Thread: First Boat Ever vs Spider Rigging

Originally Posted by Mamba334

Are the Contour Maps for the GPS included, or do you have to buy them separately?

You have to look carefully, some units come with the map chip which is a huge cost savings, some don't.

For example, I like Lowrance, and you can get the Lowrance Hook-4 ($329) includes a map chip but if you move up to the 5 inch screen ($399), no map chip unless you spend another $170.

I have the 4 inch screen model and while it would be nice to have a bigger screen, not sure it's worth $170. Maybe in a few years I'll upgrade and I'll already have the chip.

Originally Posted by Mamba334

scrat, do you think I could pull a boat like the one in your pic with my car safely?

I would think so as long as you get the right tow package put on it. Here is a youtube of a very small car pulling a even bigger boat than the tracker pro 16.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H54OJhMdrpo

I have seen a prius pulling a 17' center console boat. Optimal? Probably not. But your talking once in a while not daily driven with trailer. Stick to a minimum of 14' with 48" bottom or larger and you will have a blast. Spent many years in a G3 1448 and caught a pile of fish in fresh and saltwater. Flat bottom will be more stable at rest and any of them will ride rough if you let it. Either drive it like ya stole it and skip across the top if not too rough or slow down and enjoy the day. From experience if its under 17' I would prefer a jon boat sparsly rigged than a decked boat. And I have the Pro160 now.

There was a old station wagon that pulled a pontoon boat around here for years. Your car will be able to handle it fine.

When pulling a boat on a trailer the boat should be balanced on the trailer tires so that most of the weight 85-90% is on the trailer tires itself. Only 10-15% of the weight should be on the tongue(your vehicle ball). So if a boat weighed 2000 pounds only 200-300 pounds would be on the trailer ball on your car. As far as the pulling ability your car would have no problem pulling it. A bass tracker pro 16 like mine weighs about(Approx. package weight) 1415 pounds and with all the extra stuff like gas rods reels etc. it would not weigh 2000 pounds. So don't worry about will your car pull it just get what you really want or you will not be a happy fisherman.

The more you fish in one the more you will get used to being out in the wind as long as you don't do anything crazy you want have to worrie about flipping over. Get you a bulge pump that is easily turned on/ off so if you was to take on water. I fish Guntersvill lake mostly and the river gets pretty high waves on it with the barges and pleasure boats from time to time the biggest thing is not to panic .if the waves r high turn ur nose to the it and ride it out.i have fished out of a 16' 48" flatbottom fir over 2 yrs and want hesitate to go in 10t mph wind . U will have problems with the wind pushing u side ways if you don't run with it or straight into
it.

Originally Posted by scrat

I would think so as long as you get the right tow package put on it. Here is a youtube of a very small car pulling a even bigger boat than the tracker pro 16.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H54OJhMdrpo

I want to see him do that at the boat ramp or go up/down hill. Lol.