A jon boat has a flat or nearly flat bottom, while a bass boat adds a modified-V hull and, in Tracker's lineup, raised casting decks and a trolling motor. In two Tracker pairs of similar length, each jon boat is rated for one more person, and the bass boat costs from $500 less to $3,125 more with the same motor.
| Boat (2027) | Size | Rating | Package price |
|---|
| Bass Tracker Classic XL (bass) | 16' 8", 6' 5" beam | 50 hp, 3 people | $17,995 with 40 hp |
| Grizzly 1648 SC (jon) | 16' 1", 6' beam | 50 hp, 4 people | $18,495 with 40 hp |
| Pro Team 175 (bass) | 17' 7", 7' 5" beam | 75 hp, 4 people | $24,995 with 60 hp |
| Grizzly 1754 SC (jon) | 17' 1", 6' 6" beam | 75 hp, 5 people | $21,870 with 60 hp |
Ratings are Tracker's maximum horsepower and person capacity. Prices are Tracker's 2027 national prices for boat, motor and trailer packages with Mercury ELPT FourStroke motors, before dealer prep and freight. All figures were read from Tracker's model pages on 12 October 2026.
Browse jon boats and bass boats for sale on Searchshop.
The comparison uses Tracker Boats because Tracker builds both aluminum jon boats (its Grizzly line) and aluminum bass boats, and publishes the same specifications and package prices for both. Two pairs of similar length were chosen: the 16-foot Bass Tracker Classic XL and Grizzly 1648 SC, and the 17-foot Pro Team 175 and Grizzly 1754 SC. Every figure was read from Tracker's model and category pages on 12 October 2026, and all four boats are 2027 models. Nothing here comes from test drives.
The main difference is the hull shape and how the boat is fitted out. Tracker says a jon boat hull has either a completely flat bottom or minimal deadrise, and lists calm and shallow water, duck hunting, bowfishing, fishing and utility work as its uses. Tracker's bass boats use a modified-V hull with a variable deadrise that it describes as sharper at the bow to slice through chop and flatter at the transom for planing and stability at rest.
The Grizzly jon boats compared here are not completely flat: Tracker lists a 7-degree deadrise for both the 1648 SC and the 1754 SC. The Bass Tracker Classic XL is listed at 13 degrees at the bow and 6 degrees at the transom, and the Pro Team 175 at 16 degrees at the bow and 10 degrees at the transom.
Tracker presents the jon boat as the shallow-water choice, though it lists shallow-water fishing for its bass boats too. On its jon boat page, Tracker says the flat-bottom design enhances stability, making jon boats suited to shallow and tight water, and it lists calm and shallow water as the first use for a jon boat.
Tracker lists calm or shallow water fishing as a use for its modified-V bass boats, so either type can work on small lakes and backwaters. Tracker does not publish draft figures for all four boats, so the two types cannot be compared on draft here. The bass boats in these pairs have the wider bottoms: 4' 6" on the Classic XL against 4' on the Grizzly 1648 SC, and 5' on the Pro Team 175 against 4' 6" on the Grizzly 1754 SC.
The jon boat had the higher ratings in both pairs. Tracker rates the Grizzly 1648 SC for 4 people and 1,055 lb of people, motor and gear, against 3 people and 1,025 lb for the Bass Tracker Classic XL. The Grizzly 1754 SC is rated for 5 people and 1,250 lb, against 4 people and 1,100 lb for the Pro Team 175.
Interior depth splits the other way at 17 feet: the Pro Team 175 is listed at 18.5 inches deep against 16.75 inches for the Grizzly 1754 SC. At 16 feet, the Grizzly 1648 SC is listed at 15.75 inches against 15 inches for the Classic XL.
Both bass boats come with a trolling motor and raised casting decks, which the jon boats do not. Tracker fits the Classic XL and the Pro Team 175 with a Minn Kota Edge 12-volt, 45-lb thrust trolling motor and elevated bow and aft casting decks. The Grizzly 1648 SC and 1754 SC instead have a roomy front deck, pedestal seat bases and a bow mounting surface, and are pre-wired for an optional trolling motor.
Livewells and fuel tanks are the same size in the 16-foot pair, with a 9-gallon aerated livewell and a 6-gallon fuel tank in each. At 17 feet the bass boat has more of both: the Pro Team 175 has a 21-gallon aft livewell and a 21.5-gallon fuel tank, against a 9-gallon livewell and a 9.5-gallon built-in tank on the Grizzly 1754 SC.
Tracker's jon boat pages point to hunting as well as fishing. Tracker describes the Grizzly 1754 SC as offering versatility for duck hunting, fishing and bowfishing, and its front deck as having more space for fishing and hunting. Both Grizzly models come in Forest Green, with TrueTimber camo patterns available at extra cost. The Searchshop fishing boat buying guide covers other aluminum fishing boats.
The price gap depended on size in Tracker's 2027 lineup. At 16 feet the bass boat was slightly cheaper with the same motor, even with its trolling motor included: the Bass Tracker Classic XL is listed at $16,660 with a 25 hp motor, $17,995 with 40 hp and $18,995 with 50 hp, against $16,935, $18,495 and $19,270 for the Grizzly 1648 SC. The Grizzly 1648 SC is also offered with smaller motors, from $14,895 with a 9.9 hp motor, so the cheapest 16-foot package in these pairs is the jon boat.
At 17 feet the bass boat cost more. With a 60 hp motor the Pro Team 175 is listed at $24,995 and the Grizzly 1754 SC at $21,870, a difference of $3,125. With a 75 hp motor the gap is the same: $26,615 against $23,490. All of these are Tracker's national package prices for boat, motor and trailer, before dealer prep and freight.
The bass boats were heavier in both pairs. Tracker lists an average dry weight of 780 lb for the Classic XL and 730 lb for the Grizzly 1648 SC, and 1,050 lb for the Pro Team 175 against 885 lb for the Grizzly 1754 SC. With motor and trailer, Tracker's average package weight is 2,235 lb for the Pro Team 175 and 1,760 lb for the Grizzly 1754 SC. The Searchshop boat trailer guide covers trailer types and upkeep.
The right choice depends on what you fish for, who comes along and how you use the boat. Use these points to narrow it down:
- Bass fishing from casting decks: start with a bass boat; both Tracker bass boats come with elevated casting decks and a trolling motor.
- Carrying one more person or more gear: look at a jon boat, which had the higher person and weight ratings in both pairs.
- Duck hunting, bowfishing or utility work: look at a jon boat; Tracker lists all three as jon boat uses and offers camo on both Grizzly models.
- Longer days on bigger water: compare fuel and livewell sizes; the 17-foot bass boat carries more than twice the fuel of the jon boat.
- Keeping the price down: compare with the same motor; at 16 feet the bass boat was slightly cheaper, at 17 feet the jon boat was $3,125 cheaper, and the cheapest package overall was the jon boat with a 9.9 hp motor.
For more on choosing a bass boat, read the Searchshop bass boat buying guide. Before you buy a used boat, work through the used boat inspection guide. When you know which type suits you, compare jon boats and bass boats for sale from dealers on Searchshop.
Common questions about jon boats and bass boats are answered below from Tracker's published figures.
A jon boat has either a completely flat bottom or minimal deadrise, according to Tracker. The two Tracker Grizzly jon boats compared here are listed with a 7-degree deadrise, so they are not completely flat. Tracker's bass boats have a modified-V hull that is sharper at the bow and flatter at the transom.
You can fish for bass from a jon boat, and Tracker lists fishing among its jon boat uses. The Grizzly 1648 SC and 1754 SC have a front deck, pedestal seat bases, a 9-gallon aerated livewell and wiring for an optional trolling motor. They do not come with the raised casting decks and trolling motor fitted to Tracker's bass boats.
A bass boat was not always more expensive in Tracker's 2027 lineup. With a 40 hp motor, the 16-foot Bass Tracker Classic XL is listed at $17,995 against $18,495 for the Grizzly 1648 SC. With a 60 hp motor, the 17-foot Pro Team 175 is listed at $24,995 against $21,870 for the Grizzly 1754 SC.
The jon boat was rated for one more person in both pairs compared here. Tracker rates the Grizzly 1648 SC for 4 people against 3 for the Bass Tracker Classic XL, and the Grizzly 1754 SC for 5 people against 4 for the Pro Team 175. Check the capacity of the exact boat you are considering.
All figures in this article come from these Tracker Boats pages, read on 12 October 2026.
