tracker fisherman 16

[Bryarsallen]

Hello. New to forum here. My question, as you could probably guess, is about my new tracker fisherman 16. I picked it and a trailer up for $900 recently. Its rated for 2hp. I''ve seen and heard of people running 15-20hp on the back of these but no information anywhere on what mods to put on to safely do so. It's a 1632. Any ideas or input are welcome. I know there's a lot of hate for these boats but I've got what I got and was curious as to yalls thoughts. Thanks in advance!

 

[Johnny]

:WELCOME:

First of all, is this your boat ?


I would go by the USCG capacity plate meant for your boat.
It appears to be designed for Electric Only or the small 2hp that you mentioned..

In Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida - they have boat shows to entertain the visitors.
I remember this clown in a bathtub, complete with shower that had an outboard motor on it
amusing the crowd with his antics - then, another clown on a kitchen table turned upside down
also with a motor on it. LOL funny to watch.
So, with that being understood, you can put an outboard on just about anything.
Safely ????? LOL LOL probably not, but is fun to watch from shore.

But to seriously answer your question, there are sooooooooo many variables involved to give you an
EDUCATED answer. What size of water do you boat in. River or Lake. One or Two people. How far can you swim???
only YOU can make the decision of how to modify and set up your boat to SAFELY handle a
motor that your boat was not designed to have on it. ESPECIALLY a 32" bottom !!
SAFETY is the #1 issue when altering or modifying any watercraft to operate outside the parameters it was designed for.
Happy Boating - BE SAFE

 

[Bryarsallen]

That is my exact boat. Today was it's first outing since I bought it. I ran the 45# Minn kota edge that came with it and it ran like a champ. After wetting a few lines and trolling around, I took the battery off the front and put it in the back with me and the rest of my gear (Battery, gear, and me ~275 pounds) and the boat sat fine. I got my buddy (~150 pounds) to sit up front and it really evened out. I wanted to put a 15hp 2 stroke on the back which is round about 77# if I'm not mistaken. My granddad has a 9.9 4stroke that I'm going to throw on the back soon (for science....yeah that sounds more official lol). Regardless, depending on how that handles, I'll decide whether to put money into a 15hp. I usually use in medium sized lakes and rivers. I believe the low hp rating has to do with the transom. Is there any way of beefing that up a tad? I know it's possible because I've seen someone run a 25hp on one of these boats. I'm just a DIY guy and am curious on how to really have some heavy duty support back there. Thanks for the reply!

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Does it have a knee brace?

 

[amk]

That 9.9 will push that little boat good I think youd be happy with just it. I don't know if that boat is meant to be on a plane though it looks like its reversible

 

[Johnny]

R E V E R S A B L E !!!!!!

LOL I knew there was something odd about that boat !!! Just couldn't put my finger on it.
Looks like Tracker met Walt Kelly (the author of POGO) and they collaborated on this Tracker design.

 

[Bryarsallen]

Lol that cartoon is very accurate! The caption and picture. But yes I suppose it is reversible (keep in mind, this is the first boat I've ever owned so I'm still getting familiar with some terms). But the back does turn up. The front is a semi-v with the back being completely flat. How does the reversible aspect affect outboard performance?

 

[Bryarsallen]

In regards to the knee brace, I'll keep you posted on that. If you'll notice that weird box on the back--that's getting taken out soon. Just need to wait for this dang weather to clear up. South MS has not been kind to boaters and fishermen the past couple of weeks #-o