Stratos 176Vlo, Nitro Z6 Or Lowe St175

[Ash1983]

I am looking at getting either the Stratos 176VLO, Nitro Z6 or Lowe ST175 Camo. All three have traits I like and are close to the same price, with the Nitro being the most expensive.  For advice you should know my fishing background.  I typically fish two local lakes, one with a 9.9 hp limit and the other is no wake, so if I get a boat with a larger motor I will get a kicker motor as I fish these lakes 2-3 times a week.  I thought about getting another used boat, but after doing some shopping, the boats I would go for are around 10k, so why not spend a little more and get a new boat with all those nice warranties they come with.  

 

1. Nitro Z6:  I am going to have to finance and the 3.99% they advertise is nice.  I like the stability of fiberglass boats, but I would not be able to use the 115 hp motor to its fullest very often.

 

2. Stratos 176VLO: I can downgrade the motor to 25hp, which I am able to use on some local lakes I go to occasionally and it is fiberglass. 

 

3. Lowe ST175: I can downgrade the motor to use at other local lakes, the camo option will probably have a better resale value in the area I live.

 

On all of these choices I will upgrade the trolling motor. 

 

 

 

 

[slonezp]

If you plan on keeping the boat forever, it shouldn't matter. Putting a 25hp on a 17ft glass boat, you'll keep it forever because no one will buy it from you. If you're not going to use the 115, then why waste the cash. You can get a Tracker Pro170 factory rigged with a 9.9 as well.

[J Francho]

Not sure any of those boats can accommodate a kicker. I'd be looking for a light aluminum mod-v hull utility boat that had the deck configuration I wanted.

[Megastink]

If you plan on keeping the boat forever, it shouldn't matter. Putting a 25hp on a 17ft glass boat, you'll keep it forever because no one will buy it from you. If you're not going to use the 115, then why waste the cash. You can get a Tracker Pro170 factory rigged with a 9.9 as well.

X2. Get a tracker with a 9.9 for your 9.9 lake. If you're not going to use the 115, don't buy that boat. No one wants a glass boat with only a 9.9 or 25hp on it.

[Ash1983]

Thanks for the advice, I was looking at a tracker 170 because it is so cheap and most of my fishing is on smaller lakes, so I don't need a huge boat with a huge motor, but my friend has a 175 and it was not very stable. I was thinking about welding some stabilizers on the back if I get one, does anyone have experience with that?

[WIGuide]

Thanks for the advice, I was looking at a tracker 170 because it is so cheap and most of my fishing is on smaller lakes, so I don't need a huge boat with a huge motor, but my friend has a 175 and it was not very stable. I was thinking about welding some stabilizers on the back if I get one, does anyone have experience with that?

What year 175 was it? They are fairly stable boats in that category. I'd stay away from welding stabilizers on it if you aren't planning on keeping it forever.

[Ash1983]

I cannot remember what year of Tracker it was, its not more than a decade old though. I keep on changing my mind on what I want, luckily I am not planning on purchasing a boat until next fall/winter so I have plenty of time to narrow down what I want in a boat and find a model that works for me.  I keep going to different forums and looking up information from different resources and I keep changing my mind on what I want.  For example, I just checked out the better business bureau and Tracker Marine has a large number of complaints compared to other boat builders. G3 for example has had no complaints in the past 3 years where Tracker Marine has had 17.  But I would greatly appreciate information on other people's  experiences they have had with their boats.

[slonezp]

I don't have experience with Tracker personally. Tracker Marine sells more fishing boats than any other manufacturer. Statistically saying, they will have more issues.

 

The floatation pods they weld on the stern of tin boats are normally used for stern heavy boats to add floatation and planeing area. A properly rigged tin bass boat shouldn't have weight issues and maybe it's possible it was @$$ heavy for other reasons.

 

You're going to sacrifice overall boat and motor performance based on the need for a 9.9hp motor. You can't have it all. Something to consider is going to a tiller steer in a crappie or multi species model. Losing the console and wheel steer will open up a lot more of a fishing platform, and it will still give you some rod and tackle storage options. 

[wpwarhawk]

Have you considered a small stick steer boat with a 9.9 ?

[jhoffman]

my boat is a tracker 17, no its not as stable as glass but im not out there doing cartwheels in it either, im fishing.

[Tim Kelly]

A friend of mine is going to have a 17ft Triton bass boat with no motor coming up for sale soon. The hull has a few cracks in the seams, which would need repairing, but it might be a cost effective way of getting a great platform for a moderate amount of money, and if you're going to be putting a 9.9 on it then the whole deal wouldn't be nearly as much as you're thinking of spending. Would be very slow though compared to a 14ft mod v bare bones boat. Stability vs speed.