Time to Upgrade

[Wildwestwashin]

Hey guys looking for some input on this. I bought my first boat a little over a year ago, a 16 foot tracker Pro 160, admittedly when I bought it was still pretty green to boats, and by no means am I an expert now. I ultimately went with that boat because it was light and I was towing with a Ford Escape, if all goes as planned I should be in a truck by the end of the month, and after that happens the next step is to look for a bigger boat. Now being that I don’t want to make the same mistake twice I was wondering what kind of improvements you all would think I’d see if I went to a 17-18 foot fiberglass boat, really like those triton 179s/ nitro 17s with the 115hp motors, seems like I could get a pretty good deal on something like that used. How do boats this size handle rough water? Would it be a huge improvement over my current setup? I’m not looking to go fishing when it’s 30+mph wind but honestly some days on my lake if it gets over 10, I really have to limit where I fish and holding a spot can be a pain in the ass (ultrex will also be on next boat) not to mention anything past a small chop and it can become a pretty rough ride. Anyways any thoughts/opinions on this would be appreciated. I guess also worth mentioning I like the idea of having a more budget friendly /lighter rig, that being said do you think cost of ownership/overall use would change much from say a 17ft boat with a 115hp to 18 with a 150-200hp? Seems like once you get into an 18foot boat loaded down tandem trailer is more norm too….

[Mechanic Bob]

Given your main concern is the wind you may encounter. A glass boat will serve you better. Still can get wet, but will offer a better ride. That being said, there are some very nice tins, Lund for example that offer a great ride in rough conditions, but those are expensive.

I had an 18' Ranger 518 with a single axle trailer. Did just fine.

The new 4 strokes (all brands) are stingy on gas. (They have to be to meet Emission Laws!)

Good luck on what you decide!

[BassmanZF6]

Most of the 17'5 foot fiberglass boat's I have looked at don't have nearly the amount of deck space as the same sized aluminum boat, so if that is a concern for you, a larger aluminum boat than what you have now or an 18-19' fiberglass boat might be a better choice. The most important thing no matter what boat you get is to always get the maximum HP motor available for that size boat.

[Mcjenson]

Assume you fish mead? I’d honestly get the biggest boat you can swing, maybe even deep v if you fish mainly mead.

[Rangerdeepv]

Depending which truck you end up with will also determine how much boat you can swing. If the tow rating says 5000 lbs, please don't get a boat that weighs 4950. Rule of thumb has served me well is never go more than 75% of towing capacity.

[Mcjenson]

Depending which truck you end up with will also determine how much boat you can swing. If the tow rating says 5000 lbs, please don't get a boat that weighs 4950. Rule of thumb has served me well is never go more than 75% of towing capacity.

Thats a good rule of thumb. Obviously if you only fish the ramp two miles away you can push it a little bit, but if you do some long distance travel (easy to do fishing the west) you don’t want to push it.

[Wildwestwashin]

I do fish mead and Mohave a lot however I also go on a lot of trips to California, Arizona, and Utah with my rig so not always on big water and honestly I have no interest in fishing mead after the wind breaks about 20mph, I’ve been out there a few times where it is unsafe for my current boat, I don’t think I’d be having a fun time fishing in those conditions in any boat. And I would like to stay with a bass boat type hull, as it does suit my fishing style.

[Wildwestwashin]

Potentially looking at midsize trucks maybe full size, if I go that route I’m looking for a minimum of about 6,500lbs towing capacity, I would think that’s be fine for most glass boats under 20’. With that being said i would like to keep weight down if possible.

[mwill29]

My first boat was a 17.5ft 125hp. I loved it. But when it came time to sell, nobody wanted it. Tried 3 different times to sell it. Small fiberglass boat with small engines may not resell well. But that means you can find a deal. I stole mine because the seller had it up for 11 months.

[jc1992]

A 17-18ft fiberglass will do just fine. Don’t forget to also take a look at charger, bass cat, and progator boats as they both make a ~17’7 that will hold a 150 and rides well. But if your stuck on triton 179 or the 17ft nitro I would get the triton as performance will be close, but you get a foot longer space with the triton actually being an 18ft boat. Also I wouldn’t count out aluminum entirely. Got family friends who use a tracker 190 pro on Teledo bend and Sam Rayburn a lot. Both big lakes in Texas that gets nasty. Just food for thought

[Mcjenson]

I do fish mead and Mohave a lot however I also go on a lot of trips to California, Arizona, and Utah with my rig so not always on big water and honestly I have no interest in fishing mead after the wind breaks about 20mph, I’ve been out there a few times where it is unsafe for my current boat, I don’t think I’d be having a fun time fishing in those conditions in any boat. And I would like to stay with a bass boat type hull, as it does suit my fishing style.

With long hauls, I would really look at tandem axle rigs. My tandem axle z20 tows much nicer than my old tracker 195 even though it weighs a ton more.

[Striperaddict]

I fish same water as you and my first bass boat was a 99 tracker 185. Fished that boat for 3 years and had the itch to upgrade and found a great deal on my 04 ChampioN 188 and it was the best decision I ever made. Ive been through some nasty weather on Mohave in both rigs and the glass boat is hands down 1000% safer and a dry ride.

Good luck getting your new rig and check western bass for some good deals closer to home

[tdnick]

With long hauls, I would really look at tandem axle rigs. My tandem axle z20 tows much nicer than my old tracker 195 even though it weighs a ton more.

This is my same experience going from a Tracker 175 to a 20 ft Triton.