Catcher]

Several years ago I was putting everything away after a day of fishing. A couple pulled up beside me to put there stuff away. I commented to him he had a really nice looking boat. It was fiberglass and had Bass Tracker on it. I told him I had never seen a fiberglass Bass Tracker before. I believe he said it a late 80s model and thought the next year was when the changed over to Nitro.