Need some advice on boat choice.

[Duke]

Well, I've recently decided to get a new boat. I'm leaning towards the 2006 TRACKER Pro Team 190 TX (http://trackerboats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=1959) , but I'm interested in finding out what people think of it.. if anyone has one of these I would really appreciate any input you might have good or bad. Probably gonna go with the 90 HP Optimax, upgrade the electonics later on.

I'm also looking for any opinions on the 2006 TRACKER Avalanche 18 SC (http://trackerboats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=1977)

Seems like it might be a better deal, and offer a lot more room for improvement down the line.

Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[IL_Bassman]

i dont really have any experience with the tracker boats but i just wanted to say that you might try looking into the the lowe stinger series of boats if you are intersested in the pro team series because they are basically the same difference. i say this because i own an 05 lowe 160 stinger and i am very happy with this boat. it has everything that i could ever want. i am not bashing the tracker boats at all because they look like very nice boats i just thought i would tell you that i have had excellent luck with my lowe. i dont know if this helps any but i hope it does.

[Madhouse27]

Duke, what's the difference in price between the two models? I like them both for different reasons. Is the Avalanche quite a step up in price? Once you decide which you prefer I would shop that model against the other different manufacturers version of it. Compare features, price, style and outboard and even resale value against G3, Polarkraft, Triton, Lowe, Lund etc and make sure you are getting exactly what you want within your budget. Every one of the major manufacturers are making some killer aluminum boats these days. Buying a boat is awesome and agonizing all at the same time. Because of depreciation I certainly wouldn't rule out a late model used boat either. Good luck and have fun shopping.

[cravenfish]

Duke, Don't be talked out of what YOU want. BUT you should get the boat with whatever upgrades you want now, down the road you'll be stuck giving away your old electronics,nobody will buy them and you should get the max. HP that the boat is rated for( nothing worse then underpowered boat )

GOOD LUCK, Look forward to seeing you on the water 8-)

[senile1]

Because of depreciation I certainly wouldn't rule out a late model used boat either. Good luck and have fun shopping.

Madhouse has a point.  Just my opinion, but I would always consider a late model used boat when looking at new ones.  Otherwise, Tracker has a great reputation as do many others.  

[cart7t]

You're comparing two very different boats there. The BT190 is a convential aluminum hulled bassboat.  The Avalanche is an attempt to recreate a high performance bassboat using aluminum.

I have no direct experience with either boat nor anyone that's owned a BT bassboat the past 10 years either.  Your 90Hp selection is seriously underpowered for the 135hp rated 190 and waaay under powered for the 175hp Avalanche.  You should really rethink that motor selection.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Putting a 90 on either boat is a decision I know you would regret. It would be impossible to plane out smoothly over waves. The boat would tend to plow through waves without power to get on top of them. I have a 2003 Tracker PT175 with 50HP that can't get enough speed to clip the waves (top speed 33), but it cuts waves nicely and I stay dry due to the hull design. I've been in later models including the 190 and can report it rides like a glass boat with the right outboard, with max recommended HP. It's lighter so uses less fuel, but noisy when waves smack the hull while trying to fish, but that's a big difference between aluminum and glass anyway. With fuel costs to continue climbing I'd say going with aluminum is wise unless fuel costs are not a concern. It became a concern when I had a 19' Ranger and gas went to $1.65 and mny wife began to complain, the year I decided to go to aluminum. I now spend about $10 a trip and boat all I want if fishing, spending up to $20 a day if just boating, free from those $50-100 fuel days. I spend a lot less time outboarding just because I could zip from one end to the other, actually fishing probably 50% more than in the Ranger days.

Jim

[northgabassfisher]

I have the tracker tournament v-18 http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=1770 and I love it I got a 90hp on the back and it goes about 46-48mph. and its got a huge front deck it as wide as could be. I love it the only thing I dont like is that its aluminum I dont think I will get another aluminum boat b/c I fish a very, very, very busy lake and its a not very smooth when a wave from a 30ft cruiser hits ya lol.

[Duke]

Well, I decided against tracker boats after a closer in depth look at them..  Starting to get a little burned out on boat shopping actually. Might just buy another used boat and build it the way I need it, seems I'm a bit too picky for mass-produced boats. As for the aluminum vs fiberglass thing, I would probably rather have a 'new' fiberglass. but a used one for me wouldn't offer much room for customizing, and the price difference is insane. Gonna see if I can just track down a decent used aluminum, break out the welder.. buy a few things and fabricate the rest to fit my picky needs     Thanks for all the input everyone

[WV_waters]

I have an 06 Tracker Avalanche SC with a 115 Optimax. If you decide to buy a tracker I hope you have a better experience than I did.

I shopped for boats for almost 3 monthes before I decided on the Avalanche. I ordered the boat and the dealer said 6-8 weeks. Well it actually took 15 weeks and I am still waiting on the cover. The fit/finish on my 06' compared to the red 04' they had at the dealership is terrible. I should have refused the boat but I wanted to fish and I signed a purchase agreement when I ordered it. There is a 14" long run int he paint, thin spots in the carpet the rub rail looks like it went through a briar field, there are spots on the decking that pop like they are not attached properly to the deck support. THey mounted the Lowrance 125 so close to the console you cant remove or install the cover without gouging the console. The steering wheel is completely upside down and the paint has big dull spots in it.

I know some of the stuff sounds picky but when I spend $20k on a boat I expect it to be perfect.

Now to the boat itself. I would definitely recommend a 135 or 150. The 115 does get it to plane pretty quick but its a tad slow out of the hole. The optimax is very good on gas. I can fish for two days on the river for $15. so far in the month I have ran it I have ZERO issues with the motor. The trolling motor gets the job done but the rubber bushing on the mount sucks. WIth the clamp bottomed out the shaft still walks down and the head on the motor turns. Its really a pain especially in a higher speed. Oh yeah the panel with the trolling motor plug is very very thin and flimsy, i give it another month before it breaks.

The Hull design is wonderfull. Its wide stable and rides like a caddy. Its the driest ride I have had in a boat. We had 2.5' waves and white caps saturday and we stayed perfectly dry. The speedo says it tops out at 55 but they arent accurate, I would guess its really 48-50. I didnt get the speed sensor on the depth finder.

Storage is more than adequate and wiring is tucked & loomed to stay out of your line in the rod boxes. The on board charger is nice and fairly fast. The carpet is showing wear pretty bad after a month of use, probably 15 fishing trips so far. The trailer is nice and makes for very easy loading.

Overall I would give the Avalanche a 6 out of 10. The buying experience was a 2 at best. Honestly I will probably take the hit and sell the thing in a couple of years and buy a glass boat. I had my eye on a Skeeter TZX190. For only a couple grand more I could have had it, but i wanted aluminum for durability.

I looked hard at the TX190 and the Tourny V-18 as well. Both nice boats. I like the width of the avalanche and v18 compared to the 190. Just personal preference.

Take a look at the Fisher pro Hawk 180 and the polar krafts as well. They are in the same price range as the tracker. I looked at g3's and tritions. I think they are the exact same hull. They were more than the skeeter. $25k+ with a 150 yamaha. My friends dad has an xpress and he says its a very nice boat. Closest dealer to me was 5hrs so I didnt check them out.

Good luck with your decision. I will say I will never own another tracker/nitro again.

I can get some pics of my boat and post them next week if your interested. Its the Pewter color, kind of a grey/tan mix. I love the color, it almost matches my silver truck.

[JimDoc]

Figure out which Tracker you REALLY want and outfit it with ALL the accessories and the motor you want to get a final price. As others have said -- don't UNDERPOWER it. With that information in hand, go find a Triton dealer and see how their aluminum boats compare in price, quality and features. The difference wil be immediately apparent. There's a dealer locator on Triton's web site.

http://www.tritonboats.com/frames.asp?cat=3