Opinions needed on G3 "deep V" boats

[WSchween]

Opinions needed on G3 "deep V" boats

After spending 3 1/2 years of being fed a steady diet of Erie and Ontario chop my Tracker V 175 ended up with a 1.5 inch split.  The boat was repaired and sold with full disclosure of the damage.  Time to move on and I've been really eyeing up a old stock 2015 G3 SF 185 with a 150 yammi.  It's advertised as a "deep V" boat ( although the 13 degree deadrise seems to say otherwise) and while missing the chrome bits from the higher end aluminum boats appears to have a solid build.  Obviously the boat is not a direct comparison but it has the same dry weight, load capacity and HP rating as a Tyee 1900. 

 

Unfortunately no one I fish with runs a G3 and information about the boats both good or bad has been hard to come by.  I was wondering if anyone is running one out there on the big pond or know of anyone running one and how the boat has been.

 

I am defiantly sticking with aluminum and relatively smaller for a number of reasons.  I appreciate any feedback, its a huge purchase and something we plan to keep for a long time.

[reillym]

I've had one for 4 years now,love it,I can handle it by myself.Its a double hull angler model,deep V.handles Lake Ontario just fine,it's outfitted with a Yamaha 115 and T9 ,I got it from Clayton Marina,best price around,no one would touch what they gave it to me.They do have a new style and bigger motors.My gunnels are about 13 inches wide for storage,transom is wide at 8 feet,I believe all loaded up runs about 3200-3400 DW


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[MooseKnuckle VI]

I had a 175 Angler for about 4 years with a 150 yamaha. Loved it. Fished for all species very well except for trolling. It was just too small for that and I didn't feel comfortable out in the lake in anything more than 2'. In reality the boat handled it, but I was at hull speed on those nasty days and I was soaked. I upgraded to a larger glass boat, but I really miss that G3. It was great for protected waters. I bought mine to fish mainly in the Upper Chesapeake until I bought a camp on Lake O. It fished for stripers, catfish, bass, pike, perch, salmon, browns, walleye....you name it. Had it to more lakes and bays than I remember, fresh and salt. It wasn't the best trolling boat due to space, but I hate trolling so I'm jaded anyway. 3 guys was the max trolling. Just too much crap in the way for that size boat. 

 

Couple things I didn't like were minor, but they bugged me. The rod locker in the floor was sort of weak. I'm a big dude, but it still was squishy if I stepped on it. The wiring was very poorly done, under the helm was a real mess. It also had cable steering vs hydraulic. Few other minor things like cheap plastic latches and that sort of thing. Mine also had full carpet which I hated. It had a bimini top that I had to take off for fishing, but if the boat was bigger it could have worked. The hull and motor were top notch. Never had any leaky rivets and the 150 yamaha has been the best motor I've ever run. I read they make closer to 165 or 170hp. Boringly reliable and got amazing fuel burn numbers. cheap and easy to maintain, $125/year for oil change, lower unit and fuel filters and that was it. I'd run mine at 3500rpm and get about 34 mph. topped out at just shy of 50mph with a light load on calm water. 

 

My favorite thing about that boat was that I trusted it to run as far as the gas tank would take me. I never had concerns running across the Chesapeake or out to Galloo Island if the weather was good. I never felt that it would break down and leave me stranded, which it didn't. Overall I liked it and in the future I have plans to buy a 18cc jon from G3, I love those little boats. The prices are good and they're owned by Yamaha. Pretty much everything Yamaha does is good in my opinion.  It'd be a good general fishing platform and cheap and easy to run and maintain. It's not a "big water" boat though. I missed a lot of fishing days my first year at camp because the boat was just too small and light. It would made it out and back I'm sure, but I woulda got too beat up doing it. If I didn't make a change from mainly casting for bass and bottom fishing for catfish to fishing Lake O, I'd still own that boat. I sold it to a girl that lives near me and I agreed to help her service it once a year until she was able to do it herself. I just did that the other week actually and I shed a tear seeing it again lol. 

Edited May 22, 2017 by MooseKnuckle VI

[WSchween]

Great information guys, thanks!!