The Marrying Kind - Pro Team 175 May 1, 2004

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1 The Marrying Kind - Pro Team 175 May 1, 2004 By Allan Tarvid When I hear that a test boat is a great value, it reminds me of when I was told that tomorrow night s blind date has a good personality. In short, I keep my expectations reined in. In the case of the Tracker Pro Team 175, I envisioned a bare metal jonboat with just enough interior modifications to be called a bass boat, and a ride rough enough to loosen low-bid dental work. I m happy to report I was wrong on all counts. When I walked down the dock at Big Cedar Lodge on Missouri s Table Rock Lake and first saw the boat, I thought I was at the wrong slip. The painted sides and gunwales on the 2004 version of the PT 175 set a classy theme that continues as you step inside and look around. The carpeting, upholstery and quality of the fit and finish make it look like a more expensive rig. It won t be mistaken for a Tracker Avalanche or Tundra, but I almost walked past it while searching for a basic boat that looked like a great value. Angler-Friendly Layout The front deck is large enough for two standing fishermen and has enough gunwale height around the edges to keep them from nudging any tackleboxes overboard. A 12- volt, foot-controlled MotorGuide trolling motor with 43 pounds of thrust is standard, and it plugs into a bow electrical panel that also sports a trim switch for the outboard engine. A storage compartment near the front-seat pedestal socket is large enough for a couple of PFDs and rainsuits. A large, roto-molded compartment at the rear edge of the deck has a lift-out liner and plenty of room for tackleboxes or bags. A rod box down the port side is ready for 7- foot rods and other incidentals. It could use a rod organizing system but heck, this is supposed to be a budget-priced boat, so that would be a good project on one of those days when the weather won t let you fish. The marine carpet looks and feels good, and virtually all the sturdy aluminum compartment lids have locks. This boat is available only with a single molded console that sits far enough behind the

2 front deck for a standard 25-quart cooler to slide right into the gap. Unfortunately, that spacing meant I could only put one bent leg under the console while my 6-foot, 2- inch frame was in the driver s seat. The other leg had to be extended out on the open deck. I would have to move the console forward into about half the space occupied by the cooler to get a comfortable driving position. Otherwise, the console is nicely done. Instruments include a speedometer, tachometer, voltmeter and fuel gauge, and all are plainly visible while running. The steering wheel is well-centered and has a comfortable grip. The accessory panel is located just starboard of the wheel, where it is easy to reach, and switch functions are plainly marked. A Lowrance X-37 fishfinder fills the small electronics mounting pad just above the switch panel, and a cupholder is molded into the console a short reach forward of the sounder. A tinted plexiglass windshield tops the console. Three bucket seats comfortably accommodate fishermen, and both passenger seats fold forward for access to yet another large storage area. The driver s seat also folds forward but hits the throttle lever almost immediately, limiting access to the area beneath it. The livewell is in the usual position, right behind the seats. Its roto-molded interior has rounded corners designed to be easy on passengers. The well is divided for tournament fishing, and its plumbing includes a pump-out system. Two storage compartments with molded, drop-in liners flank the livewell. The bilge compartment has a lid large enough to grant easy access to the two batteries and the 21-gallon fuel tank. Enough already about the creature comforts; you re probably ready to hook up the kill switch and run this baby. I am the product of the days when you had to know the right combination of throttle lever and choke positions to get an engine to start. Today s engines (even the small carbureted ones) usually fire immediately at the turn of the key, and this Merc was no exception. I almost miss all the intrigue... NOT! Larger-than-life performance Smaller boats are really nice. The boat turned quickly after backing out of the slip, then transitioned from reverse to forward without requiring enough throttle to soak

3 dockside onlookers. The little Merc 60 ran smoothly in the 90-degree heat and was undoubtedly warmed up by the time we reached the last no-wake buoy. Pushing the throttle lever to its stop put the boat on plane in less than 10 seconds. Having 400 pounds of people and another 40 pounds of camera gear and test equipment aboard kept us from trimming much hull out of the water, but we still managed a top speed of just over 36 mph. The boat had a surprisingly light and nimble feel considering the load. Cornering at full throttle was no problem, and the new Revolution hull provided a dry and surprisingly smooth ride. When testing, we have to run for an extended period of time at each rpm setting while gathering speed and fuel data. Turning the boat sharply or changing the throttle setting means starting the test of a particular setting over again. It was unnerving to see the monster, quadruple wake from a passing cruiser coming at us while we neared the end of our 4500 rpm readings. A reasonable person under normal circumstances would throttle back and try to hit the wakes with the bow raised. We elected to perform a hull-slam test instead. The bow rose and fell as we crossed the wakes, but the hull parted the water with a cush instead of a slam. I expect that kind of ride in a 20-foot walleye boat, not in a 17-foot metal bass boat designed to be a good value. Mac Archer, a Mercury rep for 25 years, was driving the boat as I ran the test equipment and recorded the numbers. He grinned at me and said, Unbelievable, isn t it? The solid feel of the Revolution hull is no accident. The hull is built around a skeleton of welded longitudinal stringers that Tracker says is about nine times stronger than wood. Everything is welded to the stringers, and even the rod box provides support. This construction method passes frontal impacts to the whole hull from front to rear, so you hear cush more often than, Ouch, help me up. FINE-TUNING Archer said the boat s performance could be improved by switching to a four-blade Trophy stainless steel prop. An owner can fine-tune performance to his typical fishing load by selecting just the right pitch, but it has to be done carefully. Archer advised that when setting up a smaller, lightweight boat like the PT 175 with a 60 hp engine, a 1-inch change in pitch acts like a 2-inch change on bigger boats with larger engines.

4 GO FISH Once the mechanical routine was over, I took the little Tracker back into the cove behind the marina for a fishability test. The boat sits flat on the water, and while it s wide enough to be a stable fishing platform, it is still narrow enough to squeeze back into timber where larger rigs won t fit. It s also comfortable in water skinny enough to bring a big rig to a grinding halt. I d add a second fishfinder up front and would ask the dealer to upgrade the trolling motor to one with a hassle-free, built-in transducer. Yet, in terms of muscle, the standard 12-volt motor s 43 pounds of thrust were plenty for the boat.all in all, this blind date went very well. The Pro Team 175 isn t any movie star or supermodel, but she s definitely good looking. And, more importantly, she s more the sensible, downto-earth type your parents hope you will be smart enough to marry. BWB TRAILER TALK One of the nicest things about Tracker s boat packages is that you get a trailer designed and built for the boat it carries. Welds can t shift out of adjustment and damage your hull, and locating exactly the right replacement parts, like trailer wheel bearings, is only as difficult as making a phone call. The trailer for our Tracker test boat includes a list of standard features that are commonly extra-cost options. This drive-on model comes with EZ lube hubs, 13-inch tires with chrome wheels and hub covers, folding tongue jack, high-gloss powder coat finish, nonskid fender pads, retractable safety cables, roller loading guides, diamondplate step pads and submersible lights. There are extras available. If you prefer durability vs. good looks, $199 buys a galvanized trailer. And if you have a smaller tow vehicle, you might spend an additional $395 for trailer brakes. Tracker Pro Team 175 Base Price (w/mercury 25 & trailer): $8995 Price as tested (w/mercury 60): $11,350 Top Speed: 36.2 mph 0-to-30 mph: 8.9 seconds

5 Construction: Welded aluminum Console Type: Single Length: 17 4 Beam: 7 0 Hull Weight: 1200 lbs. Rigged Weight: 1350 lbs. Trailered Weight: 1695 lbs. Fuel Capacity: 21 gals. Livewell Capacity: 21 gals. Maximum Horsepower: 75 Standard Equipment: Bow and aft tackle management systems with trays; MotorGuide 12-volt, 43-pound-thrust trolling motor; Lowrance X-37 fishfinder; onboard battery charger (6-amp); two fishing chairs; 25-quart cooler; single-axle trailer with swingaway tongue Optional Equipment as Tested: Mercury 60 Engine Tested: Mercury 60 ELPTO Type: I-3 carbureted two-stroke Displacement: 966 cc (59 cid) Weight: 219 lbs. Recommended WOT RPM: Gear Ratio: 1.64:1 Propeller: 103/8 x 14 Mercury aluminum 3-blade Jackplate: None Setback: None Weather Conditions: Air Temp: 96F Water Temp: 85F Wind: Light and variable

6 Water Conditions: Calm with moderate wakes TEST RESULTS Engine Speed Fuel Range1 (rpm) (mph) (gph) (mpg) (miles) (2) (WOT) Based on 90% fuel capacity 2 Optimum cruise speed Tracker Boats 2500 E. Kearney St. Springfield, MO / trackerboats.com Reprinted with permission from Bass & Walleye Boats magazine Copyright 2004, TRACKER Marine, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.

2018 Panfish 16. Page 1 of Panfish 16. Transom height 21.4" Bottom width 4' Max. recommended HP. Average package weight

2018 Panfish 16. Page 1 of Panfish 16. Transom height 21.4 Bottom width 4' Max. recommended HP. Average package weight 2018 Panfish 16 Length 16' 2'' Transom height 21.4" Beam 5' 10'' Deadrise at bow 13 degrees Bottom width 4' Deadrise at transom 6 degrees Max. recommended HP 40 HP Hull material 0.090 5052 marine alloy