# Tracker boats



## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Glad to see at least one other person say something nice about Tracker boats.

I was ready to sell mine to the highest bidder just so I was not seen with such a "piece of junk" as so many have stated. How could I have been so dumb to buy such a lemon. To think that the past 100 fishing trips in it could have been my last. Boy I can't wait till there IS something wrong with it so I can complain about how bad it is, 3 years and still waiting but I'm sure it will fall apart soon...... 

Man when that day comes I'll sure be talking bad about Trackers but until then I'll be fishing in it.


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## thedude (Jul 20, 2004)

wally-eye said:


> Glad to see at least one other person say something nice about Tracker boats.
> 
> I was ready to sell mine to the highest bidder just so I was not seen with such a "piece of junk" as so many have stated. How could I have been so dumb to buy such a lemon. To think that the past 100 fishing trips in it could have been my last. Boy I can't wait till there IS something wrong with it so I can complain about how bad it is, 3 years and still waiting but I'm sure it will fall apart soon......
> 
> Man when that day comes I'll sure be talking bad about Trackers but until then I'll be fishing in it.


take a deep breath.... okay... now let it out....goood.... 

does every single tracker that comes off the line suck? NO.
do other boat manufacturers have issues w/ thier boats as well? YES.


point is you roll the dice w/ a tracker. sometimes you beat the house and - as many people have already testified to... sometimes the house beats you.. odds favor the HOUSE in tracker's case though.


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## shametamer (Jul 22, 2001)

Don't Despair Wally! Just tell them that george w. and dickie de voss told you to buy a tracker and that they are built at a non union shop..the majority of guys will then tell you, you have the best boat value on the market..:evilsmile And for sure you will not find yourself lying on ur back in some soggy ditch, looking at the underbelly of your lund, wondering which rivet is leaking!:lol: plus the 10,000 bucks you saved will be earning lots of interest!:yikes: on to the original topic .......Everybody is gonna have an opinion..just like cars or outboards... 3 of the last 4 mercury outboards i've had..were junk..does it mean mercury makes a horrible engine? not at all..does it mean i would buy another? not on your life!......i figure mercury and i were not meant for each other..just like my previous 4 wives!....lol Most of all...do your research,buy from a reputable dealer, buy what you can afford, and remember you are the one that has to be happy with your purchase.NOT ANYONE ELSE!..........p.s. later, if you want to contribute to "get al lindner to another lake you will never be able to fish", you can purchase a lund decal or sumpin....:mischeif:


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## bluekim7 (Mar 24, 2005)

A buddy has a Tracker and for the last two years has had two cracks in his hull in different spots.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

I seen a Lund the other day in the shop getting the hull welded?????????


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

> A buddy has a Tracker and for the last two years has had two cracks in his hull in different spots.


I know a guy that has beat the p!zz outta his Tracker for a few years , including [email protected] near plunging the nose of it thru a few solid three footers *WITH* me onboard ; and if it was such an old Pea Oh Ess _you'd think_ I'd be at the bottom of "The Bay" feedin' the channel cats.....
:evilsmile

I think that's a basic hull test for any smaller craft - and the absence of cracked welds all across the hull tell me that THIS particular tracker is seaworthy enough to "bet the brass" on.


Heck , Esox HATES his Starcraft - and I can't complain about mine (except for the fact I wish that it was deeper , 30" wider and about 3 ft. longer....)
:lol:
[Oh yeah , it's only 5 years old - so I can't find any rivet leaks yet~...LMAO]

_Maybe_ I can buy some unhappy customer's Targa or similar model for $2500 because they are _sooooooooooooooo_ unhappy with it!


R​


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## One (Apr 15, 2004)

I've got a older Bass Tracker for sale if anybodys lookin'. 87' TX17 w/ 50 hrs Johnson. Runs like a champ, NO Problems. Send me a p.m. for more info.

Kayle


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## FYRE926 (Dec 31, 2000)

I had an 87' Tracker Pro 16 which I sold in 03' on Ebay and I bought an 02' Tracker Targa 17 foot with walk through windshield on Ebay in 03' as well. I have fished both boats from Maine to Northern Ontario to Minnesota. I would recommend Tracker based on my experience. The one thing I will say is preventative maintenance & general care for the boat can give you immeasurable returns in not having problems. Often I see and hear people complain about problems they have with their equipment and quite honestly it would seem they're lucky it lasted as long as it did because of the way they took care of it. I agree you can certainly buy a product and it could have problems no matter how well you treat it. But more often than not we create our own headaches by failing to maintain and be proactive in caring for those we rely on so often to give us the experiences of a lifetime
Of the 2 Trackers...the first an 87' "Pro 16" 16 ft semi V with a 40 hp Mariner I bought it used and due to neglect from a prior owner (leaving it outdoors unprotected) I had to re-deck the main floor & the front casting deck. I fished the boat from Lake Michigan to Maine to Northern Ontario and it never let me down. BUT I always take care of my equipment too. My 2nd Tracker an 02' Targa I've had for approx. 3 seasons now, I bought it "used" from an ole boy in Indiana who had got it in the water a total of 3 times since he bought it after he retired. This one, a 2002 Targa 17 ft Deep V with a 75 hp Tracker has performed admirably and I have rigged it out for Salmon fishing here on the Big Lake as well as taken it to Minnesota and fished lakes there with it and towed my kids on a tube plenty also. This 02' Targa is a riveted unit but it's bone dry inside. I've always been satisfied with the Trackers I've had and my brother also owned an 89 semi V 17 ft with no problems either. I sold my 87' Tracker on Ebay in mid 03' for $3000.00 to a guy in Indiana. I know for a fact that sale price was much more than I'd get at a dealer on trade in. I emailed the guy that owns it today this past spring and he has had no problems and enjoys it as much as I did. I can't fault Tracker, I've not had experience with their service but anytime I've stopped into my local Tracker dealer svc dept. (D&R Sports-Kalamazoo)and asked a question they've been MORE than straight with me and shared knowledge.


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## Kingstone (May 4, 2006)

My brother has a17 1/2 footer. It is a nice boat but quality might be lacking. But you must be looking for a small inland lake boat to cartop or put into the back of your pickup. Go to a boat show and look. there are plenty to look at. Ihave a 12 footer here that I don't use anymore. If you are interested it can be yours for $100. Tracker has some pretty good deals on there cheaper 16 footers. But they aren't the quality of there better boats. I do think there better quality boats on the Market.Besides once you get into the small boat you will want to go a little bigger for the bay or big lakes.


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## CraigC00 (Jun 2, 2006)

I have a 1992 Bass Tracker I have not had any problems at all with the boat. However, the Tracker Evinrude 40hp engine on the boat has given me hell since the third time I had it on the water. The boat and hull are still in great shape, the engine is going to be taken into a field and shot very soon.


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## Southend517 (Feb 18, 2004)

I would look at Lowe they are about the same price as trackers and are really nice. http://www.lowe.com/fishboats/


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## Marrble Eyes (Jun 24, 2003)

I won't repeat my experience with Tracker's aluminum boats, but I will say there is plenty of evidence to prove to any reasonable person that Tracker's quality is CRAP.

Thin alum. sheeting, Poor construction and absolutely Horrible customer relations/service.


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## duckman#1 (Sep 22, 2002)

:coco:


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Everybody come on over this weekend for a boat blasting party. I guess that since my 2004 Tracker Pro Guide V16 is such a piece of junk I'm setting it in the driveway and gonna let everyone just blast away at it. After reading all the horror stories I just I should just put it out of its misery before something bad happens to it.

Oh by the way I have had it since April of 2004 and have had not one minutes problem with it. Boat, motor or trailer. Oh I guess I do have to say I put a new winch strap on it, guess that counts as making the boat a piece of junk.................

Have beat the snot out of it. Been across the Bay in 3 footers at 25 mph with 3 aboard. Didn't miss a beat and didn't sink, crack or any other fault was noted. Been 5 miles out in Lake Michigan and been in little inland lakes fishing. The boat has done all that has been asked of it. 

I guess everybody should buy Lunds for 6k more for the same package cus my Tracker is evidently junk.


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## gmalicoat (Jan 21, 2005)

Sounds like someone is touchy about their tracker. I'm sure alot of people have Trackers and have good luck. They aren't as good as Lund's but are cheaper. It's a cliche, but you get what you pay for.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Nope just upset with myself for being stupid enough to buy a tracker. I am however still waiting for the sky to fall, been 2 1/2 years but I'm waiting.


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## roc65 (Apr 15, 2004)

My Tracker didn't show evidence of weld failure until just under year five. Found splits 2-4 inches on both port and starbord sides of the bow. Called Tracker Marine and they athorized repair at a dealership.Warranty repairs were made that included seven big ugly welds on the out side of the hull, Extra bulk heads welded in, and re-welded several welds on the internal structure that had broke.

After three months at the dealer I finaly got my boat back. After half a dozen trips on Lake Erie I noticed exsesive water in the bildge. Pulled the boat and low and behold every weld on the hull was cracked down the middle.

Contacted Tracker Marine, They instructed me to take it back to the dealer. After two months and many e-mails Tracker Marine told me my boat was out of warranty and to pick it up immediatly or I would be charged a storage fee.

I went and picked up my boat (2 and a half hours away) and contacted my attorney and a marine surveyor.

Upon my surveyors inspection of the vessel nearly every repair weld was broke plus some new ones. In addition the two main stringers were cut and bent over to accomidate the rear seat pockets.


I have never abused this boat or crashed it through three footers doing 25 mph 

This matter is still in litigation. Its been a year and five months


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

roc65 said:


> My Tracker didn't show evidence of weld failure until just under year five. Found splits 2-4 inches on both port and starbord sides of the bow. Called Tracker Marine and they athorized repair at a dealership.Warranty repairs were made that included seven big ugly welds on the out side of the hull, Extra bulk heads welded in, and re-welded several welds on the internal structure that had broke.
> 
> After three months at the dealer I finaly got my boat back. After half a dozen trips on Lake Erie I noticed exsesive water in the bildge. Pulled the boat and low and behold every weld on the hull was cracked down the middle.
> 
> ...


sounds like you need to find a new dealer that knows how to weld.  why would they weld on the outside of the boat.


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

zx10r2004 said:


> sounds like you need to find a new dealer that knows how to weld.  why would they weld on the outside of the boat.


 I know roc65 personally. We had taken the capt. course together. He has a Fisher which is built by Tracker. I believe his dealer is in Ohio somewhere. I agree it should have been done properly the first time.


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