# Gator trax disapointment



## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

OK, So I stopped by Bass pro shops to polk fun at the fellas in the fly fishing department and low-and-behold they have a gator trax boat sitting out front. I have always wanted to finally see a new one up close. I really like the Rogue. Anyway, so as I take a closer look I find myself feeling a little let down. I mean, sure...it's a jon boat and not a thing of beauty but at THAT price I kinda expect a little more. The boat had camo sea deck on it that looked like a right handed kid cut it out using left handed scissors! OK, it wasn't THAT awful but it was NOT what you'd demand from a boat costing over 15K. This might not be a big issue for some of you but the gun box didn't have a drain either! I mean you've got this huge hatch, no drain port in the receiving lip of the hatch opening and NO hole/drain plug or anything in the gun box! I don't know about you but for that kinda cash, those are details I expect to see. HECK, at that price I expect an actual rack in the gun box! Not only that. The wiring left a little to be desired. I don't know, maybe it's me but when a jon boat cost more than 10k I just expect a few more things. Anyway, I guess the MARKUP is what set me off. If the package was cheaper, all of those things could be easily forgiven! Go check it out for yourself and tell me if I'm just being a prude!


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks for the report 

Can you slip over there and take some photos of the Crappy wiring ?

I love crappy wiring photos LOL


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

In pure defense of Gator Trax, the boats that are displayed on the floor at BPS are display only. If you were to order one, then you would be sent elsewhere to choose a boat of your liking. I have gone over this many times with a family member who works for them and this is the same answer he gives me everytime. The boats on display do not do any justice for the actual boat that would be recieved. But then again, you are looking at a specialized John boat so you are not going to get the razzle dazzle of a fancy rig. Instead you will get a fully welded, rock solid aluminum rig designed for what it is.....


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## natasha1 (Jul 27, 2009)

May just be me, but it seems like a display would be your best work to avoid these types of conversations.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

^ Agreed 100%....


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## rashouri87 (Jul 2, 2009)

coming from someone who owns a mud rig from a competitor company ...

you're paying for the "rock solid" aspect as mentioned before. There is a lot going on in that boat that you're not seeing that makes it much, much more than a glorified jon boat, like the fully longitudinal ribbing under the deck that keeps the hull from hooking after impacting a cypress stump. The welding is done by a person who is spending time making sure that every weld is done right to hold that boat together while you run the p!55 out of it in mud, sand, gravel, stumps, and veggie choked waterways. I ordered my boat with zero electrical and use removable nav lights to keep upkeep to a minimum.

To me, if they're gonna overlook a few things, I'd rather them overlook simple wiring or a missing drain then missing an important weld or cutting corners with bracing the boat.


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

Don't get me wrong! I'm still convinced that they are amongst the most sturdy build Jons out there. I was just hurt by the lack of the little details that I've come to expect from a 5 digit dollar boat! I've NEVER seen a jon built THAT tough no doubt.

Oh, one thing. It was on a trailer, I took a good hard look underneath and saw NO strakes. Now I know WHY the boat has no strakes but what I REALLY wanna know is how it handles in a good turn. Theory says it would slide especially with those round chines toward the rear but something tells me that reality might be a bit different.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> Thanks for the report
> 
> Can you slip over there and take some photos of the Crappy wiring ?
> 
> I love crappy wiring photos  LOL


Do I sense another post coming in the off-topic section? 

-T


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Is this the kind of boat you were looking at?

Now I have very limited experience with mud drives and I am not a hunter so I didn't look at those features or how the interior is set up. I took these pictures a few months ago thinking this would make a good rescue boat. Right now our dept has a rescue edition zodiac and for the lakes we have around here it is the wrong tool for the job IMO. I think a big aluminum boat like this with the surface drive and grab rails would work wonders for the shallow lakes and thick weeds we often have here.


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

Yeah, Same manufacture, different model. Looks like BPS gets one from time to time. Like I said before, the hull is tough as nails. It was the details that left me a little disapointed. The sole on the thing was built like a tank! I would love to use one of those things in puzzle lake or in any place with oyster beds. I wouldn't need a gun box anyway but if anyone ever does get one with a gun box have them drill a freaking drain hole in it especially if you're gonna store it outdoors without a cover.


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## natasha1 (Jul 27, 2009)

I tell you what, really is no such thing as bad publicity. I am drooling over the boats now.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

The same boat(s) are sitting infront of BPS in PA; Cabela's in PA and CT.

I agree with you Oyster, finish needs attention.

I disagree with whoever said that they are display models. There is not a person who would drive from CT to LA to pick up their boat and I am sure the maker is not going to ship it up there until the one that is there is on someones hitch going down the road.

Tough azz build though.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

I love looking a the mudboats when I seen them because they are so overbuilt, but if they are on display at BPS I expect them to be expensive. Does the $15K include the motor? It wouldn't be as obnoxious if the motor was part of the package.

I find the wiring on most production freshwater boats to be embarrassing. Usually the wire is 2-8 gauges too light and the connections are twist spliced and taped. I've never seen a busbar used on a freshwater hull. They run everything back to the battery terminal and make a rat's nest. If you fish salt, you'll need to run heavier wire and solder the new splices in a couple of years, especially if you use a trolling motor to fight the wind and tide. If you only fish fresh, those crappy wiring jobs don't cause a problem for many, many years. 

The lack of a drain in a gun box is pretty stupid. I wouldn't want to have to remember to sponge out a gun box after every trip.

I don't think they sell the floor models unless they have too. The company wants it out there to be seen, so they usually will ship another up to a buyer. If you just bought the floor model, they'd never get a chance to upsale you.

Nate


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## earltobberson (Sep 19, 2010)

Be better off getting one of the LA custom guys to build you one exactly how you want, and just do the rigging yourself. Plenty of options...Hankos, Sportsman Fab, Uncle J, Deep South, Charles Leonard, GP, Cajun Performance...etc..etc..


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