Tracker "Topper" 10

[gnappi]

First post here, I haven't seen any traffic on the smallest Jon boats so here I am.

After being boatless for 9+ years I bought a little 10' topper. I can't own anything larger because a wider beam and LOA wouldn't have fit in my side yard.

It has a trailer and I've spent the last week readying it and the boat for water. It's remarkable how similar in cost a little boat can be compared to a larger boat to outfit when the PO didn't put a dime into it.

I didn't plan on an engine, instead I got a 50 lb trolling motor and a decent AGM battery which should work pretty good for me. I also don't plan on it being a party boat so for one person it's fine.

What's puzzling to me is the weight restriction. It's 280 for two "persons" plus motor and fuel and gear 320?

I'm 150, certainly not a heavyweight and my battery is 65 lbs, the trolling motor is 20 lbs, and I'll guess the rest of my gear is around 25 lbs. That's 260 lbs. Plenty of room for more gear.

A 3 hp motor is ~38 lbs, 6 gals of fuel is about 40 with tank, gear 25 lbs. and a 150 lb dude is 253 lbs. Again plenty of room for more gear.

I guess they are marketing these things to kids and lone boat riders? Certainly even two below average weight men of ~150 lbs would not be safe at over 400 lbs !

I know, I know, get a bigger boat but... it's not gonna happen, I'll just go alone and pay for gas in my friend's boats.

 

[Kingbryce]

Welcome! Aaaaand the pictures arrrrrre????

 

[skipper123]

I had a tracker topper 1036 which is the wider version made a nice little pond boat and I only ran a 36lb trolling motor on it. I put plywood on the seat tops with marine carpet and cut in two seat bases front and back one on right side and one on left side so as to make running the trolling motor a little more easy. Made a nice little fishing boat for ponds and the creek.

 

[LionHeart]

I had a 10 ft. Topper from Bass Pro for years and had many great fishing trips in it. I’ll offer some advice that I learned from owning one.
Firstly, the greatest thing about the boat is its size and weight. It is easy to move in and out of the water. Heck, I used to pull it up over the railing of my second floor apartment so I could store it on the patio (not easy, but doable). The other thing that was great about the size is there really is no need for a trailer. I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee at the time, and used to ratchet strap the boat to the roof. It looked a little crazy but worked great. If you have a truck, there is no need for a trailer whatsoever (I'd just sell it).
Like you, I had a 50 lb. trolling motor that pushed it around ponds and small lakes great. I wouldn't recommend and outboard unless you plan to fish rivers and big lakes honestly. A 5 hp doesn't really add to the speed but definitely is less convenient and quiet. I'd also recommend not adding a load of accessories. The more weight you add, the more you take away from the convenience of a light, 10 foot boat. I often considered adding something to the floor to keep the aluminum from making noise when you move around but didn't want to add weight.

As far as max occupancy, I would regularly have 2 180 lb+ people, and all our fishing gear, and the boat did just fine. I actually had 3 dudes, a cooler, and all our fishing gear (including trolling motor and battery) a few times. I ain't saying that is recommended, but if you are careful, it can be done. Again, I am in no way recommending you to exceed any posted limitation of your boat. Can it be done? I did, and would probably do it again if I still had to 10 footer.

If you plan to have no more than 2 people plus gear when you fish, a 10 footer is a great choice. In my own personal experience, the weight limitation placarding was ignored on a regular basis with no ill effects, but ymmv.

 

[gnappi]

Wow! Thanks Lionheart! That's GREAT info from an ex-owner.

I took it out today for a 4 hour trial run and I had a ball! That 50 lb electric Minn Kota scoots it along really fast. The group 27 battery was still half charged getting back to the dock and I ran it the whole 4 hours!

I hoped it would be a dry boat and it is, not a drop! It's nimble, turns on a dime, and quiet!

I am so over "stink potters" go fast, ears ringing when I get off the boat, hands numb, butt hurting too... this was everything I hoped it would be.

I was so into it I totally forgot to take pics of the boat, but I did get a few shots of the canals I was in. Some to follow when I get to a full sized PC.

 

[gnappi]

PS, I got the boat stripped as if it came from the factory... Ebay can't deliver all the stuff I ordered fast enough but will post pics before and after ASAP.