14 ft grizzly tracker ?

[jig]

anyone have one or heard any reviews on them ?Thinking about getting one would be interested in some of your thoughts.

[Micro]

I have a 15' Tracker Grizzly. 1548 all welded, long transom (same as the 14' 1448, only a foot longer). I have a Mercury 15 hp 4-stroke. I have a Minn Kota 50# thrust Power Drive on the front. I put a floor, carpet, lights, electronics, etc on it.

It was just a shell when I got it. I bought a 9.9 hp 4-stroke but it wouldn't plane on 9.9. Even with all the stuff I've added to it, it planes very well with my 15 hp.

Here are before and after shots. The first is the day I brought it home. (I bought a 50# thrust transom electric motor for electric-only lakes.) The second is after all my mods. In fact, I've done more to it. I removed that stupid rear seat, reinforced and carpeted the rear bench. And replaced the front seat with an adjustable height bicycle type seat.

I like the Tracker Grizzly line. They have thick hulls, a lifetime warranty, and they ride well. I would love a big bass boat, but on the waters I fish I find my boat is perfect.

[Micro]

After...

[jkart]

I'm not sure witch one you are looking at, the mod. v or the regular Jon boat. I have the mod. v 1448 and like it a lot. Very stable. I plan on extending the front deck for more room. Anyway I would recommend the boat to you.

Jeff

[Wayne P.]

A friend of mine has the short transom Grizzly 1448 and when he fishes alone, the back of the boat acts like a kite in the wind. The narrower front has less displacement and therefore the front sinks a lot deeper. Even when I fish with him and we use a small outboard, the back of the boat still sits a lot higher than the front. The only time the front is level with the back or higher is when using the outboard to change fishing spots. The longer models may sit on the water better or even the square front rivited jons may have more front displacement. We weigh about the same (around 170#). If I weighed twice as much, maybe it would float level with both of us.

[jig]

thanks for the reply guys.I was looking at the 1448 all welded jon boat and i put a deposit on it.Seemed pretty solid and they had a sale on it for 5923.75 out the door with trailer and a 25 hp mercury 4 stroke on it. I believe its the short transom.I dont have to many ponds around me for a bigger boat like micro said so it seemed like a gd boat for what im using it for.Was going to set it up like micros [wich looks very nice by the way ! ].Wont be able to use the 25 in to many ponds but the electic should be enough.Was going to put a 70 lb thrust on it ,up front.Been looking for used jons for a while now  and nothing I like has turned up close enough for me to check out.

[Micro]

A friend of mine has the short transom Grizzly 1448 and when he fishes alone, the back of the boat acts like a kite in the wind. The narrower front has less displacement and therefore the front sinks a lot deeper. Even when I fish with him and we use a small outboard, the back of the boat still sits a lot higher than the front. The only time the front is level with the back or higher is when using the outboard to change fishing spots. The longer models may sit on the water better or even the square front rivited jons may have more front displacement. We weigh about the same (around 170#). If I weighed twice as much, maybe it would float level with both of us.

BINGO!  That's the one thing I don't like about it.  I'm 300 lbs.  When I fish alone and sit on the front seat, the tail end raises.  I need to keep my motor in the water to keep from being blown sideways.  With two people its not as big an issue.  However, I don't sit so low in the front that I have any issues.  I've been out in some big chop (on lakes) and never taken anything over the bow.  

[jig]

Now im concerned a little because I fish alone most of the time.I would probably have to leave the motor up on my favorite ponds because of the hp limitations.The being blown around thing is not something im going to like and looking at the boat in the show room I didnt think it would be bad but I guess I was wrong.I wonder if theres anything you could do to fix that problem ?

[Wayne P.]

jig, the only solution is to put more weight at the back of the boat or get a longer boat. Put the trolling motor battery at the transom and run a circuit to the front to plug in you motor and electronics. Carry an extra battery if you have one. Just having the gas motor on it will help some with the weight addition.

I noticed last week that my friend now has a transom electric motor added, that will serve as a rudder somewhat. He does not keep the gas motor on all the time since he fishes electric only lakes the most.

I used a transom electric motor along with the bow mount motor on the 12' jon I used to have when I wasn't using a gas motor. I carried three group 27 batteries with all at the transom since my bow motor was 24V and the transom electric was 12V.

[jig]

I backed out of it unfortunately.Seems like a lot of money for a  14 ft boat that would still need electric motor and electronics and all the other goodies.

[Ken in NJ]

Nice boat Micro!

[jc450r]

That ABU Garcia sticker on the side is the best feature...all you need now is a sticker of a kid taking a pee on shimano 

[Ken in NJ]

That ABU Garcia sticker on the side is the best feature...all you need now is a sticker of a kid taking a pee on shimano

I hate those "pee on" stickers and decals.  Our society sure has gone down hill huh?   :

[Grey Wolf]

I backed out of it unfortunately.Seems like a lot of money for a 14 ft boat that would still need electric motor and electronics and all the other goodies.

Most of the cost was probably the 25 horse motor.

[moloch16]

Getting blown around is just a fact of life in a small tin boat.  In my 14' stump jumper I either fish when there is little wind, fish with my nose into the wind, or if I can't manage those I go home

[Ken in NJ]

Doesn't allot of weight in the stern help any?  I plan to have three big batteries back there and / or a small outboard too.

[Ken in NJ]

I just bought a new leftover 08 Tracker grizzly 1548 "Blind Duck" edition on a matching trailer plus a new leftover 08 Mercury 9.9 4-stroke too. It has a flat floor and sides, gun / rod box mounted inside, two fishing chairs on risers and navigation lights in addition to a prewired trolling motor mount on the bow. I got the package for right around $5K and feel it was a good deal.

I plan to have three very large heavy batteries in the stern to operate two trolling motors plus I may or may not have the outboard on the transom too, depending on where I am going. I'm going to add a 100 quart livewell (converted cooler) and will have that mid-ships or closer to the stern as well. I don't envision the stern being lifted out of the water when I fish from the bow, even if I am a big heavy s.o.b.

I pick the boat up this next Saturday!!

[Jason Penn]

I just bought a new leftover 08 Tracker grizzly 1548 "Blind Duck" edition on a matching trailer plus a new leftover 08 Mercury 9.9 4-stroke too. It has a flat floor and sides, gun / rod box mounted inside, two fishing chairs on risers and navigation lights in addition to a prewired trolling motor mount on the bow. I got the package for right around $5K and feel it was a good deal.

I plan to have three very large heavy batteries in the stern to operate two trolling motors plus I may or may not have the outboard on the transom too, depending on where I am going. I'm going to add a 100 quart livewell (converted cooler) and will have that mid-ships or closer to the stern as well. I don't envision the stern being lifted out of the water when I fish from the bow, even if I am a big heavy s.o.b.

I pick the boat up this next Saturday!!

congrats on the new boat!!!!

im like a lot of other folks here, i love the look of the big glass boats but i don't fish anywhere that i need or can use them.  i've got a lund 1436mv, hoping to get a 1548 this year.

[Ken in NJ]

congrats on the new boat!!!!

im like a lot of other folks here, i love the look of the big glass boats but i don't fish anywhere that i need or can use them. i've got a lund 1436mv, hoping to get a 1548 this year.

I can relate to that. I coulda looked around and found a decent used big glass boat with a big honkin motor on the back but most of my fishing is on electric only waters. Plus I wanted something that was very managable by myself. A few years ago I bought a new rivited 1448MV Jon but sold that to purchase a new pleasure boat. Now I am getting this new welded Jon to fish from again and this time I wanted a flat floor inside (hated those beams running across to trip on.) I found this deal and it seems too good to pass up although I do wish it was a 1648MV instead. I got a 9.9 on it because most of NJ is electric only and the next allowable bunch of waters is 9.9 limited. Few NJ waterways allow unlimited HP and I rarely visit or fish them anyway. In fact when I pick it up this saturday, I will have my choice to either take the boat I have a deposit on or to take a 1648MV instead. The 1548 is more a deluxe boat with options on it (Blind Duck edition) whereas the 1648 will be bigger but plain jane, although flat floor too. If I am not happy with the size of the smaller one, I will move to the bigger one.

I cant believe how many guys do fish these smaller electric lakes and pull up in these big decked out fiberglass boats with big screaming motors on the back. They do look real good though.

[Fishing Rhino]

You can reduce getting blown around by using a five gallon bucket, or a drift anchor.

You will need to experiment with tying it in different places. With my canoe, I tie it off the stern.

That lines up the canoe with the wind, and slows the drift considerably. You can buy various size drift anchors which take up less space than a five gallon bucket.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90906____SearchResults

[Ken in NJ]

You can reduce getting blown around by using a five gallon bucket, or a drift anchor.

You will need to experiment with tying it in different places. With my canoe, I tie it off the stern.

That lines up the canoe with the wind, and slows the drift considerably. You can buy various size drift anchors which take up less space than a five gallon bucket.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90906____SearchResults

Sure, a drift anchor will help you from being blown around but I doubt it will help keep your stern in the water when there's too much weight in the bow.  I think the secret it to plant enough weight in the stern as close to the transom as possible. Big heavy batteries, an outboard motor, gas, a bucket of water (as you mentioned) etc.  When the stern lifts out of the water it becomes a sail essentially and subject to the slightest breeze.

[done]

I would have thought the motor would offset a lot of that weight up front.

You add those batteries you got to have enough to keep it down some. I had the same issue a while back when I had my jon. I only had a 8 HP on it, and i kept the battery weight in the middle of the jon. It just helped the overall balance of that boat.

But x2 with the thing getting blown all over the place. It is just part of life with a tin boat.

[claydee]

300 lbs. ? Buy a bigger boat L.O.L. ;D

[Ken in NJ]

Bummer....

I was supposed to pick up my new Tracker Grizzly 1548 on Saturday and now we're expecting a huge snow storm with a Blizzard warning for where my boat dealer is located..  Guess I'll have to wait another week now....