First Bass Boat

MO3N · 05-21-10, 03:57 PM

I am somewhat in the market for a boat. I have a jon boat but looking to upgrade to a bass style boat. I was looking at all the big name brands and I found a few I liked. The boat has to be aluminum and between 16 to 19 feet. I am not to picky on the size but would like something kinda cheapish. I have two questions about boats.

1) what is the main difference between bass boats and "mulit-specie" boats? I really like both these Lowe boats. one is Bass and one is multi. I am not sure what one I like better. But what is the main difference between the two. I know the main stuff that is listed but is there a major difference besides the storage compartments?

2) Any other recommendations on a good aluminum bass boats? I fish both small electric motor only lakes and the snake river so something that can do both.

66KingFisher · 05-21-10, 06:16 PM

Personally, from what I saw when we were shoppin around was the hulls were about the same, and the deck and storage configuration is what changed between most model boats.....We ended up with the Tracker Pro 16 bass boat, and even though thats a boat i've wanted for along time, I really liked the configuration on the "Pro Crappie 175" alot better and I don't do any crappie fishing to speak of....lol.

In the end it came down to price and realizing that the entry level bassboat would do anything we wanted.....The fish in the lake don't know what were fishin out of so we still catch species other then bass...Sometimes on purpose sometimes not...lol.

MO3N · 05-21-10, 08:07 PM

I kinda figured it was just a configuration thing. I just was not sure if the decks sat lower in the boat (more interior sidewall) or more or less motor capacity or anything. Ill have to go see some in person. I have only looked online and its kinda hard to tell just by a picture what one will work the best.

I have looked at both the tracker pro like you got and the triton storm. is there much difference between the two? any reason you went with one over the other? they seem about the same price and almost the same layout.

walkeraviator · 05-22-10, 09:11 AM

I have been looking at these boats too. And I keep coming back to the Tracker Pro Team 175 TXW. I like the storage layout....especially the rod locker (which is a must have on my list)...most shorter boats have no locker at all.

G3 165 is a nice boat but G3's tend to run expensive for my taste. And their comparable 175 model lacks rear dry storage of the Tracker 175. But their 165 actually has a rod locker that the other companies lack in this smaller boat.

With Lowe boats...one difference in the multispecies over the bass i rod locker length...the multi species will hold 9'6" rods while the bass will only hold 7'6" rods. And it has 2 live wells as opposed to one.

I keep coming back to the Pro Team 175 as I said before... and i have been researching this for a long time...I actually like the Lowe Stinger better, but it is identical in layout and options to the tracker and $1500 more for some reason...

Dennis1022 · 05-22-10, 10:51 AM

I heard that Tracker is having problems with the rivets for leaking. The othe thing is you should think about is the hull needs to be heavy duty to handle rocks on the snake as you stated! Lowes Boats are nice and so is Lund boats. Dennis

66KingFisher · 05-22-10, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO3N

I have looked at both the tracker pro like you got and the triton storm. is there much difference between the two? any reason you went with one over the other? they seem about the same price and almost the same layout.

The main reason I think we ended up with Tracker was because we live in a rural area and the boat dealers nearest to us happened to be a Tracker dealer....lol. Your right about both boats being almost exactly the same....at least thats the way it looks when viewing websites and reading stats.

I will say this.....Having looked and test driven the Tracker boats, I wish we could've afforded the ProTeam series over the Pro16 even though that little boat will do anything we need.....I think the wider "Revolution" hull design made for a nicer, more stable boat.....the added storage would've been real nice too.....Not to mention the rod locker is actually a locker and not some tubes of plastic to slide your rods into like the version we got....Which I already dislike alot, and will be reconfiguring something better in the near future.

If price is an issue the Pro16 is hard to beat....but for a nicer boat go with the ProTeam series.

MO3N · 05-23-10, 02:00 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to get the widest width I can because im a big guy and I like my stability. lol

I need to sell my street bike so I can afford a boat. priorities shifted once I started bass fishing alot.

66KingFisher · 05-23-10, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO3N

I need to sell my street bike so I can afford a boat. priorities shifted once I started bass fishing alot.

As a biker and an Angler, thats a tough call....lol....I don't think I could choose one over the other......BUT....Having said that, I did sell all my fishing tackle and went racing for several years, so I know how priorities can shift from time to time.

CamG · 05-23-10, 09:16 AM

If I were to pick one of those boats it'd be the Multi. Looks to me like it has a bit more storage and a front livewell that would double nicely as a large cooler.

I also like the fact that it has a longer rod locker. 7' wouldn't really do it for me on the Bass version.

The best thing about this boat is that it has a very manageable deck height. Looks to be about 8-10" from the top, which is perfect IMO. Some of todays bass boats with a super high deck (ones that are almost level with the top) drive me nuts. I fish some pretty rough waters and feel just a little safer when my center of gravity isn't so high.

Cool looking rig btw!

Strike_King 609 · 05-23-10, 05:14 PM

i was the same place you are about 2 months ago i looked at all kind of boats. after a bunch of help i found a 16ft bass tracker its aluminn i really wanted a ranger boat but after thinking about it. It made more sense to start with the tracker they hold there value so even if you just use it for 2 season you can still get your money back out of it. I have been fishing on it for a couple of weeks now. Good luck in your hunt. Be wary of craiglist ran into all kinds of *******s on there. Try and search the fishing forums. And remember the most important rule if the guy wont let you see it in the water walk away be on the look out for rhino liner also.

walkeraviator · 05-23-10, 08:17 PM

yeah...so i have a new favorite... its a little more money... But the Xpress XP18 makes the Lowe, G3, and Tracker all compete for second place...

CamG · 05-26-10, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkeraviator

yeah...so i have a new favorite... its a little more money... But the Xpress XP18 makes the Lowe, G3, and Tracker all compete for second place...

Haven't rode in a newer one, but a guy in our club has an 2007 Xpress, and the ride in rough water is rough. I think there is TOO much boat out of the water with those things.

05-21-10, 03:57 PM	#1
MO3N BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: pullman, wa Posts: 113	First Bass Boat I am somewhat in the market for a boat. I have a jon boat but looking to upgrade to a bass style boat. I was looking at all the big name brands and I found a few I liked. The boat has to be aluminum and between 16 to 19 feet. I am not to picky on the size but would like something kinda cheapish. I have two questions about boats. 1) what is the main difference between bass boats and "mulit-specie" boats? I really like both these Lowe boats. one is Bass and one is multi. I am not sure what one I like better. But what is the main difference between the two. I know the main stuff that is listed but is there a major difference besides the storage compartments? 2) Any other recommendations on a good aluminum bass boats? I fish both small electric motor only lakes and the snake river so something that can do both.

05-22-10, 10:51 AM	#5
Dennis1022 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Eden, NC Posts: 24	I heard that Tracker is having problems with the rivets for leaking. The othe thing is you should think about is the hull needs to be heavy duty to handle rocks on the snake as you stated! Lowes Boats are nice and so is Lund boats. Dennis __________________ *Dennis iyankapiMatho ( RunningBear )* *Wakan tanan kici un yelo* *( May the Great Spirit Bless You )*

05-23-10, 05:14 PM	#10
Strike_King 609 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: trenton NJ Posts: 151	i was the same place you are about 2 months ago i looked at all kind of boats. after a bunch of help i found a 16ft bass tracker its aluminn i really wanted a ranger boat but after thinking about it. It made more sense to start with the tracker they hold there value so even if you just use it for 2 season you can still get your money back out of it. I have been fishing on it for a couple of weeks now. Good luck in your hunt. Be wary of craiglist ran into all kinds of *******s on there. Try and search the fishing forums. And remember the most important rule if the guy wont let you see it in the water walk away be on the look out for rhino liner also. __________________ join my group on facebook Trenton New Jersey Bass Assassins

05-21-10, 06:16 PM	#2
66KingFisher BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Mena,Arkansas Posts: 1,327	Personally, from what I saw when we were shoppin around was the hulls were about the same, and the deck and storage configuration is what changed between most model boats.....We ended up with the Tracker Pro 16 bass boat, and even though thats a boat i've wanted for along time, I really liked the configuration on the "Pro Crappie 175" alot better and I don't do any crappie fishing to speak of....lol. In the end it came down to price and realizing that the entry level bassboat would do anything we wanted.....The fish in the lake don't know what were fishin out of so we still catch species other then bass...Sometimes on purpose sometimes not...lol.

05-21-10, 08:07 PM	#3
MO3N BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: pullman, wa Posts: 113	I kinda figured it was just a configuration thing. I just was not sure if the decks sat lower in the boat (more interior sidewall) or more or less motor capacity or anything. Ill have to go see some in person. I have only looked online and its kinda hard to tell just by a picture what one will work the best. I have looked at both the tracker pro like you got and the triton storm. is there much difference between the two? any reason you went with one over the other? they seem about the same price and almost the same layout.

05-22-10, 09:11 AM	#4
walkeraviator BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 1,119	I have been looking at these boats too. And I keep coming back to the Tracker Pro Team 175 TXW. I like the storage layout....especially the rod locker (which is a must have on my list)...most shorter boats have no locker at all. G3 165 is a nice boat but G3's tend to run expensive for my taste. And their comparable 175 model lacks rear dry storage of the Tracker 175. But their 165 actually has a rod locker that the other companies lack in this smaller boat. With Lowe boats...one difference in the multispecies over the bass i rod locker length...the multi species will hold 9'6" rods while the bass will only hold 7'6" rods. And it has 2 live wells as opposed to one. I keep coming back to the Pro Team 175 as I said before... and i have been researching this for a long time...I actually like the Lowe Stinger better, but it is identical in layout and options to the tracker and $1500 more for some reason...

05-23-10, 02:00 AM	#7
MO3N BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: pullman, wa Posts: 113	Thanks for all the replies. I am going to get the widest width I can because im a big guy and I like my stability. lol I need to sell my street bike so I can afford a boat. priorities shifted once I started bass fishing alot.

05-23-10, 09:16 AM	#9
CamG BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Superior, NE Posts: 974	If I were to pick one of those boats it'd be the Multi. Looks to me like it has a bit more storage and a front livewell that would double nicely as a large cooler. I also like the fact that it has a longer rod locker. 7' wouldn't really do it for me on the Bass version. The best thing about this boat is that it has a very manageable deck height. Looks to be about 8-10" from the top, which is perfect IMO. Some of todays bass boats with a super high deck (ones that are almost level with the top) drive me nuts. I fish some pretty rough waters and feel just a little safer when my center of gravity isn't so high. Cool looking rig btw!

05-23-10, 08:17 PM	#11
walkeraviator BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 1,119	yeah...so i have a new favorite... its a little more money... But the Xpress XP18 makes the Lowe, G3, and Tracker all compete for second place...

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