Bass Tracker vs. competition - buying a new boat

[Jeff P.]

Hello all.

I am buying a new boat next Summer, and after doing a lot of research I think I've settled on a Bass Tracker PT 185 with a 90hp Merc.  This boat seems to have the best package of features and best price for the setup I want.  The important factors I've been considering (somewhat in order of importance):

- price (this is most important, and is why I'm going aluminum vs. fiberglass)

- "boat size" (length, beam width, motor hp)

- tackle/gear storage setup

- durability and longevity

I looked at the PT175 also, but I don't like the storage layout, and I'd like to have a little bit more motor than the 75hp maximum for that boat.  

I see that Lowe has a new line of boats called Stinger.  They have a 17' and 17'10" model (Stinger 170W and 180W).  Comparing these two boats to the Bass Tracker counterparts, the Lowe boats compare very well except when I compare the price.  These boats come in about $1500 to $2000 more than the Bass Tracker with comparable motor setups.

Does anyone have personal experience with either the Lowe boats, or the new Bass Trackers that can offer opinions on either model?  Or maybe you want to suggest something that I've not listed here?

Thanks a lot.

[Guest hydrillagorilla]

have you looked at G3 bass boats?

http://www.fishingworld.com/G3Boats/

[Jeff P.]

I have looked at the G3 boats as well.  The dealer that sells the Lowe boats also sells G3.  They are very nice looking, but also come in around $1500 or so more than the comparable Bass Tracker.  However, if they are worth the cost premium, then I wouldn't mind spending just a little more.

I have not ever been on the water in any of these boats yet.  I plan to get test drives in each of them next Summer when I'm ready to buy.  Perhaps the on-water test drive will give me an idea of which boat is superior.

[chicobass]

What price range are you looking at ?

[Nick_Barr]

By Far G3 Has More Quality Than any other Aluminium Boat, A guy in our club has a brand new G3 and with all it Features i would sware its a Nice new Ranger.

[Jeff P.]

Re: chicobass, I'm looking to spend less than $15,000 for my new boat.  The G3 and Lowe both come in over that price, but I might be able to justify if they were much better.

The G3 has a Yamaha motor, which I hear nothing but good things about.  Both boats are sold by local dealers, so service shouldn't be an issue.

[FlyRod]

Jeff,

My favorite fishing bud has the G3 (Branded as a  Skeeter) 18'(+-? inches) footer with the 90 Yammy. He yearns for 20 feet of fiberglass, max HP, more speed, glamor, etc, but I drive and fish from the G3/Skeeter often and find it to be a very nice rig. It runs in the high 30's, heavily loaded, and would benefit from the 115 HP option, speedwise. However, the current setup sips gas compared to many other rigs. Cheap to tow as well.

Perhaps they've improved, but I've found Trackers to seem sort of "tinny" and not all that well made. Also, I've heard more gripes than compliments re Tracker sales and service.

Finally, the Yamaha IS a quiet, smooth, seemingly bulletproof engine.

Lowe? Well, that is one highly regarded brand and rightly so.

Try before you buy and assess ride, features, layout, storage, fishability, build quality, etc.

F.Rod

[Grumpyless]

I just sold a 1999 Duracraft 1648 Bass with a 40 Evinrude.  Loved the boat!!  But for around $15000 you might want to consider a new Skeeter SX170.

Here is a link of the website showing the price and details:http://www.foothillsboats.com/CatalogPro.asp?Collection=4&Item=580

$15495

2005 Skeeter SX 170

16' 8" Skeeter SX 170 with a Yamaha  90 TLRD

·  90 Oil Injected Yamaha  

·  Custom Matched Single Axle Trailer  

·  Stainless Steel Prop

·  Minn Kota 55AT Trolling Motor w/ 55 lbs. Thrust

·  Optional Swing Away Trailer Tongue

·  Spare Tire

·  2 Fishing Seats with Pedestals

·  Optional Reverse S Flake Color Scheme  

·  2 Lowrance X-47 Depth Finder's  

·  Hot Foot

·  Wheel Trim    

·  Shipping Cover    

·  Fire Ext./Throw Cushion/Motor Toter, Etc

I know this is far away but maybe another dealer would match his price!

[Grumpyless]

Failed to mention:  My friend has one of these boats.  He weighs around 250 and I weigh around 215.  The boat pulls us pretty good!

[fishingtvn]

i bought a g3 hp 180 in the spring and love it!  i got a f115 and she goes 48 at w.o.t. gps which is plenty for me and she still sips gas. i was considering the tracker also and its not a bad boat but i've heard too many horror stories about them. in small waters i'm sure you will be fine. but it seems they start screwing up when they take a pounding from big waves. a friend of mine has a tracker pt 175 when he first saw my boat he couldn't believe the difference that the 7'' of beam width makes. and she sure is pretty too! if you already decided on the tracker this does not apply but for other brands shop around! i drove from jersey to northern alabama to save 3 grand on my boat. i got the yammy f115, 24v 65 maxxum, garmin 250 front and back, custom cover and spare tire for $20,500 after rebate. if you were to opt for a 2 stroke you could save more short term but the 4 is sweet. the HP series have no wood construction, but they make a cheaper model that has wood floors and is similar to the tracker in beam and price i would think good luck in your purchase i know how nerve racking it can be.

[justtrying]

jeffp12 - i, too, in the past looked at the trackers. the pictures look great, but there have been problems w/durability.

i don't know where you're located, but if you're anywhere in the southeast, some friends of mine own Marshall's Marine (www.marshallsmarine.com) and they have Many brands - esp. triton - that they hook up & compare to the tracker.

these guys don't play. when they have their "big day" the first of each year, they don't have bill dance, or, hank parker, or forrest wood, or roland martin, etc., etc.  ...... they have ALL OF THEM!  All at the same time.   they keep 250 boats rigged all the time & have their own lake out back to let you test it out before you take it home.

they've got to have good prices & sell a lot of boats to do all this.... it may be worth your time to check them out.

[Yankee_Bassman]

If you buy a long distance from home, what about service? Around here, in season, the first question asked by marine repair shops is, "did you buy the boat here?". If the answer is "no", you're looking at an even more riduculous wait than normal, and normal can be 4-6 weeks, at peak season, which isn't that long to begin with. I solve part of that problem by learning how to do many of my own repairs, but that wouldn't help me with a boat under warranty.

Is quick service turnaround less of a problem in the states with longer boating seasons?

[fishingtvn]

i honestly can't answer that because i've had no problems. i do all the routine maintanance myself and will let the dealer do anything that yamaha strictly states they have to do. i have been to the local yamaha dealer and make sure to buy my oil, filters and lube from them and keep up somewhat of a relationship. i spoke with g3, which is owned by yamaha and they assured me there would be no problem taking the motor, or boat for warranty repairs to a local dealer. about waiting...i don't know. the only dealer that told me about waiting was when i told the  guy i was gonna buy the boat in 'bama. i figured it was his last second sales pitch.

[Sam]

I have a Tracker 185 Silver Anniversary Edition and I love it.

It is not one of those fancy "show" boats.  In fact, it has a 50 Mercury that gets me up to 34 miles per hour, which is fast enough for rivers and on lakes.

You will find that you need to modify your Tracker.

So far, this is what I have done:

Replaced the trolling motor fuse with a circuit breaker.

Installed bait hangers inside the left hand rod box and put one in the middle area storage box to hang the baits.

Added springs to my Motor Guide trolling motor.

Added a stainless steel prop.

Added a spare tire and support to the frame.

Plan to reconfigure the battery compartment so I can add a second trolling battery.

Plan to upgrade the onboard battery charger.

The rod lockers are not that great so be careful when you store and remove your rods.

I have to have the fish well inspected as the last time I used it I had water overflow out of it for some unknown reason.

The boat handles well with the 50 HP Mercury.  

Safety is my highest priority and I believe the boat and motor are very safe and reliable.

However, be prepared to realize that the Tracker is a starter boat and it does not have all the bells and whistles that the Tritons, Rangers, Nitros, Bass Cats, etc. have.

Purchase the special boat cover from Bass Pro Shops to cover your boat and motor.  And don't forget to use a trailer lock to secure the boat.

You will also need to spray your seat pedistals and the seat rods with silicone so they will be easy to remove after a fishing trip.

And find a good dealer that can winterize and repair your boat and motor.  Bass Pro Shops is a good source.  I use a local Mercury dealer who keeps my boat in tip-top shape.

You may also want to spend the $800 for the extended warrenty.  I suggest you do so for both the boat and motor but with the understanding that not everything that goes wrong will be covered.

Good luk.

[scsims]

I just bought a PT 185 with a 90 hp Mercury.

I don't have any other boat to compare this to, since I've not had any other boat.

With that said, I love this boat for the price. I had it out on Lake Cumberland this weekend and it was very rough out there. There were house boats everywhere and with a strond wind there were waves 3 to 4 ft at times.

This boat had no problem handling that type of water. I did slow down at times just so I wouldn't jump the boat and pull the motor out of the water.

It will run at 43 mph and with a tail wind a little quicker.

The only thing I need is a fish finder for the bow.

I haven't seen anyone else mention this, the weight of the boat is much less that it's fiberglass counter parts. Makes pulling it with a Jeep Cherokee sport very easy.

[flyphisher #]

check out fishers.

Also look at Polarkrafts, I have one that I really like.

[Jeff P.]

Thanks for all those that have responded with their comments.

I went to the local Tracker/Nitro dealer this past weekend, so I could see the new 2006 model Bass Trackers.  They had two models on display:

175 TX (similar to the PT175)

190 TX (similar to the PT185)

Both boats are a little bit wider in beam and transom, to accomodate the 4-stroke motors.  Talking to the salesman, he says that you can't buy regular 2-stroke motors on any new 2006 boat (you can still get the OptiMax motor).  I believe this has to do with new laws about emissions regulations (I'm going to start a new topic to discuss that further).

The 175 has the storage reconfigured, and I really like the new setup.  The 190 is also really nice, new seats, storage setup, and more massive feel to the boat.  However, since you can't get them with a 2-stroke ELPTO, the cost has gone up considerably.

I'm going to continue looking around, especially at the G3 and the Lowe.  We'll see how it all turns out.