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Member
Posts: 18
| Here is a post from our website from Keith Kavajecz: Recently I was in Denver attending the Bass Pro Shops Free Boat Show event. I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of great people about walleyes and boats. To my delight, the most talked about boat at the show was the Brand New 2011 Targa V-18 WT. Walleye anglers in Colorado fish mainly reservoirs some can be fairly large, so an 18-foot boat really fits the bill in that market. The
Targa-V18 hull is really a great ride in rough water. In fact, I used the boat this past spring to film a Next Bite TV show on Lake Erie. We had 15 to 20 mph winds on one of the days, and I had 4 anglers and camera gear in the boat, yet it handled the waves with great ease. That specific 2010 model boat was rigged with a 150 HP Mercury OptiMax. One significant feature was that even though we were carrying a lot of weight the boat planed quickly and more importantly was able to power up waves and get us out across Lake Erie to the hot spot (just north of Kellys Island). The new 2011 boat will be even better as it has been increased in size to a full 102 inches of beam!
Having a comfortable ride isnt the only thing that is essential in a good walleye boat; just as important is how well it fishes. The Targa V-18 tracks well (important for trolling in the wind), lays level on the water (important for controlling the boat from the bow) and is a very stable platform even when several anglers move close to the edge while netting a fish. One of the upgraded features about the boat package this year is that it has a 24Volt trolling motor with a nice long 54 shaft perfect size/length combination to handle this deep V boat.
There are a couple of different floor plan options of the Targa V-18, including a walk though windshield version (WT), a dual console version (DC), and a Combo (Fish/Ski) model. The one that seemed the most popular at the show was the walk through version. A full walk through windshield coupled with the Targas water deflecting strakes and reverse chines that are built right into the hull gives a very soft, quiet and dry ride even in substantial waves. What little spray that ends up in the air, is taken care of quite nicely with the big windshield.
The Targa V-18 WT also has a great interior layout for fishing. The front deck is very roomy with ample space to pull bottom bouncers, pitch jigs, or cast Flicker Shads. The back area is very spacious, leaving plenty of room for 2 or three anglers to work rods when trolling. The wide gunnels are great for extra side storage, yet you can still stand close enough to the edge of the boat to comfortably work a lure. Plus, there are "drop-in" rod lockers on the top of each of the side gunnels for ultra easy access to your rods.
One thing I learned while out in Denver was the effect of altitude on the engine's performance. I was told that for every 1000 feet of altitude the HP of an engine reduces by 3%. So, if you go up 3000 feet, (which isnt hard out there) you lose 10%! Therefore, in higher altitudes, many of the boats had bigger engines rigged in the packages to ensure that they continue to perform well. In the Midwest, this boat will perform very nicely with the standard 115 HP Mercury OptiMax. So depending on altitude, if you are going to have a boat load of people, or even just want a little extra speed; I would certainly consider the upgrade to the 150 HP Mercury OptiMax.
The last thing I heard was that even though the Targa V-18 had several great upgrades for 2011 its price actually came down $3,000 to 4,000 dollars over last years pricing (depending on motor size and options). Now, at an unprecedented price you can get a boat with a great ride and "fishing friendly" layout in the 18' Deep V category!
To learn more about the 2011 TRACKER Targa V-18 WT or any other models, visit: www.trackerboats.com
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Bite On
Keith Kavajecz
NPAA #81
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