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Old 11-23-11, 12:48 PM   #1
robtheplumber
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Default Tracker vs Lowe

I am new to this forum and need a little advise. If anyone has some input on this I would sure appreciate it.

I am looking for a boat for my son and I and I can't make up my mind on which size and brand boat to buy.

It is my first boat and I am willing to fork out the $ for a new one so I don't have spend allot of time fixing up a used one. Not oppsoed to a newer used one but just don't see many available in my area. My son is growing up so fast I want to be able to spend as much time on the water with him as I can.

We like to fish Bass, Trout, Catfish in local lakes and some coastal kelp bed fishing for Calico etc... Ocean along the coast where we are is generally as calm as a lake.

Typically it would just be he and I in the boat but I want one large enough to be able to take at least 2 adults and 2 kids.

I have been looking at the Tracker V-16 SC or 175 SC and the Lowe FM165 and FM175. A friend recommended getting an 18' but they are just a little too big to fit well in the garage and little over the budget. Thoughts on an 18'?

Any and all opinions are welcome.

Thanks.
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Old 11-23-11, 01:52 PM   #2
lilmule
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Dont know much about either brand however one might still consider a larger boat with a swing away tonque can be placed in same area a smaller one can.End of year closeouts they should be cheaper now at boat shows etc,often cheaper than a 1 year old used one from a private seller.
16 ft would be awfully small with lil room to grow in,and on a flat ocean way to small,18 ft at the least just my opinion.
That said several flats boat mfg make a 16,but they have high free boards or are catamarans.

Last edited by lilmule; 11-23-11 at 01:59 PM.
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Old 11-23-11, 02:36 PM   #3
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Either for freshwater in a 17' +, just make sure you get them properly powered as both tend to underpower them. As for coastal fishing - of ANY kind - I would not put myself in an alum. boat under 20', and it would not be a low gunnel boat either. It would have to be of the walleye style boats with high sides. I have a friend who thought he could take his 17' tracker outside the inlet and wound up capsized by a small wave when he wasn't paying attention to boat position. The alum boats, IMO are too light to deal with coastal current & waves, no matter how calm it appears. Any boat with carpet, again IMO is not suited to fish salt water. Salt will ruin the carpet in a year or two, and do terrible things to electrical connections that, on those boats, are designed for freshwater use. Not to mention, your outboard. If you go with one boat for fresh and salt, then you should consider an outbord desinged for saltwater, all the major companies make them. Most freshwater outboards can handle brackish water, but putting them in ocean water is much more hard on them.
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Old 11-23-11, 03:21 PM   #4
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^ What he said. Unless you're diving for abalone, you want to stay dry around kelp beds.

I have an 18-footer, and the swing away tongue is great. Without it, I couldn't keep it in my garage.
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Old 11-24-11, 06:54 AM   #5
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If you plan to go saltwater, pay attention to the trailer. Aluminum or galvanized only. Painted steel trailers have a very short lifespan after immersion in saltwater. Even if you faithfully rinse with freshwater after each exposure, there is still salt in the trailer tubes. You'll never see the rust until it's too late to stop the cancer. As stated by others, pick a boat with a decent amount of freeboard if you plan to go outside the breakwater.
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Old 11-29-11, 12:53 AM   #6
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Hi rob.

X2 on what bassboogieman said. You have to watch how these boats are powered. In my opinion, you need to look at a 75hp - 90hp minimum on a 17' boat. I have a 17' mod-v w/ a 60 on it. I am happy with that motor but if you are moving to a deep v you are going to need something bigger. Also, the swing-away tongue and galvanized trailer comments were very good points.

Don't know too much about the ocean...other than I would rather be in a large boat than a small one!
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Old 12-19-11, 10:55 AM   #7
NewfoundLakerMal
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Smile Tracker Vs Lowe

Hi Rob,
I went through the same situation a year ago and came to the following conclusions. The Tracker boats have welded seams and quite often develop leaks that are hard to repair because aluminum loses its strength when heated. The Lowe boats use the same welded construction. I often heard quotes that "if it leaks it's a Tracker." I looked at other boats in the 16-17 ft range like PolarKraft, Alumacraft and Lund. I settled on the Lund 1625 Rebel XL with a 50hp Mercury. Lund has a national special on the Rebel as well as the Fury. The Rebel handles rough water extremely well and is easy to launch and store. The trailer comes with a swingaway tongue and fits easily in my standard 22ft garage. Check out this link: http://lundboats.com/boats/2011-alum...-rebel-xl-boat

I am not affiliated in any way with Lund. Just an old retired fisherman that was looking for quality and durability.
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Old 01-08-12, 04:13 PM   #8
WAfisher
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Pardon the thread jack...

@ NLM (or anyone who happens to know):

I'm considering buying a Rebel 1625 XL. However, my garage is smaller having just 19' 6" of length.

Could you please let me know what is the maximum length of your Rebel rig from the swing-away tongue (folded in) to the end of the motor.

Thanks.


Quote:
Originally Posted by NewfoundLakerMal View Post
Hi Rob,
I went through the same situation a year ago and came to the following conclusions. The Tracker boats have welded seams and quite often develop leaks that are hard to repair because aluminum loses its strength when heated. The Lowe boats use the same welded construction. I often heard quotes that "if it leaks it's a Tracker." I looked at other boats in the 16-17 ft range like PolarKraft, Alumacraft and Lund. I settled on the Lund 1625 Rebel XL with a 50hp Mercury. Lund has a national special on the Rebel as well as the Fury. The Rebel handles rough water extremely well and is easy to launch and store. The trailer comes with a swingaway tongue and fits easily in my standard 22ft garage. Check out this link: http://lundboats.com/boats/2011-alum...-rebel-xl-boat

I am not affiliated in any way with Lund. Just an old retired fisherman that was looking for quality and durability.
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Old 01-11-12, 07:20 AM   #9
NewfoundLakerMal
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Smile Lund Rebel 1625XL

@WAfisher

My Lund only takes up a little over 19' with the swing-away tongue folded back. It's 19' 4" to be exact from the front of the trailer tongue to the rear of the engine in the fully down position. It may be a tight squeeze to get around the boat with garage door closed but it will fit.
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Old 01-11-12, 06:35 PM   #10
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ok, in MY opion only now. get the BIGGEST rig you can afford. BUILD a lean too for it on the side of the garage or get one of those auto covers fro it. one thing i have learned is oyu can NEVER have too big a rig. storage and fishability and comfort is key. you say it's jsut you and your son, well he has friends right? maybe more than 1 who wants to go fishing....so if it were me and i could afford it, i'd go with a 19'-20' USED glass rig. again, jsut MY OPION. and oyu can get the swing away tounges on any size rig. used boats are a dime a dozen out there right now witht he economy the way it is.
DON'T BUY THE FIRST BOAT YOU SEE EITHER. test out each one, drive em like oyu STOLE it. if the owner objects, it ain't the rig for you pal.

happy boating and welcome to the BEST site on the web.
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Old 01-11-12, 09:47 PM   #11
WAfisher
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@ NLM

Thank you for the info.
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Old 02-05-12, 11:59 AM   #12
Jigger
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Tracker and Nitro trailers are pure junk. My tournament buddy and I have one of each. Both trailers rotted and we both had to replace them. I would not buy a nitro or a tracker for that reason.
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