Loochy88 Posted May 30, 2018 Posted May 30, 2018 Right now a tracker 170 or 175 is at the top of my list, but I'm open to all options. My requirements are: -must fit in my 19' 8" garage. I can angle the boat a bit, but nothing crazy. -must be safe enough to take out on a large lake on a calm day. my home lake is lake of the ozarks, niangua end. 17 foot aluminums seems to be the I -I'm leaning towards aluminum (all welded) only. i could be convinced to go fiberglass, but not a requirement. i feel like this would make trailering the boat back and forth a bit easier on the truck. It's a hilly drive from STL to the ozarks. -I'm hoping to spend as little as possible, and will most likely buy used. I'm ballparking the 10k range. Suggestions??? Besides the Trackers, what boats should I be considering? Quote
Super User fishnkamp Posted May 30, 2018 Super User Posted May 30, 2018 There are lots of good 17 to 18 foot aluminum bass rigs out there you could choose from. If you run bigger open waters perhaps a deep V bass boat might fit your needs better. Keep in mind I vacation on big lakes in TN and KY like Dale Hollow, and Center Hill. I run a Lowe 171/2 footer with a 75. I also run that boat here at home on some of the rivers that feed the Chesapeake Bay. G3, Lowe, Alumacraft and others make some nice boats you could find used in your price range. Here is a good example located in Springfield https://fayar.craigslist.org/bod/d/2012-bass-tracker-175-txw/6602877105.html Quote
Super User Boomstick Posted May 30, 2018 Super User Posted May 30, 2018 Considering your garage is only 19.8' deep, you may have to look at a smaller boat but I was impressed with the Lund Renegade 1775, with the Ranger RT 178 being a distant second favorite boat around 17.x Ft long. The Lund just optimizes the space better, the deck is longer and the rod locker is 100% on the deck itself but can hold 8' rods. Quote
Loochy88 Posted May 31, 2018 Author Posted May 31, 2018 5 hours ago, fishnkamp said: There are lots of good 17 to 18 foot aluminum bass rigs out there you could choose from. If you run bigger open waters perhaps a deep V bass boat might fit your needs better. Keep in mind I vacation on big lakes in TN and KY like Dale Hollow, and Center Hill. I run a Lowe 171/2 footer with a 75. I also run that boat here at home on some of the rivers that feed the Chesapeake Bay. G3, Lowe, Alumacraft and others make some nice boats you could find used in your price range. Here is a good example located in Springfield https://fayar.craigslist.org/bod/d/2012-bass-tracker-175-txw/6602877105.html Lund 1775 looks like a beautiful boat. I just don't know if I can accommodate the 20'4" storage length. I have the ability to angle the boat a bit in my garage. I have a 3 bay garage. I just don't know exactly how much I can get away with... Quote
LadiMopar Posted June 1, 2018 Posted June 1, 2018 You may also want to look at Weld-Craft bass boats. They look pretty similar to the Tracker but there may be price and equipment options to consider. They also supply the first prize (,boat,motor,trailer) for the BBWC/ Big Bass World Championship. https://weld-craft.com/BassBoats.htm https://www.bassresource.com/big-bass-championship Quote
brgbassmaster Posted June 2, 2018 Posted June 2, 2018 If wind is an issue don't go with a tracker. I had one and that thing got blown around everywhere. I own fiberglass now. So much better. Quote
Loochy88 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Posted April 2, 2019 Bumping back up because I FINALLY made a choice and put money down on a Tracker classic. Can't wait to take delivery in August! 1 Quote
Hower08 Posted April 3, 2019 Posted April 3, 2019 I have a proteam 165 which is basically the same hull. Here's my 2 cents worth. I love my boat but somethings I don't like is A: lack of storage. B:small front deck I remedied these two issues by adding a deck extension. I also added a 24v trolling motor. Now the boat is not made for rough seas and is not a very dry ride but if you are confident in your abilities it can handle some rough water. I have had it in waves where I would take them over the bow while fishing multiple times. I also did get stuck in 4 footers once and 3 footers more times than I should have been. I did make it home safe. (And wet) I think you will love your new boat they're light easy to tow rigs that if you take care of it, it will take care of you. Keep that boat in the garage when not in use and it will last a lifetime. My boat is a 2001 and it's on its original carpet and wood floors. The carpet is about due for a replacement but I keep putting it off. Congrats on your new boat!! Don't let someone else catch the first fish out of it my dad used my boat 3 or 4 times when I bought it before I did haha 1 Quote
Super User TOXIC Posted April 3, 2019 Super User Posted April 3, 2019 Just a word of caution from me since you already chose and purchased your boat. LOZ in the summer, there is no such thing as a calm day with all of the BIG cruisers out there. Be very, very, careful and respect the limitations of your boat. I can't stress that enough. Also be very diligent on keeping track of the weather. If a storm blows up and you are across the lake from the ramp, you will be in danger. It's the same way on Lake St Clair and the Potomac River where I fish. That is why I have a 21 foot boat that I store in a "spur" I had poured next to my driveway. I hate that it has to sit outside year round because it won't fit in my garage but I keep it covered, including the trailer and tires and keep a good coat of wax on it. It's been stored that way for 5 years and it is none the worse for wear. Quote
Loochy88 Posted April 3, 2019 Author Posted April 3, 2019 3 hours ago, TOXIC said: Just a word of caution from me since you already chose and purchased your boat. LOZ in the summer, there is no such thing as a calm day with all of the BIG cruisers out there. Be very, very, careful and respect the limitations of your boat. I can't stress that enough. Also be very diligent on keeping track of the weather. If a storm blows up and you are across the lake from the ramp, you will be in danger. It's the same way on Lake St Clair and the Potomac River where I fish. That is why I have a 21 foot boat that I store in a "spur" I had poured next to my driveway. I hate that it has to sit outside year round because it won't fit in my garage but I keep it covered, including the trailer and tires and keep a good coat of wax on it. It's been stored that way for 5 years and it is none the worse for wear. We certainly agree on keeping track of weather. That applies to all boats. You're thinking of the wrong end of the lake. We're out on the Niangua arm. There are plenty of calm days. Weekends on the Osage arm you might as well be out at sea. Weekdays on the Niangua are another story: 1 Quote
Super User TOXIC Posted April 3, 2019 Super User Posted April 3, 2019 Understood. You know your water better than anybody, that's why it was just a word of warning. Still pays to know the limitations of your boat. There's days I won't hook my boat up to the truck when others head out. 2 Quote
jaimeastin Posted April 7, 2019 Posted April 7, 2019 Congratulations and get over in the heritage/classic forum. A lot of use fish varieties of waters. For me, a deep v would be great for where I live, I just wanted a flatter bottom boat because I love to go shallow. I have had some great times with it and we are customizing them like crazy Quote
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