16' to 17' Boat with widest beam?

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CoachIron

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Jun 8, 2014
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Hey guys I am new to the forum and excited to learn as much as I can about catching Trout, Mackinaws, and of course Kokanees :)

I am 5'10" and 235lbs, with family members and buddies a bit taller than I so I am looking for a wide beam boat, any suggestions? I will be fishing from the High Sierras in Ca. to lakes in Washington. We are not interested in being the first ones across the lake just a solid fishing platform that is also safe for my Nephew and Niece's. Thanks a bunch...

Tight Lines!
 
I was at the local marine dealer a couple of weeks ago to pick up some parts.....just outside the parts department they had a new Tracker on display. It was a 17'er and I had to stop and look it over. The beam was impressively wide.....I'd say at least 8'. And it looked pretty nice. 10 years ago you couldn't have given me a Tracker, but I'm thinking Tracker is trying to improve their products and image from years past. Sorry I can't tell ya what model it was, but I do remember I was impressed at how wide it was and at the time thought about how stable it would be.

Addnl info.....I went to the Tracker web site and I believe it was a Pro Guide™ V-175 WT. 97" beam on a 17'er.
 
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More Fishermen > Bigger Boat

CoachIron said:
Hey guys I am new to the forum and excited to learn as much as I can about catching Trout, Mackinaws, and of course Kokanees :)

I am 5'10" and 235lbs, with family members and buddies a bit taller than I so I am looking for a wide beam boat, any suggestions? I will be fishing from the High Sierras in Ca. to lakes in Washington. We are not interested in being the first ones across the lake just a solid fishing platform that is also safe for my Nephew and Niece's. Thanks a bunch...

Tight Lines!
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If you are into group fishing all the time, you might consider a sportsman fishing pontoon. They are a great fishing platform for a group. For me, I have a 17 Ft lund with a decent wide beam. I will only fish me and one other man. It could still be 2 ft wider, and I would still only take one guy with me. I am 6'1 & 235 lb and take guys about my size all the time. I have no desire to every add just one more in addition to taking a single guest.

Good luck in your boat hunting.
 
In addition to width, look at the hull design. Ask your dealer about reverse chines and he will at least know you have some knowledge about hulls. Reverse chines are part of the hull design that acts to minimize side to side rocking. Some hulls have them and some hulls don't. And of those that do, some are better than others. Once you get the details of a few different manufacturers design, you'll have a good idea which is a better hull.
 
I agree with SuperD The hull design is everything. Take a look at the River Hawk Sea Hawk. The hull design is great with reverse chines too. The JetCraft Dave has is the predecessor of the River Hawk and the current Harbor Craft that is built in Canada. The aluminum is so smooth you would think it is a glass boat. They require less power to go the same speed so motor and fuel cost is less. No I don't work for them or sell them I just appreciate great engineering/build craftsmanship.
Alan
 
@MackayGuy I did look up the Trackers and they do look nice I will have to get out to a Tracker Dealer to look in person.

@SuperD & downriggeral- I do love the Jetcraft boats and nearly bought one with my father some years back, I wish we had Dad and I could have had a few more memories together. So RiverHawk, what do you guys like about them?
 
I like the hull design and overall build quality. I think they are a lot of boat for the money. Also they do not require as much HP for the same speed. Less horse power = less$ up front and operationally. Motors are another discussion........
 
CoachIron said:
Hey guys I am new to the forum and excited to learn as much as I can about catching Trout, Mackinaws, and of course Kokanees :)

I am 5'10" and 235lbs, with family members and buddies a bit taller than I so I am looking for a wide beam boat, any suggestions? I will be fishing from the High Sierras in Ca. to lakes in Washington. We are not interested in being the first ones across the lake just a solid fishing platform that is also safe for my Nephew and Niece's. Thanks a bunch...

Tight Lines!
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If you do a search you will see where I asked a ton of questions about getting a new boat last year. There was a lot of really good feedback in here. I have had the boat for a few months now and I will tell you what I have learned. (hope it helps)

My first boat was too small. It was a great boat to start out in but I paid for that lesson. I could have bought an older used boat to experiment with first to learn the lessons then trade up later. My first boat was a Lund. The quality of that boat was excellent. The second boat, after lots of feedback and lots of shopping was a Thunderjet. The biggest reason I went with Thunderjet was to solve a couple of issues I had with the smaller boat. I am also just over 6 feet tall. I was tired of bending over all day trying to work on downriggers at odd angles. I wanted a boat with tall sides. There are usually only two people fishing out of the boat but I am territorial and want my own space. I needed more floor room that doesn't have anything in the way. The Lund had a live well and flip up seats that are cool if you are playing on the water but are an obstacle if you are trying to access rods and downriggers and bringing in fish. I would have to step up and down that stuff every time I left the seat. The TJ has a 34 inch side and a 72 inch floor. It is so so so much better to fish out of I can't even begin to explain. The downriggers are at counter height and easy to work on. I really like that. No extensions or anything. Another major thing (for me) was making sure that I could stand up under the canvass top. The TJ is 6ft 4inch. I can put up the top and don't have to be bent over all day long. What a back saver. I had to keep the length reasonable so it would fit in a normal garage. I ended up with an 18.5 with an offshore bracket. It seems to handle very well. It is very stable and scoots right along. I have a Suzuki 140. It is fine. It does about 40 mph right now.

I am finally to the point with the new TJ that I know how everything works and it is a lot less stressful. I can jump in the boat, throw out the poles, and fish relaxed all day very comfortably. I don't regret the boat purchase one bit except that this should have been the first boat. I have also fished out of a Northriver that I was really impressed with. I looked at others at shows and dealers that I thought where well built but I always came back to liking the TJ more. I think there are a handful of boats that will work out fine. Just keep track of the height issues. Tall and wide and nothing between you and your poles. If you want specific feedback about all the options let me know. I am more than happy to share.
 
Mharri333,

Those are some really great points, especially the height of things. BTW, I have admired the TJ's as well, especially with the offshore bracket it looks to really and room and functionality inside the boat. Do you find that to be true? BTW, I am in the Central Valley of CA so I don't really get to see and touch "Northwest Style" boats as much as I would like, so may I ask in your research do you remember any shorter boats in the 16' to 17' range that impressed you?
 
I was looking for something a little longer than that but I noticed that TJ has a shorter one that I think was 17 feet. It had some of the basic features of the bigger boats minus the fish hold in the rear. It had a good feel to it when I climbed around in it. Looked like a nice set-up. Another one that was recommended was the Riverhawk. There may be others on here with more suggestions. I was limited by garage size so I had a narrow parameter to search within. There are others that would benefit from your shopping experience though. Keep us informed. The only thing better than getting a new boat yourself is watching someone else get it. (or them paying for it and you getting to fish with them). haha
 
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CoachIron,

I'll second the high opinion of ThunderJets - while I just bought a Lund a couple of months ago (and love it - that rear deck that Mharri333 was talking about was a "must" for me because of my bass fishing but would be a PITA if you weren't doing a lot of casting) I've fished out of my buddies TJ for several years now (20' with offshore bracket) and love it!!! It's a GREAT fishing boat, tons of room, NOTHING in the way and it's built like a tank!! LOL, I mean, you could hit the dock at 20 mpg and probably only slightly scratch the boat, but destroy the dock. There are a lot of quality boats out there - one will just "feel right" when you crawl in it...and then won't eat/sleep right until you find the $$$ to get it!!!

Enjoy the search!
 
OK, so I looked into the RiverHawks and liked what I saw. Anyone with specific info regarding the Kenai? I am looking into whether or not I can get it as a Side Console, it looks like they do offer a CenterConsole. The Kenai appears to have a wider beam and higher sides than the ProV, as well as a built in tank. The BUT, is that the Kenai has a deadrise of 5 degrees, to the ProV's variable 20 to 12. Pro/Cons??

Thanks fellas you have all been great.
 
5 degree = might as well be flat and not something you would want on any kind of lake. One would just beat themselves to death in open water with any chop at all. In my search for a boat considering the type of fishing I do, I'd be looking for the steepest dead rise I could find to cut through rough water. If you were primarily a river guy, the 5 degree with a jet would be the ticket.

For reference, my boat is 20 degree, variable to 40 at the bow.
 
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SuperD, I was thinking the same about the 5 degree. Bummer, I guess back to square one.

Thoughts on the Tracker Pro Guide V 175 SC?
 
Have you looked at any Hewes? I think there is a dealer down in your neck of the woods. I don't really know anything about Tracker. I work about 8 miles from Gone Fishin Marine which carries Tracker. Have you touched one yet?
 
If this is your first boat and you are on a slim budget, I'd highly recommend looking used. You learn so much about your style and what is good vs. bad after having a beater boat as a starter boat. Once you spend a lot of money on a boat it is hard to justify to your other half spending a fortune the second time. My wife and I used a "training" boat for a couple of years and then went all in with the current boat. I really wish I could afford one more in my life time but this is probably going to be it. It is very hard to know everything when you bite off all you can afford the first time out of the chute.
 
SuperD said:
If this is your first boat and you are on a slim budget, I'd highly recommend looking used. You learn so much about your style and what is good vs. bad after having a beater boat as a starter boat. Once you spend a lot of money on a boat it is hard to justify to your other half spending a fortune the second time. My wife and I used a "training" boat for a couple of years and then went all in with the current boat. I really wish I could afford one more in my life time but this is probably going to be it. It is very hard to know everything when you bite off all you can afford the first time out of the chute.
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SuperD, I have pondered exactly what you are saying and I may go down that road. However, I feel like I really know what I want I just have to find it. Having said that I looked at the Hewes and saw something that I liked, the Open Fisherman with a Center Console. As you know it has a variable dead rise 31 to 10 degrees, a built in fuel tank, and nice high 29" sides. So next Q, what is the minimum as far as safety and efficiency goes what HP motor can I go with? 50HP or do I need a 70HP?
 
My number one rule of buying a new boat is that the dealer purposely under powers them so that the starting asking price is lower. If you fish high altitude lakes with a load, you are screwed. At a minimum, step up the motor size one jump. Look at what the hull is rated for as far as maximum HP and judge where you are. As big as you are and other family members, this is going to be a 2 person fishing boat. If you have visions of squeezing more on the boat, you will want the biggest motor you can afford.
 
Super D is right on on what he is saying. Personally, my opinion is, you will be very dissapointed if you do not get to 115 to 125 HP on your main motor on a 17 footer. Myself and one other friend who goes with me alot puts the people weight at 480 LB in my 17.5 ft Lund . Then the trolling motor and all the other gear adds up quickly. Doing the max on what your hull alows is a better than good idea.
 
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I have a 115hp on my 17.5 lund and just love it.Really great in the higher hills has plenty of power and runs really smooth, motor adjusts to the altitudes you are at.
 

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