Hey guys,
I've got a G3 162 with a 4Stroke 90 on it. I really like the boat. It's nicely trimmed out, and overall well made.
It does sit a bit higher out of the water than a lot of other aluminums. I'd liken it more to an Alumacraft hull design, than an older Lund. It does feel a bit like you're driving a bathtub (hence the Alumacraft reference). When I originally got it, it did seem to push a lot of water when it was on plane. I lifted the motor up an inch, and that problem was gone. Now, with a 17p stainless it pops right up on plane in a hurry, and the bow is sufficently out of the water. Doesn't push a whole lot of water, and handles the rough stuff very well for a 16.5' boat.
Top speed with two guys, and more muskie gear than you could shake a stick at is 34mph on the gps. With two guys, and no gear she does 37mph. I'm going to swap the prop out for a 19p stainless this year. I got the 17p as I was worried about getting it on plane in a hurry in rough water, which I now know isn't a problem.
A few things I don't like about the boat.
-Rod lockers. Mine has a side locker, which originally had a divider for 4 rods, up to 7'. No good for a muskie guy. I took the sawzall to the divider as soon as I got it home. I now have a side rod locker that holds 8.5' rods, and I can pile 12-14 in there.
-Livewells. It's got two, which is nice. But they're not very big. Both are 30 and 31" long. Great for bass, or walleye guys. However, I fish a lot of pike tournies in the spring. I'm not too sure how this is going to play out. I'm thinking that I may have to do some extra running, as keeping a 40"+ alive in one of those all day might be unreasonable. The aft livewell is kind of 'L' shaped, so it's prolly 36-38" on the diagonal.
Other than that, it's a great boat for the money. I'd take a Lund over it for sure, only if there was a Yammi 4Stroke on the back of it though!