Advice/opinions on boat I am looking at

homer77 · Post by **homer77** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:07 am

I finally decided on getting a new boat. I am wanting a good all around boat. Bass, trout, possibly out in the salt water. I found a 2004 Tracker Targa 165. It has a 75 Merc 4 stroke and is loaded up with quite a bit of stuff, i.e, trolling motor, kicker motor, fish finders, etc. Anybody have any experience with this boat or something similar? I will be doing a lot of bass fishing out of it. Will it work decently for that?

Thanks

bustout · Post by **bustout** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:25 am

i know trackers had issues in the past. i knew of 2 people w/ issues, one was leaking hull the other had to do w/ a faulty seat mount. they were riveted hulls

i own a nitro fiberglass boat...was worried as it is made by tracker. its been an excellent boat for me

i was looking at targas as well...i believe it is a higher quality line better than the standard trackers...i think you will like the targa

homer77 · Post by **homer77** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:06 am

Thanks. Do you think that motor would be adequate for the boat. I dont need to fly, but would be nice to be able to get across lakes like Clear Lake without taking forever.

ash · Post by **ash** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:13 am

I would talk to Ryan at Galaxy Marine and see if a Duckworth will fit your bill.

530-889-8001

MPOLLARD · Post by **MPOLLARD** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:20 am

Talk to Mark at Gone Fishin Marine in Dixon.Thay are a Tracker,Nitro ,Lund and River Hawk Dealer.He can Really help you out in picking up a good Tracker or Lund Boat.

MPollard

Gone Fishin Marine # is 1-707-678-1600 and the web site is www.gfmarine.com

LundProV19 · Post by **LundProV19** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:52 pm

Check with Mark in Dixon, or Russ up at the new location in Rocklin/Loomis. They've got Lunds & River Hawks up there too.

We fish AC bass tournaments, anchor and troll for striper, and fish for just about everything else out of the Lund & IMO it's by far the best overall, extremely well built boat for what you're talking about. But check them all out with Mark or Russ & see what fits you the best.

DeltaDan · Post by **DeltaDan** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:18 pm

Homes... My 2 cents is that 16.5' is a very small boat -

- Especially once you add your gear. (poles, tackel, down riggers, lunch, safety equipment, ect..)

I passed up on a 16' Klamath after alot of kicking myself that was alot higher in price than the one our family ended up with- and I can not be more than glad for that !

We ended up a 18.5 that works perfectly with two..... Gets crowded with 3 boys ..... and is a cluster puck on 4 or 3 with a dog.

The boat I passed on- a great Bro purchased for him and his wife as they mostly fish on Shaver for Kokes and other places...... and it is to small for them even.

This is my boat with just two boys on it-- and I would not even think about taking it/getting stuck in it while fishing on anything over 2' swells... Got it really good priced as well as perseverance really paid off "for us" in what I wanted for my reasons of hunting the delta of ducks and phesants on unhunted places, fishing the bay for halibuts, trolling the ocean for salmon (all set up) and the upper Sac river for boondoggleing/backtrolling for salmon as well

There is a very nice looking boat for a reasonable price on the WB classifieds that is 17.5 ~~> http://www.westernbass.com/forum/ads_item.php?id=1599

Tornado Dave · Post by **Tornado Dave** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:26 pm

First of all, if you are looking at a tracker boat, go to Mark at Gone Fishin, he is one of the top tracker dealers in the country and an authorized warranty repair center too. Plus he is deeply knowledgeable and understands that you can build a very successful business by taking care of your customer.

Since you are looking at the targa, I am guessing that you are trying to get the most multi-species boat for the buck. Overall the Tracker line delivers on this as long as you take care of your boat.

It is best if you can garage your boat, the second best is a high quality cover. The reason that I say this is that the first sign of wear will be the carpet if you just store it in the open. Sun, carpet, aluminium and heat are a bad combination over time, but all aluminiums have this problem.

The targa is meant to compete with some of the higher end boats in features, but delivered at a better price. If your focus is really bass, I will offer two suggestions:

First, get the single console model. The open floor plan with make that boat fish much bigger. If you want the windshield and the canvas package, I understand

Second, for the extra $900 max out the power with a 90 hp. You will never regret having the power when your live well is full, you are carrying 2 people with tackle and now you need to get on plane. But you may need a trolling plate with the 90Hp.

While there are other lines of boats that you can consider, they are going to start 20% more expensive and just go up from there.

I hope that helps,

TD

homer77 · Post by **homer77** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:28 am

Thanks for your replies. I know a bigger and more powerful boat would be better, but I am buying used in a certain price range. I am also not finding a lot of boats of this style out on the market. My buddy has a 16.5 foot grizzly and it seems like there is more than enough room in it. Most of the time I will be fishing by myself or maybe one other person. I am going to go look at and take it for a test drive in the morning.