2018 Tracker Targa V-18 WT setup

[Rookie Fisherman]

I had a tiller on that boat with a tie bar and a Trollmaster. Worked fine.

New boat has controls but I steer with my AP & throttle with iPilot.

[Pitch55]

7 minutes ago, Rookie Fisherman said:

I had a tiller on that boat with a tie bar and a Trollmaster. Worked fine.

New boat has controls but I steer with my AP & throttle with iPilot.

 

good point Rookie - I steer with my electric motor as well.  Found trying to run on just electric for propulsion and steering last year I was killing both batteries in 2 hours, and combine that with wanting a secondary engine for fishing offshore - the kicker was a no-brainer.

[Rookie Fisherman]

1 minute ago, Pitch55 said:

 

good point Rookie - I steer with my electric motor as well.  Found trying to run on just electric for propulsion and steering last year I was killing both batteries in 2 hours, and combine that with wanting a secondary engine for fishing offshore - the kicker was a no-brainer.

Sorry to confuse. Im not using an electric trolling motor on the new boat. Im using actual Autopilot (Raymarine) for the main steering.

But yes many guys do use electric for steering & kicker for propulsion its just not as good on rough days

 

[Pitch55]

Ahhh very good - that's the ideal setup for sure - someday but the kicker was the big item on the list this year - perhaps fish-hawk or bimini top next year - we'll see what gets approved at the budget committee meeting. 

[Rookie Fisherman]

What motor is the main? is it hydraulic steering?

[Pitch55]

it's the base model 150 merc 4-stroke (2018) - and yessir believe it's all hydraulic.

 

[codybuehler]

Glad to wake up from sleeping for working nights and find all these replies! I was hoping when I wrote this thread someone could use it in the future and it worked!

My reason for pulling the floor was a double dip. I had all my electronics to run to the back (fish hawk, sonars) and Tracker helps us out so much and bread ties the factory installed stuff together under the floor. It’s not zip ties, but literally long bread bag wires. When I tried to pull the Lowrance transducer cable back through it just wasn’t coming. I also had to remove the u-bolt for clearance issues. That may or may not have been left off after the fact. [emoji51]

I use my kicker solely for pushing and currently have a Minn Kota powerdrive with ipilot for steering. It works well, but the autopilot still doesn’t like an outside push from the kicker and does lose its mind from time to time. I just ordered the terrova with ipilot link to network to my Humminbird. Supposedly that’s pretty slick, but time will tell once I can get out of the house for non-essential stuff!

An after thought where I mounted the kicker was I didn’t think of turning clearance where it is. I can’t get a full turn out of it without the tiller handler hitting the side of the boat. Not a big deal for me since I use the electric to steer, but just be aware if you use the kicker to steer.

And the Tohatsu! I had a an 8hp 4stroke on my previous boat and that little motor ran like a champ. I didn’t have electric tilt on it and ended up just ordering a merc 9.9 kicker for the tracker to match the main (pricey OCD issue!) I heard they were made by Merc also and it seemed to run like it. I had a remote throttle controller with it and you could dial it in nicely.

[Pitch55]

Am considering a fish hawk in the coming year(s) but am hoping since I'm only trying to do the motor right now it won't be a huge ordeal.  I see the U-bolt being in the way for sure, and I was secretly hoping to be able to access the inside of the transom from those black threaded discs in the splash-pan to let me get in there to mount the motor, but the riser plate I'm looking at putting on to fill in the gap above the transom I may have to pull up the floor anyway - so we'll see when she comes out of storage this weekend.  I'm fairly north so we're still dealing with ice - including an inch of snow from last night!! 

[Steelydanh]

I found this pick of a 2020 Targa with the two controls.  Guess this is what I'm looking at if I end up going this way.  There are so many choices for a kicker, auto pilots, electric steering, Itroll, etc.  Unfortunately, the dollars add up too.    I'd love to have everything but.....I think to start, this might be the way for me.  I appreciate the pics and info from the original posts.  Went out and looked at that u-bolt and thought....WHY there!????  Oh well.  So it begins. 

[Brad Hoffee]

Great info on this thread. I was able to set up my 2013 Combo last year and now am getting ready to add a kicker motor. Should be getting motor next week. Looks like I will be wrestling with that back deck.


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[Brad Hoffee]

9.9 Pro Kicker is on stand in garage instead of on boat. Have to purchase controls for it. A couple other questions that I could use some help with. What brand/ type of auxiliary steering control bar works best to connect to main motor and how long. Lots of options out there hard know where to start.

Second question is the fuel. Can I just splice a t into the fuel line going to the main motor?

Want to get on boat as soon as possible but also hope not to get stuck with boat out of water too long.


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[FishingFool34]

On 5/10/2020 at 7:00 AM, Brad Hoffee said:

9.9 Pro Kicker is on stand in garage instead of on boat. Have to purchase controls for it. A couple other questions that I could use some help with. What brand/ type of auxiliary steering control bar works best to connect to main motor and how long. Lots of options out there hard know where to start.

Second question is the fuel. Can I just splice a t into the fuel line going to the main motor?

Want to get on boat as soon as possible but also hope not to get stuck with boat out of water too long.


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EZ steer tie bar is what the majority of ppl use to connect the two motors. My old boat had the kicker mounted on the transom right next to my main and I was able to use the much cheaper panther aux steering bar with no issues.

For fuel your best and prolly easiest setup is to tie into your fuel/water separator, these are usually dual in/dual out units so no need for a 'T' or 'Y' valve. 

[Rookie Fisherman]

 

Panther steering bar. Also as said above fuel/water separator is the way to go.

Old boat had a T fitting with check valves, it worked fine but went with the separator on the new boat

 

[Puget Sound Salmon Tracker]

Cody, my man. 2018 v-18 combo. Thank you for the thread. I see I was lucky with the kicker motor install, I had them install when i bought from dealer.

 

My main battle right now is my down rigger mounts. I have started to run heavy weights after kings and have started to get nervous with using the versatrack BS as my downrigger mount. I am surprised that I really haven't been super worried while trolling. However, I do pull off the riggers during water travel. I see you went with the pedestal and then changed to the other mount. Did you keep that mount, and how hard did you go on it??? I also see one guy was saying to get into the gunnel and reinforce heavily. We all know that gunnel is weak. I have never bought something with so few online resources than this Tracker and downrigger mods. Here is what I've used for the last two years.. 

[Brad Hoffee]

When I set up last year my first thought was to use the versa track. I spent the money for some good brackets and when I got the first downrigger set up It looked so weak and sketchy that I didn’t even try it. My riggers are through the gunnel with a solid backplate that extends from rod locker in gunnel all the way back to transom. Yes you do have to get some new hardware and remount the rear cleats.


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[codybuehler]

On 5/19/2020 at 8:08 AM, Brad Hoffee said:

When I set up last year my first thought was to use the versa track. I spent the money for some good brackets and when I got the first downrigger set up It looked so weak and sketchy that I didn’t even try it. My riggers are through the gunnel with a solid backplate that extends from rod locker in gunnel all the way back to transom. Yes you do have to get some new hardware and remount the rear cleats.


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I did this same thing, but didn’t go  past the cleats towards the transom. I also use mag 5’s with the short booms to limit the torque on the base. It flexes a little, but so far nothing noticeable with stress or anything. It may be one of those “what just happened??” Moments when it all let’s loose and goes to the bottom, but I doubt that. I use 12 or 14lb sharks that have had a fair share of bottom, rock and tree hits in their life and never had a problem yet! I did try the versatrack mounts from brocraft and honestly never made it out of the garage with them. Two chrome plated bolts holding the whole thing on didn’t sit well with me. 
 

I have half a thought to get a 1/4” thick plate of aluminum, paint it black and make it the same width of the top of the gunwale, and through bolt everything to a long plate under. That may spread the stress out to the edges where the structure meets the top and limit how much pull is on the thin middle. I’m no mechanical engineer, but it makes sense I suppose! My whole setup is flush mounted now, but I’d really like to get 6” pedestals under them to limit the lean out to hook the line on. That will be an over winter project this year unless I get a few good days at home with nothing better to do!

[Steelydanh]

What shaft length are your kicker motors....long or extra long?

[Pitch55]

I actually lucked out - bought mine used from a guy listing it as "long" - but turns out it is an extra long shaft.  Works great!

[Steelydanh]

Ok.  Thanks.  The transom where the kicker mounts is 25" or so.   Most reading I did said get the extra long shaft.  Just wanted to be sure.   Thanks.

[Brad Hoffee]

I am in the process of finishing the installation of a kicker on mine and the extra long is definitely what you want. It was a major pain getting everything bolted together the way the rear deck and battery compartment are on my 2013 combo.


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[codybuehler]

Without looking at the receipt from buying my kicker, I believe it’s also an XL. It’s a ‘19 Mercury Pro kicker 9.9. 

[codybuehler]

And the saga continues! I figured this was worth adding to this thread.

I was using some Brocraft versatrack rod holders with Cannon plastic rod holders. It was nice being able to move them, but wow did they flex bad when a real fish took the dipsey. Some measuring and thinking later, I decided to add tracks to the gunwales between the consoles and rod boxes.

36” tracks fit perfect. 2” ahead of the rod box edges and 3” from the inside edge.

The port side was a lot more difficult to put in than the starboard side. I had to take a bunch of screws out of the side and pull it open. Also I had to take the bottom two rod tubes out. That’s the only way I could reach up under and tighten the bolts down. The backing is 1” thick plastic I had laying around.

The starboard side I had to take off the control vinyl covered piece and also the bottom two rod tubes. Same measurements again for placement and same backing plate.

This whole process tightened up everything. Paired up with some Cannon rod holders it’s pretty slick. Even my trees fit on the track and made them more solid.

I had a pair of 6” tracks and pedestals for my downriggers in the garage so figured I would make those work as well. I tried the pedestals and tracks once before but they seemed to flex the gunwale too much for comfort. I used more of the plastic backing and made two sections 8”x21”. Took the back sides off and pulled out the foam. I had to take off the cleats this time also to be able to fit the backing plates under there. Through bolted the tracks in and ran the clear bolts back through the new backing. Stuffed all the foam back in and screwed the side panels back on. That shored it all up and it’s a lot more comforting knowing they have that much more of the torque spread out under there. I may get 12” tracks this winter and bolt them in to help spread it out a bit more, but for know it’s good enough!



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[Pitch55]

On 10/2/2018 at 4:54 AM, Rookie Fisherman said:

Went through this same process a few years back. Opted to take a 2x2 piece of pressure treated wood (painted it black)

Set it in the on top of the transom in the throat of the motor bracket mount. This raised the motor 1.5" and did not have to cut the carpet or the deck. Had no effect on operation of the motor.

 

Also to save spaced at the helm I mounted the fish hawk at the back of the boat on a bracket in the versa track. 

 

Hey Rookie Fisherman - happy new year!  I was looking at this option with my Tracker as well - but was curious about how you secured the motor to the transom.  The riser works well for sure - I have my wood chunk all cut / treated, did you just use some stainless lag-screws to bolt the motor on to the transom/hull or did you even bother with that?  I got a kicker with power trim / etc. so am thinking that even if I secure with a Jack Plate or the riser as you did - I'm still drilling into the transom to secure the motor to the transom.  Anyway - if you think of it - shoot me a response - would very much appreciate it!

[Rookie Fisherman]

10 minutes ago, Pitch55 said:

 

Hey Rookie Fisherman - happy new year!  I was looking at this option with my Tracker as well - but was curious about how you secured the motor to the transom.  The riser works well for sure - I have my wood chunk all cut / treated, did you just use some stainless lag-screws to bolt the motor on to the transom/hull or did you even bother with that?  I got a kicker with power trim / etc. so am thinking that even if I secure with a Jack Plate or the riser as you did - I'm still drilling into the transom to secure the motor to the transom.  Anyway - if you think of it - shoot me a response - would very much appreciate it!

Pitch,

I removed the back deck to access the inside off the transom and through bolted with washers & locking nuts.

2 Bolts and tighten the clamps on the motor. 

Happy New Year!

[Pitch55]

3 minutes ago, Rookie Fisherman said:

Pitch,

I removed the back deck to access the inside off the transom and through bolted with washers & locking nuts.

2 Bolts and tighten the clamps on the motor. 

Happy New Year!

 

10-4 - I was afraid of that (trying to avoid pulling up the deck if I can) - haha - but very much appreciate the info!!