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Brief Summary
Deep-V aluminum walkthrough boat models are popular primarily among northern anglers who appreciate their added protection from the elements. Further, the forgiving nature of alloy below the waterline when the hull comes into contact with less-forgiving obstacles has long made aluminum the material of choice for these anglers. "Big water" designs usually feature higher freeboard and deeper V'd hulls for negotiating rough, open water. The Tracker’s 16' (4.87 m) Pro Guide V-16 WT dual console model meets those parameters making this a three-season boat and even four seasons with the right conditions. And, she's affordable.
Key Features
- Diamond Coat finish with industry-exclusive powder coat and clear coat
- Wide, stable, all-welded aluminum Deep-V hull with 20-degree deadrise
- Port andstarboard consoles with walkthrough windshield
- Exclusive Versatrack accessory-mounting channel in gunnels
- Minn Kota PowerDrive 12V, 42-lb. thrust foot-control trolling motor with foot pedal storage
- Lowrance X-4 fishfinder with surface temperature and swivel
- Bow 23-gallon, aerated, recirculated livewell with removable bait bucket
- Two 8' lockable top-loading side rod/gear boxes, 3 bow compartments and 1 aft dry storage box
- 3 movable 360-degree swivel fishing seats with 6 seat base locations
- Factory-matched trailer with EZ lube hubs and swing-away tongue
Test Results
RPM | MPH | Knots | GPH | MPG | NMPG | STAT. MILE | NM | dBa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
600 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 19.33 | 16.81 | 261 | 227 | N/A |
1000 | 3.5 | 3 | 0.3 | 14 | 12.17 | 189 | 164 | N/A |
1500 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 11.75 | 10.22 | 159 | 138 | N/A |
2000 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 10.17 | 8.84 | 137 | 119 | N/A |
2500 | 7 | 6 | 1.1 | 6.62 | 5.76 | 89 | 78 | N/A |
3000 | 8.9 | 7.7 | 1.5 | 5.93 | 5.16 | 80 | 70 | N/A |
3500 | 15.7 | 13.6 | 1.8 | 8.69 | 7.56 | 117 | 102 | N/A |
4000 | 18.7 | 16.3 | 2.5 | 7.63 | 6.64 | 103 | 90 | N/A |
4500 | 22.9 | 19.9 | 3.1 | 7.49 | 6.51 | 101 | 88 | N/A |
5000 | 26.2 | 22.8 | 3.8 | 6.89 | 6 | 93 | 81 | N/A |
5500 | 30.1 | 26.1 | 4.5 | 6.75 | 5.87 | 91 | 79 | N/A |
Specifications
Length Overall | 16' 6'' / 5.03 m |
---|---|
Beam |
7' 4'' 2.24 m |
Dry Weight |
1,210 lbs. 548.84 kg |
Draft | N/A |
Deadrise/Transom | 20-deg. |
Max Headroom | open |
Bridge Clearance | N/A |
Weight Capacity |
1,200 lbs. 544 kg |
Person Capacity | 5 |
Fuel Capacity |
25.5 gal. 97 L |
Water Capacity | none |
Acceleration Times & Conditions
Time to Plane | 4.5 sec. |
---|---|
0 to 30 | 8.1 sec (0-20) |
Ratio | 1.83 : 1 |
Props | N/A |
Load | 2 persons, full fuel, no water, minimal gear |
Climate | 77 degrees, 46% humidity, 5-10 wind, 2-3 seas |
Engine Options
Tested Engine |
1 x 60-hp Mercury EFI |
---|---|
Std. Power |
1 x 60-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke |
Opt. Power |
1 x 25-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke 1 x 50-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke 1 x 75-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke 1 x 90-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke 1 x 9.9-hp Mercury ELPT 4-stroke Command Thrust ProKicker |
Warranty
Deck Warranty Extended | Limited Lifetime |
---|
Captain's Report
Learn More
Watch Our Video
By Captain Dan Armitage--
Mission
The Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT is built to accommodate anglers and their families who need to remain comfortable when boating in snotty weather and choppy, cold water conditions while employing a variety of fishing tactics. The boat also must be rugged, economical to operate, and affordable to buy.
Construction Features
The Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT’s hull is built with two pieces of .100 marine-grade 5052 aluminum alloy, each forming half of the hull and welded together along the centerline of the boat. The hull is braced by a longitudinal stringer system that is welded into position to support the full length of the boat’s running surface from the bow to the boat’s extruded aluminum, corner-braced, box-beam transom.
A deep-V hull such as that found on the 16' (4.87 m) Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT contributes to a boat’s more comfortable ride in a chop. The exaggerated V forward helps part waves for a smoother ride while at the same time offering a deeper, roomier cockpit.
The cockpit sole of the Tracker is built of pressure-treated marine-grade plywood and carry a limited lifetime warranty. They support six bases for three standard, adjustable pedestal seats with all-composite frames for added resistance to the elements. The lids on all compartments are flush-mounted, made of reinforced aluminum and wrapped in carpet with a tight fit.
Fishing Features
Anglers who rate fishing boats by the quality of their livewell systems will give high marks to the hybrid found on the Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT. The tank is a one-piece, molded well with rounded corners to protect its occupants. The bait and the fish they catch are accommodated in water that is pumped, aerated, recirculated and drained with two 500 gph pumps with separate timers.
Comfort Features
The helm console offers legroom limited by the compartment that extends forward from the aft fishing deck. The basic dash has a tachometer, speedometer and a fuel gauge with toggle switch controls for lights, pumps and accessories.
Trolling, whether with downriggers, planer boards, flat-lining or even back-trolling, is a popular tactic for taking fish from northern waters. That’s why many of the most popular fishing boats – such as Tracker’s Pro Guide models, offer so much space aft of the consoles to make room for rigging, angling, fighting and landing fish.
Power Options
Although rated to handle up to 90-hp, Tracker offers the 1,210-lb. (550 kg.) Pro Guide V-16 WT hull with a 50 ELPT 4-stroke Mercury outboard as an option. With this engine a Tracker spokesman told me that the boat will reach a top speed of between 26 to 28 mph. We have not tested the boat with this configuration, so we can not vouch for that speed range. But we did test it with the standard 60-hp Mercury 4-stroke engine and on test day we reached an average top speed of 30.1 mph. At the other end of the speed spectrum, a 25-hp 4-stroke Mercury is also an option.
Weight Considerations
At the aluminum boat’s relatively light weight and with the reverse-chine hull, I think the boat should perform well with the optional 50 horses, if reasonably loaded. The issue is that the walleye, muskie, pike, and salmon anglers who will be interested in the model often take along a lot of extra gear to employ the varied techniques that are popular for tempting those gamefish. Boats loaded with bottom bouncers, downrigger balls, lead core rigs, drift socks, planer boards and huskie-sized fishing partners might require horsepower on the upper end of the scale to gain the desired performance. Please note that while the boat is rated for 5 persons, it's maximum people weight capacity is 620 lbs. (218.8 kgs). That makes the boat ideal for most couples with kids, but more likely to be limited to two or three fishing buddies.
Warranty
The following items are part of the Tracker Warranty --
- 3-year warranty on powder-coat finish adhesion
- 3-year warranty on factory-installed
- 3-year warranty on powder coat finish adhesion
- 3-year warranty on factory-installed trolling motor and fishfinder
- Limited Lifetime structural and deck warranty
- Provisions for transfer to a second owner
- One-stop factory warranty solution
- 5-year bow-to-stern warranty
- Full coverage throughout the warranty period — No pro-rating
Recommendation
The MSRP of the Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT with 60-hp ELPT Mercury 4-stroke and a single axle trailer is $18,595 plus freight, prep and taxes. If one agrees with the angling masses that aluminum is the way to go when boating on rock-and-obstruction-ridden fishing waters, and wants a fishing-friendly model that will protect them from the elements and is reasonably priced to purchase, tow and operate, the Tracker Pro Guide V-16 WT may be the way to go.