Boat modification

[Medico22733]

I have a 1991 Bass Tracker Pro 16. It's the Panfish model. Most of the ones I have found are bass models. I was lucky enough to acquire this boat for free from family. It has a 40hp Evinrude outboard, runs great. I'm looking to modify it by building casting decks on the front and back to bass fish. Also looking to add storage and possibly put a permanent gas tank in the back. I have looked and looked for someone else who has done this with no luck. (At least with the Panfish model, found plenty of Jon boat mods) Any thoughts or info would be greatly appreciated. If there is a thread already for this please direct me in that direction as well. Thanks!!

[fishnkamp]

Be very careful, that boat does not have that wide a bottom.  This will make it very unstable to stand up on a raised deck. That is why you are not finding anyone else who has done it. I suggest you enjoy it as it is.  If you want a boat wide enough to safely do it, trade it in on a wider bass boat that is already done or a extra wide v mod jon, most of them already have a front raised deck.  

[Medico22733]

So you feel that a 16' with over a 60" beam would be too narrow. I have found several models with the same specs that tracker made with casting platforms for bass fishing.

[Catt]

That boat has a 48" bottom width which is more than adequate enough for casting decks.

The Pro Angler 16 & the Pro 165 both has casting decks. All 3 are the same hull

[fishnkamp]

The length is fine and the beam is okay but that has nothing to do with stability. The measurement you need to be concerned with is the bottom width.  If you look at a new Tracker 160,  the new model has a full raised deck. The dimensions are 16 feet long, 70 inches wide at the beam and it has a 48 inch width across the bottom at the transom.  Measure yours and if it is 48 then build your deck like they did on the new ones. If you are only 38 or 40 I would not raise the deck up level with the sides of the boat.  Catt are you sure the old ones were 48 I could not find the specs for the old model. Do not compare the stability of his boat to the stability of a Pro Angler 16 it is a wider deep vee hull and the Pro 165 had a 72 .5 inch beam. I am not trying to be hard nosed, just trying to suggest he be careful. If it has a 48 inch wide bottom okay, but again I think it may only be a 40 inch bottom. I ran a 15.75 foot 42 inch bottom width Polar Kraft so it was only inches shorter and I would never have built a raised deck. It was a mod vee also. It had the same floor plan as Tracker's Panfish Special with stick steering. The boat was a terrific fishing vessel but would have been very unsafe to stand up on top of, the center of gravity would have made it so.

[Catt]

@fishnkamp

http://www.ehow.com/list_7582264_bass-tracker-boat-specifications.html

[Medico22733]

Thanks for the info. I too want to make sure that whatever I do is not making things unsafe. I'll make some more measurements and make sure. Also I'll try to put up a photo of the boat as well. 

[fishnkamp]

All you need to do is measure the boat on the bottom at the rear transom.

[Medico22733]

Measured today and it is 48" at the bottom of the rear transom.

[Junk Fisherman]

 Check out http://www.tinboats.net/

I wouldn't worry about the stability- yet.  You could always make a rough platform before finishing and check the stability.  You might be out some time and the cost of the plywood but that's it.

I built a platform in my first boat which was a narrow rowboat.  It was tippy and you definitely would not lean to one side.  But I enjoyed the deck a caught a lot of fish in that old boat.  Granted, I only fished small water with that boat.  Good luck.  

 

[fishnkamp]

You will be fine with a 48 inch bottom  Go for it some of the older boats like that were only 40. You see what they did with the new ones there now 70 but that does not matter as the bottom is 48.