Tracker 1448 Grizzly custom build for bass, panfish

[haggard]

I just got a Tracker 1448 MVX Grizzly with trailer, planning to build it up this winter as a fishing platform for my area lakes (~1000 acres) targeting panfish, smallmouth and largemouth. Looked at a Pro 160/170, so great but just too much boat and features for me and my needs (purely recreational). The boat isn't a lot of length and heft but I like to keep things small and simple. Motor will be a 1976 Evinrude 15hp 2-stroke from my previous boat, and plan to add trolling motor, finder, seats, bimini top, rod & beverage holders, lighting, etc. Seeking advice, suggestions, opinions etc from anyone who's customized a similar Grizzly.

[Catt]

14' length 48" bottom is plenty boat for customizing!

 

I'm running a 16' 52" Alweld ?

[Fishing Rhino]

Like what you've done with the cooler.  Is that your livewell, or for your lunch?

[ww2farmer]

This is relevant to my interests. I have a 2006 Pro 170, and I am thinking about getting rid of it for a 1648 grizzly. I look forward to seeing your results.

[WRB]

Very clean layout Catt. Interesting rear seat pedestal set up, allows you to move over to run the tiller outboard and move to the center for partner to fish. The bilge pump is another good idea.

Tom

[Catt]

3 hours ago, Fishing Rhino said:

Like what you've done with the cooler.  Is that your livewell, or for your lunch?

 

Both ?

 

4 minutes ago, WRB said:

Very clean layout Catt. Interesting rear seat pedestal set up, allows you to move over to run the tiller outboard and move to the center for partner to fish. The bilge pump is another good idea.

Tom

 

No bilge pump...water separator

 

The pedestal layout is 3 across

 

The gas tank is no longer under the back seat, to hard to fill up. Battery is under the front deck.

[WRB]

Water separator for your gasoline?

Tom

[Catt]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

Water separators?

Tom

 

 

[WRB]

Interesting. We used separators for diesel fuel on the ocean boat, never used one for gasoline, another good idea.

Tom 

[ClackerBuzz]

31 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

 

I'm new to engines. Is this to protect your engine in case a marina is selling watered gasoline?

[Catt]

30 minutes ago, ClackerBuzz said:

I'm new to engines. Is this to protect your engine in case a marina is selling watered gasoline?

 

Some us fish areas which are very far from the urban areas & getting water is gas is a high possibility!

[Chris_97TJ]

@Catt you run on Toledo and Rayburn with that? No problems on the big water?

 

Looking forward to seeing this build. I’m in the market for a boat after the first of the year and haven’t decided whether I want a big one or a smaller one like these!

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Chris_97TJ said:

@Catt you run on Toledo and Rayburn with that? No problems on the big water?

 

Looking forward to seeing this build. I’m in the market for a boat after the first of the year and haven’t decided whether I want a big one or a smaller one like these!

 

I've fished & won tournaments out Jon boats.

 

I know every public & some private boat launchs on both lakes.

 

I don't fish the main lake in these boats if weather is bad ?

[Fishing Rhino]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

Interesting. We used separators for diesel fuel on the ocean boat, never used one for gasoline, another good idea.

Tom 

While most would not think so, water in the fuel can cause much more damage to a diesel engine.  It can blow the tips off the injectors.  Funny thing is, water is thinner than diesel fuel and you'd think it would pass through an injector easier than diesel fuel.  But it doesn't.

 

It may cause a gas engine to sputter and puke, but one drop of water will not kill a gasoline engine.

 

Another interesting bit of trivia.  Run a gasoline engine out of fuel, and nothing happens.  Run a diesel out of fuel and many things, all bad, maybe disastrous can occur.  The reason is that diesel fuel serves as a lubricant for various engine components including injectors.  Run out of fuel and you can damage the fuel pump, injectors, (by scouring the moving parts), along with other components between the fuel tank and the injectors.

 

Diesel engines, while tough and durable, are also quite fragile.

 

 

"Aside from the issues caused from air in the system, I've seen injectors seize when they have been run dry.

Because diesel injectors have fine moving parts they use the diesel fuel as a lubricant. So when u remove the lubricant from metal-on-metal components they seize."

[Catt]

@Fishing Rhino The reasons for a fuel/water separator is not only am I buying fuel in remote places but I'm running my boat so far back in marshes & swamps a cell phone is useless.

 

Enough water in your tank will stop it & keep it from starting. A trolling motor aint gonna get you far & I'm to old to push pole!

 

Been there...do that...aint going back! ?

[Fishing Rhino]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

@Fishing Rhino The reasons for a fuel/water separator is not only am I buying fuel in remote places but I'm running my boat so far back in marshes & swamps a cell phone is useless.

 

Enough water in your tank will stop it & keep it from starting. A trolling motor aint gonna get you far & I'm to old to push pole!

 

Been there...do that...aint going back! ?

I wasn't saying that a fuel/water separator is not a good thing.  I had one on my first gas powered lobsterboat for the very reasons you mentioned.  That boat was old when I bought it.  Had a galvanized 75 gallon fuel tank in the stern of the boat.  Only the outside of the tank was galvanized.  It also had a small fuel filter and water separator.  A couple of days of sloppy weather were enough to test the capacity of the filter to handle the rusty sediment in the tank that got stirred up.  I'm not a fan of galvanized anything on a salt water boat.  Galvanizing is a zinc coating.  Zinc is used in making sacrificial zincs to prevent electrolysis.  They were installed on the hull, the rudder, propeller shaft etc. to prevent those boat parts from being degraded.

 

We always carried spare fuel filters in the boat.  I upgraded the filter to one about size of a half gallon milk bottle.

 

When I was a kid, we had a small boat on the river.  It was made with steel fastenings.  When they started rusting, I replaced them with brass.  Bad move.  Very bad move.  Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.  Galvanic action and electrolysis ate up the zinc in those brass fastenings in a few weeks.  They would literally crumble.

 

Went to bronze, and never looked back.

[WRB]

14 hours ago, Catt said:

@Fishing Rhino The reasons for a fuel/water separator is not only am I buying fuel in remote places but I'm running my boat so far back in marshes & swamps a cell phone is useless.

 

Enough water in your tank will stop it & keep it from starting. A trolling motor aint gonna get you far & I'm to old to push pole!

 

Been there...do that...aint going back! ?

Perfect solution for the problem. Metal gas tanks tend to condensate water with temperature changes, both the gasoline supply tanks and the boats tank. Fiberglass tanks tend to condensate less, but where the gasoline is stored and you purchase may have water in the tank. I am seriously considering adding a separator, it makes good sense and cheap insurance.

Tom

[Catt]

I help setup 3-4 Jon boats a year, we layout everything in aluminum, & then have it welded.

 

I see a lot of guys build the out of wood which is fine but aluminum & welding is lighter. 

 

With small outboards (50hp & less) weight is critical as is setting everything up properly. After all alterations are done the outboard is meticulously installed. With the boat/trailer level I draw a vertical level line dead center of the transom. The proper height of the outboard on the transom is figured, the holes are drilled, & bolts are installed wet.

[flatcreek]

20 hours ago, Catt said:

@Fishing Rhino The reasons for a fuel/water separator is not only am I buying fuel in remote places but I'm running my boat so far back in marshes & swamps a cell phone is useless.

 

Enough water in your tank will stop it & keep it from starting. A trolling motor aint gonna get you far & I'm to old to push pole!

 

Been there...do that...aint going back! ?

Installed one on my rig 3 years ago and it has really helped.

[haggard]

On 11/18/2017 at 8:54 PM, Catt said:

14' length 48" bottom is plenty boat for customizing!

 

I'm running a 16' 52" Alweld ?

Already some great ideas here, thanks for posting. I assume you can move the seats among all base locations? I like the idea of sharing one seat as both an "underway" seat and a pedestal seat. Saves on half the cost of seats.

On 11/19/2017 at 12:58 PM, Catt said:

 

Both ?

 

 

No bilge pump...water separator

 

The pedestal layout is 3 across

 

The gas tank is no longer under the back seat, to hard to fill up. Battery is under the front deck.

Planning to run a pull start tiller motor, plan to put battery (for trolling motor) up front, under deck as you do, for better balance. 

[haggard]

On 11/19/2017 at 5:29 PM, Chris_97TJ said:

@Catt you run on Toledo and Rayburn with that? No problems on the big water?

 

Looking forward to seeing this build. I’m in the market for a boat after the first of the year and haven’t decided whether I want a big one or a smaller one like these!

I have to admit I'm not one of these people who does an amazing youtube-worthy jon to bass boat conversion; that's not what I'm aiming for. I discovered fresh water boating and fishing only a few months ago, using a very cheap old boat/trailer/motor combo. Now that I know I'm hooked, just want something more fishing oriented. But at this stage I definitely value small, nimble, simple instead of larger. Hoping I can build out a minimalist 1448 and will be happy to share results. 

 

[haggard]

What brand new ~15-25 hp motor would you buy for a 14' Tracker Grizzly, for recreational fishing large/smallmouth/panfish on a 1000 ac max lake?

 

First on my list is deciding on the motor for the new Tracker 1448 MVX Grizzly (rated 25 hp max).

 

Currently have a 1976 Evinrude 15 hp 2-stroke. Pros, runs strong and reliably, and at top speed of 14 mph pushes the '66 aluminum Starcraft across the ~1000 ac home lake in decent time. Cons, it's 40+ years old and me at 50 y.o. I can tinker but really want to spend more time fishing and less time maintaining motors, so considering a new one for the new Grizzly to last the next ~15-20 years without touching it aside from basic maintenance.

 

I realize that only I can decide but if you had the means, what brand new motor would you buy for the 1448, or would you just stick with the older? Two stroke vs four? Main factors for me are simplicity, low maintenance and light weight. I have no problem with basic maintenance (mixing oil/gas, changing plugs or gear oil, replacing seals, water pump, etc) but if it comes to a low-end teardown/rebuild then no, that's when I'd rather be fishing. Purpose of the motor would be getting to the fishing spot and shutting it down and using the trolling motor, no need for go-fast on big lakes.

 

Opinions? What make and model would top your list?

 

[Catt]

Honda builds the Mercury, Tohatsu, & Suzuki

[haggard]

Good to know, Catt.

 

I see Evinrude makes a 15 hp motor in both kicker and portable classes. What's the diff between the two? Are there tradeoffs in torque, speed control, etc.? Any reason to not use a kicker or portable as primary power for a boat this small and light (14' Grizzly)?

 

 

[padon]

11 hours ago, haggard said:

I have to admit I'm not one of these people who does an amazing youtube-worthy jon to bass boat conversion; that's not what I'm aiming for. I discovered fresh water boating and fishing only a few months ago, using a very cheap old boat/trailer/motor combo. Now that I know I'm hooked, just want something more fishing oriented. But at this stage I definitely value small, nimble, simple instead of larger. Hoping I can build out a minimalist 1448 and will be happy to share results. 

 

im similar to you although ive been fishing since I was a kid ( im 48 now) but I don't fish huge waters and don't see any reason to spend 60k on a boat just to catch some fish and throw them back.i bought a grizzly 1656 with a 25hp fourstroke mercury a couple years ago. with the way the decks are in those boats you don't really need to do much. I put a bow mount and sonar on the front deck, did a little wiring for those and bow and stern lights.bought some side mount rod holders from bass pro carpeted the decks and that's about it.i have about 6k in the whole thing and I fish anywhere I need to no problem. low cost low maintenance and easy for me to launch and put away in the garage by myself.