njpaulc

If you're fishing less than 1000 acres you should have no problem, especially with 24 volts, which should give you long battery life.

If you are redecking there should be vents for the rear (bilge) compartment built into the hull. I don't want to spend your money, but you might be better served with a small permanent tank that comes with a tank vent. Also, venting the tank and venting the bilge are separate issues. A portable tank will vent into the bilge.

Didn't think you could go fast enough with a 20 to do that kind of damage. Hope you can find parts for something that old. It really looks like you took good care of it. Good luck with insurance and repair.

You can also try them as a sustitute for a jig and pig when fishing docks in clear water.

Find out what the towing package includes and add what ever you need. BWB did an article many years ago and said that there is very little difference towing with a 6 vs an 8. One guy in my club pulled a Skeeter ZX190 with a Cherokee without a problem. Another guy had a 518 Ranger and a Grand Cherokee, he traded up to a truck cause he did a lot of long distance (400-500 miles) towing, but said he had no trouble towing locally. Just try to get a trailer with brakes, most of the time stopping is more of an issue than going. You should be able to pull anything smaller than 19 feet.

My only two concerns about the design of the boat would be amount of dry/rod storage, and the depth of the freeboard on the front casting deck. Other than that, check the floor and check the motor.

The screen is always moving, whether you are moving or not, it's just the continous reading of the transducer signal. The new readings replace the old readings, thus the screen moves. When you are anchored, you are seeing directly under the transducer, when you are moving, you see what is behind you, depending on how fast you are going, thats how far behind the boat the screen is showing you. When you are anchored, play with the settings, you will learn what is good for you. Try this, manually set the depth at more than double the depth of water you are in. Increase the sensitivity. You should see a second echo below the bottom reading. On a clean bottom, this is your best settting. In weeds, you have to dail back on the sensitivity. The unit will do some of this on the automatic settings, but not as well as you can do it manually.

A rigged 19-20 foot glass boat will weigh between 3000 and 4000 pounds. Are you sure you can tow that? You might be able to get it into the lake, but you might not be able to pull it out. It would probably exceed your Gross Vehicle Weight and if you were stopped, it would be a violation. With that truck, you are pushing the limit if you tow more than an 18 foot tin boat. Remember, you're towing the boat, trailer, motor, gas and fishing equipment.

Green pumpkin red flake, Castiac choice for stained water, pumpkin red flake, watermelon blue (or red or green or gold) flake, or plum for clearer water. I try to match the stain, or the background I'm fishing. Another theory is to match the bottom, because that's what the natural forage will do.

If it used to plane, but doesn't now, some thing has changed. Did you change or move anything? If not, something might be wrong with the prop or the motor.

I don't see where there's a question. For $1000. you get a newer boat with better electronics. I'd buy the Stratos.

Cabelas has some 500c combos in their Bargin Cave.

I have been in the Stratos, and really liked the ride. I have not been in a 186 Triton. Is there a price difference? If not I'd buy the newest one. I didn't notice a ranger in your choices.

There's one on EBAY in Indiana.

First of all, that looks closer to a fullmake over than a partial. Secondly, how's it run? It looks really great.

The last time I looked people had to qualify for Federal tuition programs. If you honestly qualify, you'd be stupid not to use it. If you can afford to send your kids to private school are you wrong when you send them to public school. Anyway, I'd buy a tin boat, and not worry about it.

A friend of mine has a 2004 20 ft Charger, big boat, well built, nice ride, slow, but fast enough. He had to go to MO. to pick it up at the factory, but got a nice deal. He loves it. The livewells are great.

E-electric start PT-power trim o-oil injection I think the xl is for the length of the lower unit (25 inches) extra long, but that's just a guess

The difference in price of a Tracker 170 an and 175 with a 50hp is less than $1500., I don't think 10% is a large price difference for a boat that is longer and wider. It was more of an issue when the Tracker 175 was rated for 90hp, and if you wanted to upgrade HP, you could get a 190 with a 90Hp for about $1200 more than 175 with 90hp. If you're financing a Tracker 170, how hard would you have to be pushed to be convinced to buy a 175 for $20 or $25 more a month with the same engine.

Don't buy an 18 to 19 foot boat with a 115/135. You will be terribly underpowered and you will put too much stress on the engine. Buy a smaller boat, or a larger engine. Tracker/Nitro have terrible reputations, but, I know 3 or 4 people with them who have had little or no problems with theirs. I think the older ones are ugly and worn looking, because most Tracker/Nitro buyers are first time, inexperienced buyers and don't know how to treat a boat, and leave it docked at the lake, or parked in the back yard uncovered.

The manufacturers underrate hulls for two reasons. First to meet a pricepoint, ex. stratos 176, Lowe170W, Skeeter sx180. Second to limit liability, ex putting hp plates on boats over 20 feet. Tracker always underrates their hulls, usually to meet a pricepoint and push you to a larger hull, but also, I don't think the difference in the price of the hull is that large in tin boats, and you are really mostly paying for the bigger engine.

The silicon can't hurt and I would use Locktite on the nuts .

The hull is rated for 135hp, you will be over powered by 15hp. Might make it hard to get insurance, and might make you criminally lible in the event of an accident. The boat should run mid to upper 60's, but might be a bear to handle.

I'm probably the only person in the world who does not have a problem with Vanish. That being said, I currently use 8lb mono for dropshooting.

I read the link in alarchar post. I believe the word "progressive" was used as a discriptive adjective instead of the name of the company.