2010 Tracker Boats Targa V-17 WT

By: Matt Spencer

Fishing enthusiasts want to go where the fish are biting, so they need a boat that’s easy to take along for the ride. Since its first boat came off the line in 1978, Tracker has offered ready-to-fish boat packages. The Targa V-17 WT is rigged for some serious angling.

Boarding is a breeze using the elevated aft casting deck, which houses a massive 29-gallon livewell with baitwell insert and a second compartment with a drop-in bait bucket. In the gunwales, there are large storage areas that hold rods up to seven feet long as well as four rod holders for easy access when trolling or underway.

The storage theme continues throughout the boat with a compartment in the midship, one in the walk thru, and more storage flanking the seat base in the bow – where you’ll find another 29- gallon livewell with baitwell insert. Needless to say, there’s plenty of room for all your gear and the fish you are sure to catch.

But the Targa is not without its creature comforts. The four deluxe, clamshell-style seats are as comfortable as they look and can be mounted in any of the boat’s seven bases. While the co-pilot plays DJ with the Jenson CD stereo hidden in the port console alongside a cooler, the captain can focus on the curvy and clutter free helm that comes equipped with two large gauges, a Lowrance fish finder and all the switches right at hand.

A fishing boat must perform as well on the water as it does at the fishing hole, though, so it was time to put the Targa V-17 through its paces. The .100-gauge, all-welded deep-V hull would definitely handle any lake you place it on, but we had optimal conditions on test day. Cruising along, the Targa rode confidently high out of the water. The reverse chine channelled the water away for a dry ride while contributing to superb handling – especially in turns.

Paired with a 90-horse OptiMax, the V-17 went from zero to 20 in 7.1 seconds and cruised at a comfortable 22 mph at 3500 rpm. While these aren’t bass boat numbers, they’re very solid performance numbers for a very solid fishing package.

The aluminum, multi species fish category is arguably one of the most competitive boat classes out there.

Tracker continues to be a leader making such vessels as the Targa V-17 WT

TEST BOAT ENGINE
Mercury OptiMax 90, 90 hp, direct injection, 92.96 ci / 1.5 L, inline threecylinder, two-stroke outboard

ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 7.15 ; 0-25 / 8.53

TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
5200 / 37.9

CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3000 / 14.7 ; 3500 / 22.2 ; 4000 / 26.4 ; 4500 / 37.4