Bill Balch
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2003
- Messages
- 74
- Reaction score
- 0
Good Morning Everyone,
I am new to this website. I have decided to buy a new fishing boat and am trying to decide between the Pro Team 175 and the Pro Crappie 175 with the Mercury 40 ELPTO upgrade. Having spent several days reading messages on this board, I have a sense that most owners are very satisfied with these two boats.
I want a boat that is convenient for fishing, mostly black bass, white bass, crappie, and catfish in the lakes in Central Texas. A boat with a draft of not more that 10 to 14 inches should be navigable on the Colorado River which flows through this area of Texas. I would like to make an occasional run down to the saltwater flats out of Port Aransas if the weather is fairly calm.
My wife doesn't fish but likes to go boat riding. So, I would want a boat that gives a fairly comfortable and dry ride. Since my nine year old grandson will sometimes join us, I would require a boat that is a stable fishing platform, not too tipsy with people moving around. Some folks in my family might like to be pulled on a tube, so a bit of speed would be nice.
I would be grateful for some comparisons of these two boats and some recommendations for options for either. I attended a boat show in Austin, Texas recently and looked at the PT 175 and PC 175 side by side. My wife and I thought the PC 175 floor plan might be a bit easier for us less agile folks to move around in. Of course my grandson thought the PT 175 was much cooler in appearance.
I have noticed concerns on this website about the PC 175's lack of storage. Any ideas on freeing up more storage space? Also, at the boat show I was surprised that the aluminum hatch cover of the front storage bin of the PT 175 had some flex when I stepped on it. I weigh about 180lb, but both my son and son-in-law are well over 200 lb each. Shouldn't this hatch cover be more substantial than it seems to be?
A major concern I have is the number of negative comments about Tracker's customer service. Even some boat owners who love their boats complain bitterly about Tracker customer service. This is not good, and I went on the Trackermarine.com and sent an email to the company expressing my concern as a potential buyer about these negative comments. I asked what assurances they could offer that things will be better in the future. I haven't heard anything back yet. Do any of you have reason to believe that things will improve? Or, do you think that people who are unhappy are more likely to post messages than people who are quite satisfied?
Thank you for reading this. I would very much appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Bill Balch
I am new to this website. I have decided to buy a new fishing boat and am trying to decide between the Pro Team 175 and the Pro Crappie 175 with the Mercury 40 ELPTO upgrade. Having spent several days reading messages on this board, I have a sense that most owners are very satisfied with these two boats.
I want a boat that is convenient for fishing, mostly black bass, white bass, crappie, and catfish in the lakes in Central Texas. A boat with a draft of not more that 10 to 14 inches should be navigable on the Colorado River which flows through this area of Texas. I would like to make an occasional run down to the saltwater flats out of Port Aransas if the weather is fairly calm.
My wife doesn't fish but likes to go boat riding. So, I would want a boat that gives a fairly comfortable and dry ride. Since my nine year old grandson will sometimes join us, I would require a boat that is a stable fishing platform, not too tipsy with people moving around. Some folks in my family might like to be pulled on a tube, so a bit of speed would be nice.
I would be grateful for some comparisons of these two boats and some recommendations for options for either. I attended a boat show in Austin, Texas recently and looked at the PT 175 and PC 175 side by side. My wife and I thought the PC 175 floor plan might be a bit easier for us less agile folks to move around in. Of course my grandson thought the PT 175 was much cooler in appearance.
I have noticed concerns on this website about the PC 175's lack of storage. Any ideas on freeing up more storage space? Also, at the boat show I was surprised that the aluminum hatch cover of the front storage bin of the PT 175 had some flex when I stepped on it. I weigh about 180lb, but both my son and son-in-law are well over 200 lb each. Shouldn't this hatch cover be more substantial than it seems to be?
A major concern I have is the number of negative comments about Tracker's customer service. Even some boat owners who love their boats complain bitterly about Tracker customer service. This is not good, and I went on the Trackermarine.com and sent an email to the company expressing my concern as a potential buyer about these negative comments. I asked what assurances they could offer that things will be better in the future. I haven't heard anything back yet. Do any of you have reason to believe that things will improve? Or, do you think that people who are unhappy are more likely to post messages than people who are quite satisfied?
Thank you for reading this. I would very much appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Bill Balch