Captain's Report by Capt. Steve



With a LOA of 16' 2" (4.9 m), a beam of 5' 10" (1.8 m) and a package weight of only 1,205 lbs (546.6 kg) the Tracker Pro Angler 16 can not only be towed by just about anything, she can be stored just about anywhere.

Skepticism Aside

I've got a knee-jerk reaction whenever I hear "rigged and ready". That usually means you get just the boat, motor, and trailer. But in this case, Tracker seems to know what the difference is between a boat that's rigged and ready, and a boat that's really rigged and ready. The Pro Angler 16 is clearly the latter.



Twin seats in the cockpit and twin pedestal seats on the casting deck make this an ideal boat for two fishermen. What better way to get your son or daughter into spending quality time with you?

So What Do You Get?

For a fishing boat to be considered rigged and ready, I need to see some basic necessities. For starters let's look for a trolling motor. Check! This boat comes with a MotorGuide, 46-lb. thrust, 42" (1.07 m) shaft, foot-control trolling motor that connects to the prewired plug in the bow, and it's powered by a dedicated trolling battery. Ok, so no corners cut here, what's next?



Here's one way of keeping the costs down. A simple helm with no gauges. Simple also means easier to maintain.



Thankfully Tracker still had the courtesy of adding the windscreen. Notice the hinged storage under the seats. Just ahead of the console is a livewell.

We need a livewell to keep the bait fresh, or keep the catch alive. Tracker added a 9-gal. (34.07 L) aerated livewell molded into the front of the console, and thankfully it includes rounded corners to protect the catch. Additionally, this livewell is all one-piece construction so no loose parts to go flying off as we cruise to the fishing hole.



The livewell is built right in and is all one piece. Notice the reinforced aluminum lid.

How about a fish-finder? Check. Tracker includes a Lowrance X50 DS fishfinder with a surface temperature display and a swivel mounting bracket making it viewable from the bow.

Rod holders? Sure. The Pro Angler 16 accommodates four rods up to 7' (2.13 m) in dedicated, port side holders. There are also storage bins galore, both in-deck and under the seats. There are pedestal seats, with screw-in bases both fore and aft on the casting decks.



Four rods up to 7' (2.13 m) can be carried aboard with ease.



With small boats, storage usually suffers, but not so in the Pro Angler 16. Notice the pinchless fold-down seats.



Additional storage is just behind the seats. As this is an area that will get stepped on quite frequently, the lid is reinforced, and a lip keeps it from getting pushed into the compartment.

Trailer Too

Of course a deal is not a deal if it has to sit in the yard. This Pro Angler 16 even comes with a trailer. It's color matched with powder-coated steel tubing and Galvashield corrosion protection. The bunks are carpeted, nylon tie-down straps are included, and the lights are submersible. Brakes are the only add-on you might want to consider, and local laws may require them (add $445). I was most pleased to see that this trailer also comes with a swing-away tongue which makes storage in the garage so much easier.



Could there be a better way to spend time with your kids? They may even chip in their allowance money.

Power

Of course another trick I've often noticed is powering a boat with a smaller engine to keep the price down. Well, the electric start, Mercury 20EL Four-Stroke is a small engine, but on this boat's 675 lb (306 kg) dry weight, this is hardly a problem. Tracker tells us that with this engine they are reaching speeds between 22-24 mph, which is right where I would expect this type of boat to be. However, if you still want more, you can upgrade to either a 20 ELPT (add $500) with power trim, or a 30 ELPT (add $1,500) with electronic fuel injection and you'd still be getting a bargain. All have 20" (51 cm) shafts.



This is the entire package for the low price. Yes, she even comes with the fire extinguisher.

Times are tough for everyone, and when a builder can go back to making boating affordable, then everyone wins. Money talks, and at under $10K (FOB East Coast), in this case it's saying that you should add the Pro Angler 16 to your short list.