Tracker 2018 Heritage/2019 Classic edition boat

[Bolar]

So anyone fish at night?  I went out super early the other day, to try and beat the heat .  Anyhow, it was dark when I started, plugged in all the lights no problems there.  After I got to my first spot, WOW the stern light sure is bright when I'm standing on the front deck .  It's right there, eye level with me.  I'm considering a way to try and lengthen the 3/4" pole for the light .

[jaimeastin]

On 7/9/2020 at 4:19 PM, Bolar said:

So anyone fish at night?  I went out super early the other day, to try and beat the heat .  Anyhow, it was dark when I started, plugged in all the lights no problems there.  After I got to my first spot, WOW the stern light sure is bright when I'm standing on the front deck .  It's right there, eye level with me.  I'm considering a way to try and lengthen the 3/4" pole for the light .

I fish at night all the time.  I modified my stern light.  I put the led lights on the front where they are bigger, brighter, and no longer in my face. I also put spot lights on it and a bigger deck light..  i and debate running new wire, heavier gauge wire, to support my power draw.  No issues so far... just want more light, lol!

 

i will post pics later when I go out to my boat.

[SeriousBlack]

On 6/24/2020 at 11:40 AM, jaimeastin said:

This is a very happy man.  Seem like a good guy.  Keep posting and enjoying your retirement man!

Thanks man! Fishing and snowmobiling make me happy! Playing in the outdoors. 

[Shortstrike]

On 2/23/2018 at 9:34 PM, ratman said:

I put mine next to drivers seat,you can put it way up in the console.best place i found,only place i found that was long enough.

The stern light fits really well laid behind the driver and passenger seats. You need to tip the seats forward to get it in and out, but it fits perfectly.

[Terrance Waters]

6 hours ago, Shortstrike said:

The stern light fits really well laid behind the driver and passenger seats. You need to tip the seats forward to get it in and out, but it fits perfectly.

This is where I keep mine also.  It works very well there.

[Bolar]

On 5/6/2020 at 7:26 PM, Bolar said:

It seems like the trolling motor battery longevity is all over the place.  Mine started to act up last fall, and I was thinking it was the trolling motor.  It won't hold a charge and is out of warranty.  I got Duracell from Sam's, we will see how long this will last. 

 

On 5/7/2020 at 10:59 AM, slowworm said:

Check the charger that you are using.  It may be cooking the battery.

 

J.

 

 

Wow, it's been quite here.  I hope everyone has been busy fishing.  My work schedule was messed up for the summer because of the COVID thing, but I'm back to normal now, and get to fish more often. 

 

Anyhow my latest problem, my charger went dead.  I was walking by the boat and I always give the back-end a look and noticed no lights.  Unplugged and plugged back in, still nothing.  I unhooked all of the wires tried it again.  All it would do is the red light would faintly come on then fade to nothing, and the whole unit (Minnkota 210D) would buzz. 

 

Called Minnkota and they had me e-mail them a copy of my receipt and they then e-mailed me a UPS label to have the whole thing sent back to them.  I started the process on a Tuesday and had a new unit Friday.  Two thumbs-up to Minnkota for such a hassle free warranty experience.  It's one of those things that when over you stand back and think, "wow that was too easy". 

 

I did replace the trolling motor battery this spring.  Was the old battery going bad anyway or did the old charger contribute to it's demise?  The charger was charging, and charged the new battery when I put that in.  Also, I've never had a problem with the motor battery. 

 

So all is back to normal...for now. 

 

 

[@reelChris]

Has anyone installed gas springs to hold the hatch doors open?  I'm curious on how to determine mounting location.  

[Terrance Waters]

I vacuumed, cleaned and shined the heritage from bow to stern.  It looked great so I was ready to take it out and then I looked at my dirty truck. It didn't look right to pull a nice looking boat behind a dirty truck so I washed and waxed the truck.  My wife learned of me washing my truck and asked me to wash her car.  I did. No time left to fish.  At least I have a nice looking rig and a happy wife.  

[Terrance Waters]

16 hours ago, Terrance Waters said:

At least I have a nice looking rig and a happy wife.  

I need to to amend this statement.

It should read:  At least I have a nice looking rig and a stunningly attractive happy wife

[@reelChris]

In my quest to prevent hatch doors from slamming on my hands, I ended up getting these 45N/10lb 9 11/16" gas struts from Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H18I46K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Four struts for $17 wasn't bad, and the directions that came with them aren't terrible.  However, the measurements they provided for mounting locations required drilling through the top of the hatch and I didn't want to do that.  I wanted to utilize the center support.  So, I experimented with the mounting location for a while before I found the right one.   

 

 

I only installed one strut because 10lb was the least powerful struts I could find and that's enough to open the hatch.  I don't think that the torsion on the hinge will bend it, and I'm afraid two 10lb struts would pop the hatch open in rough water since the only thing that holds them shut is the friction produced by the carpet on the edges of the hatch.  Here's a video of the operation:

 

https://streamable.com/sltcww

[Terrance Waters]

11 hours ago, @reelChris said:

In my quest to prevent hatch doors from slamming on my hands, I ended up getting these 45N/10lb 9 11/16" gas struts from Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H18I46K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Four struts for $17 wasn't bad, and the directions that came with them aren't terrible.  However, the measurements they provided for mounting locations required drilling through the top of the hatch and I didn't want to do that.  I wanted to utilize the center support.  So, I experimented with the mounting location for a while before I found the right one.   

 

 

I only installed one strut because 10lb was the least powerful struts I could find and that's enough to open the hatch.  I don't think that the torsion on the hinge will bend it, and I'm afraid two 10lb struts would pop the hatch open in rough water since the only thing that holds them shut is the friction produced by the carpet on the edges of the hatch.  Here's a video of the operation:

 

https://streamable.com/sltcww

That's cool

[The King]

On 12/10/2019 at 7:18 AM, keithsmith said:

I put a 12v 55lb Terrova on my boat back in August.  Best upgrade yet.  I run two batteries in series for the 12v, but could have just a easily put them in parallel and ran a 24v TM.  I put my batteries in the small storage compartment under the front deck with a battery charger and used the original TM wiring to charge the cranking battery.  A side benefit of this is that the boat is balanced better, especially when I moved the gas tank to the other side as well.

 

If you check out the Heritage owners page in Facebook, you will find many post, photos, and set-ups for the Terrova.  Since the Terrova in much larger than the Edge, don't plan on using your original cover on the boat unless you put a quick disconnect on the TM so you can remove it when you put the cover on.  There are also options for mounting as it won't fit in the same position as the Edge.  

 

One other thing I learned is that the GPS puck should be close to the middle of the boat.  I initially mounted mine on the bow but moved it to the side next to the shifting lever.  Works better in iPilot anchor mode.  I also found the universal sonar on the Terrova is very good and use it almost exclusively to fish from the bow.  As a reminder, if you mount a Lowrance fishfinder on the bow, you will need an adapter cable to connect the sonar.  I think the Terrova is set up for a Hummingbird FF, but my Lowrance Ti2 works just fine with the adapter cable.

 

Hope this info helps

 

[The King]

Hello to all, 

     New guy here. Had to jump in. I am the very proud and happy owner of a 2021 Classic XL in black diamond and 50 hp. That was my birthday gift in early Aug. I guess I was one of the very few who got the floor model right after it was delivered. I’m told all BPS and Cabelas were told no more selling the floor model. I’ve install 2 Humminbird helix 7’s from my old boat, hour meter and a 12 gallon aluminum gas tank. I fish a big lake and needed the extra security of having plenty of fuel. This boat replaced a 1986 Basstracker Tournament TX17 that I had for about 6 years. Except for being a bit wider and more modern it’s the same boat. And not riveted. No leaks. I love it. It seems to handle better than my old boat. Love it. 

Forgot the pic. 

[Terrance Waters]

On 10/8/2020 at 5:24 PM, The King said:

Hello to all, 

     New guy here. Had to jump in. I am the very proud and happy owner of a 2021 Classic XL in black diamond and 50 hp. That was my birthday gift in early Aug. I guess I was one of the very few who got the floor model right after it was delivered. I’m told all BPS and Cabelas were told no more selling the floor model. I’ve install 2 Humminbird helix 7’s from my old boat, hour meter and a 12 gallon aluminum gas tank. I fish a big lake and needed the extra security of having plenty of fuel. This boat replaced a 1986 Basstracker Tournament TX17 that I had for about 6 years. Except for being a bit wider and more modern it’s the same boat. And not riveted. No leaks. I love it. It seems to handle better than my old boat. Love it. 

Forgot the pic. 

Congratulations!  That's a nice looking boat.  The black diamond is sharp.  That's quite a nice birthday gift.  I got a 2018 heritage on my 50th birthday.  I know you'll enjoy this boat as much as I have mine.  Keep us updated on your adventures with your new boat. Welcome to the Heritage/Classic thread

[The King]

Thanks Terrance,

         I can’t wait for it to cool down a little here so I can get out more. I live in Az. and fish in Lake Mohave mostly. The temps there have been brutal. Starting to cool a little now. Have to watch the wind too. It’s big water and builds big swells. I too love my boat. I did change the fuel tank to an aluminum 12.5 gallon tank that I had made. I didn’t like the way the new EPA tank vents into the battery well in the heat here. And my very tight fitting cover compounded it. Everytime I’d open the cover it smelled like a gas refinery. It’s now vented to the outside. Against the rules, but better than an explosion looking for a place to happen. Enjoy your Heritage and stay safe. 
                               Bob

[Bolar]

I got to go out yesterday, beautiful weather.  You can most definitely tell it's fall.  This is what the ramp looked like when I got there.

 

 

[12poundbass]

47 minutes ago, Bolar said:

I got to go out yesterday, beautiful weather.  You can most definitely tell it's fall.  This is what the ramp looked like when I got there.

 

 

Looks like your boat fell off the trailer on the side of the road. Lol

[Terrance Waters]

8 hours ago, Bolar said:

I got to go out yesterday, beautiful weather.  You can most definitely tell it's fall.  This is what the ramp looked like when I got there.

 

 

Very cool picture.  Your boat still looks great.  I hope you caught some.  

[kscholz2]

Has anyone had any issues with a cracked hull under the livewell ?  

 

BPS has tried to fix the issue but it's not looking good. Unfortunately, I'm about to send it back to Tracker for a new hull.

 

BPS said they will remove everything but the motor when they send it back. Could take months to get back because the plant shut down for months during Covid. They are playing catch up.

 

[Bolar]

20 hours ago, kscholz2 said:

Has anyone had any issues with a cracked hull under the livewell ?  

 

BPS has tried to fix the issue but it's not looking good. Unfortunately, I'm about to send it back to Tracker for a new hull.

 

BPS said they will remove everything but the motor when they send it back. Could take months to get back because the plant shut down for months during Covid. They are playing catch up.

 

 

Sorry to hear about that.  What has BPS tried to do?  What do they have to remove? 

 

 

[kscholz2]

They welded the original crack and now that weld cracked. 
 

BPS will remove everything  inside of the boat. Only the hull itself and the motor will shipped back. 

[Bolar]

20 hours ago, kscholz2 said:

They welded the original crack and now that weld cracked. 
 

BPS will remove everything  inside of the boat. Only the hull itself and the motor will shipped back. 

 

 

Is that view from the outside?  It's hard to see the seam.  Regardless, that doesn't look like a good weld.  I hope it goes well for you.   

 

 

[detroit1]

Welded aluminum boats...?

[Terrance Waters]

On 9/3/2019 at 5:04 PM, Bolar said:

So I've been out a few times at night and it gets pretty dark out there .  I been wanting to install some deck lights instead of using flashlights, so I purchased these lights from Amazon.  I got the red, which I thought might be better for night vision.  I considered orange, but I was afraid they might be too bright in the dark. 

 

Anyhow, they are nice lights, just peel and stick right on the side of the gunnels.  I know, I read the reviews and they have a problem sticking sometimes.  I cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol first, then stuck the lights down.  I've been out twice since I stuck them on.  There are a couple of spots in which I'm going to have to try to re-glue an area down, but it's not too bad. 

 

I will say the lights are kind of delicate and might not be the best choice for a bass boat or how I'm using them.  They were inexpensive enough that if they don't work out, I know I will replace them with something more substantial. Time will tell. 

 

Sorry about the pics, it wasn't dark when I took them. 

 

 

I was going back looking at some old posts.  Bolar, I was wondering if the lights held up good.  Are you pleased with them?  I'm interested in adding some deck lighting.

[Bolar]

 

The lights, towards the rear of the boat work fine.  Upfront, they came unstuck and are not working.  These light strips are kind of delicate, and don't like to be man-handled once stuck. 

 

On the front deck there is no room to try and get them on the underside of the gunnel, so they get bumped and walked on.  I was kind of doubtful how they would work when I stuck them on.  They have no real protection.

 

I actually like these lights.  They are small, they aren't too bright, and they light up the whole boat nicely.  Right now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about them .