Triton 179 TRX vs Nitro z7(z18)

[LEWITH]

What are your opinions on the Triton 179 TRX? The triton would come with a 115 merc and the nitro would be a 150 merc.  Now i know the nitro z7(z18) will get me going 55-60.  My worry is that the triton with the 115 wont get me going at ideal speeds.  Would the triton 179 trx with the 115 get me going atleast 45-50 mph? Is the Triton 179 TRX ok to do bass tourneys with or would the nitro do better? Im not doing any pro level tourneys just local tourneys in the state.(just starting out in the tournament scene)

 

Thanks,

 

LEW

[WRB]

My advice is go with the Z7 & 150 hp if you intend to fish a tournament. I own a Triton TR 175, the 179 is longer but has the same layout, I wouldn't use this boat for tournament bass fishing. The reason I own the TR175 is it's overall length with folding trailer tongue is 19' and fits in my garage.

Tom

[LEWITH]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

My advice is go with the Z7 & 150 hp if you intend to fish a tournament. I own a Triton TR 175, the 179 is longer but has the same layout, I wouldn't use this boat for tournament bass fishing. The reason I own the TR175 is it's overall length with folding trailer tongue is 19' and fits in my garage.

Tom

What makes it non tournament worth in your opinion? I looked at the layout and seems to be able to hold enough gear but I could be wrong.

[BrianinMD]

No reason it cannot be used in tourney's unless there is some odd rule. I have seen 16ft jet boats that went 25mph win tourneys on a large lake against 250hp glitter rockets. A bigger boat does not catch more fish, get what you like and works for you then go kick some tourney arse in it.

[WRB]

You can fish tournaments out of a 14' aluminum boat, Dee Thomas won several doing that, but he was flipping when nobody else was.

150 hp 18' bass boat gets up on plane much easier than with 115 hp loaded with 2 people, gear and livewell full of water. If you are fishing a club event with a friend no problem, a pay to play event with a draw partner puts both of you at a disadvantage depending on your skill level and distance needed to travel.

I fish a few charity night events using my boat, night events have 10 mph speed limit after dark. My TR 175 top speed is 55 mph with 2 people adequate when out lakes have 35 mph speed limits. The ideal size tournament bass boat is 19', lots of storage, longer front deck and 225 hp, short enough to maneuver in tight spaces and as fast as a bass boat needs to be!

You will have better resale with the 150 hp engine, plus the Z7 is rated for 175 hp for what that is worth.

Tom

[Catt]

2015 Triton 179 TRX

18.5' 91" beam 1202 lbs

 

2015 Nitro Z7

18.67' 94" beam 1650 lbs

 

2015 Nitro Z8

20.08' 96" beam 1900 lbs

 

The 179 with a 115 HP & the Z8 with a 150 HP will both be underpowered

 

The only time this would be an issue is in rough water, would you be able to get the bow up quick em to handle on coming waves!

[12poundbass]

The fish don't care what kind of boat you have. They care more about your lure and presentation. Go with what works for you. I'll bet you might be surprised at the boats you see when you start fishing tourneys. If it floats I'll be you'll eventually see it.

[TbendAngler]

I have a 2016 Triton 179TRX, and I love it. I can get mine up to 52 mph with my 115 Evinrude on a calm day. My home lake is Toledo Bend, which is huge. My boat handles it very well on most days. I also looked at a Nitro Z18 and the Triton just seemed more finished. The seats in a Triton are way nicer than a Nitro as well. 

[RHuff]

On 12/29/2016 at 2:51 PM, BrianinMD said:

No reason it cannot be used in tourney's unless there is some odd rule. I have seen 16ft jet boats that went 25mph win tourneys on a large lake against 250hp glitter rockets. A bigger boat does not catch more fish, get what you like and works for you then go kick some tourney arse in it.

 

 

Great advice here

[clark9312]

I fish occasional tournaments out of my tracker 190. And I have yet to be the smallest boat there. I haven't won a tourney since buying my boat but I can assure you that me not winning has nothing to do with my boat. I've seen guy come in with huge sacks in little trackers with 50hp on the back. 

[Kidflex]

I have a 2015 179trx with 115xs and it gets on plane pretty fast. Has decent speed. I run 50mph with no issues. The 179trx is max rated for 115hp. The year model before (xs series) had 150's. Idk why triton changed it. I thought it would be underpowered but am satisfied with it. 

[Josh_Bovaird]

I looked at Nitros and Tritons this summer when I bought my boat and hands down the Triton blew the Nitro out of the water in quality and accessories.  Im glad I got the Triton after hitting the water.  The Nitro was a nice boat but the Triton had bigger live well and bilge pumps, better rod straps, more comfortable seats, better trailer, more deck room, more rod locker storage and the list goes on.  I was comparing the z18 to the 18Trx

[WRB]

X World of difference between Triton 179 TRX and 18 TRX, 179 is rated for 115 hp, the 18 TRX is rated for 200 hp and agree it's a good bass boat but not the comparison the OP inquired about.

Tom

[Josh_Bovaird]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

X World of difference between Triton 179 TRX and 18 TRX, 179 is rated for 115 hp, the 18 TRX is rated for 200 hp and agree it's a good bass boat but not the comparison the OP inquired about.

Tom

Not really if you think about it the 189 is the same boat as the 18trx just a higher motor rating so yeah the 189 is right up your alley

[fishnkamp]

For 2017 the hull weight on the Triton 179 TRX is listed as 1200 pounds and the dimensions are 18'6 long with a 91 beam.  That means it is 1 foot longer and 200 pound heavier hull than my Lowe Stinger 170 aluminum hull. My boat is only rated for a 75 hp outboard. The Tritonis rated for 115.  That boat is shaped a little like an old Champion, meaning it is not super wide but long for its width. It should have a great take off and run fairly fast, but it may not handle a heavy chop great because of that light weight.  It is basically a longer version of the Nitro Z6 sorta.  Back in April I was looking at a new Triton 189TRX and saw the 170. That was a nice looking package.  I definitely liked the fit and finish on the Tritons. I also see no reason you can not compete in that boat. Plenty of the local MD bass tournaments have aluminum boats that compete on a regular basis.  There is a video out on youtube with Rick Clunn where he says the pros have done a big disservice by making it seem that you must have a 20+ foot long fiberglass boat with a 250 horse power outboard so you can run as fast as a fighter jet or you can not compete. Then he talks about his favorite boat to fish out of, it is a Tracker V guide series aluminum and I believe it was around 18 foot long. He said he has owned it (purchased it himself) for a long time and caught tons of fish out of it.  Good luck and enjoy your new boat.

[WRB]

The Triton 179 TRX is the same boat as the 175 TRX except 12" longer from the consol forward and incorporates the recessed trolling motor foot peddle. Same storage, same hop rating, nearly the same weight. I own and fish out of the 175 TRX with 115 hp Optimax and very familiar with this boat. The 179 TRX  is a entry level bass boat. If this is what you want go for it. MLF used the Z7, now using the Z8, it's good enough for them!

Tom

[RoLo]

Since I'm a Triton owner, I'm probably the wrong guy to ask (2011 Triton 17 Explorer / 115 HP Merc).

With 2 passengers aboard, 115 HP is adequate and will give you superb fuel economy to boot.

The only drawback would be getting out of the hole with a full fuel tank (26 gal)

and a full livewell (36 gal). Realistically though, how many bites are you going to miss

by spending an extra 10 sec getting on plane?

 

Every year, I tow that little rascal from Florida to Canada (heading to Manitoba this summer).

For this reason, I place great value on 'fuel capacity', 'livewell capacity' and 'rate of flow" (spouts 8-ft).

which are all areas in which Triton excels.

 

Roger

[PECo]

On 12/29/2016 at 1:09 PM, LEWITH said:

What are your opinions on the Triton 179 TRX? The triton would come with a 115 merc and the nitro would be a 150 merc.  Now i know the nitro z7(z18) will get me going 55-60.  My worry is that the triton with the 115 wont get me going at ideal speeds.  Would the triton 179 trx with the 115 get me going atleast 45-50 mph? Is the Triton 179 TRX ok to do bass tourneys with or would the nitro do better? Im not doing any pro level tourneys just local tourneys in the state.(just starting out in the tournament scene)

 

Thanks,

 

LEW

I recently bought a 2017 Triton 179 TrX with a Mercury 115 Pro XS that has the standard gearcase, NOT the Command Thrust gearcase.

 

The motor came with a 20 pitch Laser II three-blade prop. The boat felt bogged down when coming out of the hole and the motor never got close to 6,000 rpm, let alone the 6,300 for which it's rated at WOT. I swapped out the Laser II for a 19 pitch Spitfire X7 four-blade prop. I think that the Spitfire X7 should have been the OEM prop. The boat comes out of the hole much quicker and acceleration is much more linear. A couple of days ago, I found some smooth water on the Connecticut River and, fully loaded with 450 pounds of fishermen and 20 gallons of fuel, the boat ran at 50.4 miles per hour GPS. The river was running high and there was a lot of floating debris, so I failed to take note of the rpm at top speed, but I glanced at the tach and it looked closer to 6,000 rpm than I had previously seen it. I have only 5.6 hours on the motor, so I figure that I'll get more out of it as it breaks in, and the air and water warm up.

 

As far as tournament readiness goes, there's plenty of storage, although the port rod rack restricts the number of rods I can carry, because I use spinning gear.

 

A couple of my buddies just bought Nitro Z18s, and, while their boats can go faster and run smoother with their Mercury 150 four-strokes, I hear a lot less hull slap from light chop on my hull when fishing. The more radical hull design of the Nitro seems to trap chop underneath it, which causes it to slap on the hull. Also, while I haven't been able to compare the weather tightness of our boats (I garage mine), mine has gasketed compartments on the front deck that should, theoretically at least, keep water out better. And as far as fit, finish and fittings go, my boat is much nicer, like a GMC compared to a Chevy.

 

My desire to garage the boat was a big factor in my choice of boats. My garage door opening is 104 inches wide. A Nitro Z18 on the trailer is 102 inches wide. Mine's only 98, so I can back the boat into the garage with my Jeep.

 

I hope this helps.

[Cranjus McBasketball]

I don't know about the Tritons other than my father-in-laws Tr-21( I think that's it) which is loaded.  But I do own a '07 Nitro 591DC which is what the Z7 came from and I can tell you its a great boat for someone like me that uses it strictly for recreation.  It does have plenty of storage and the 591 has a 96" beam which I like personally.  However, I will tell you that the fuel tank, and live-well are so far back that getting out on plane with both full is very tough.  I should mention that I have the 150 Opti on in and it will still take quite a bit of time to get on plane with a full tank and live-well.  I still love my Nitro but that is something that I wish would have been addressed.

[PECo]

Regarding whether a 179 TrX is underpowered with only a Mercury 115 Pro XS four-stroke, I've added a port-side console to mine and have started using the fishing seat (I sometimes fish for river stripers by feel, with my eyes closed), so it's a little slower, now, than it used to be. Here's a VesselView Mobile screen shot from a recent trip, fully loaded with 450 pounds of fishermen and more than half a tank of fuel:

 

 

And here's a prop slip calculation from that data: