Thoughts on Potential Used Boats

[shifty1213]

I would love to get the group's opinions on the 2007 Crestliner CMV 1850 and 2007 Crestliner CX 17 that I am looking at. I am looking for something that I can fish with in Southeastern PA where we deal with numerous lakes that have HP or electric only restrictions, but would love to have something I could take up to New York for long weekends and use on some of the larger lakes up that way or down to the Susquehanna flats. Normally it would be my wife, young daughter and myself on the boat or a buddy and myself.

 

http://www.lakesidemarinepa.com/index.php…

 

https://harrisburg.trackerboatcenter.com/boats/detail.cfm…

 

I was leaning toward the Crestliner CMV 1850 but the 2-stroke motor worries me and I think the motor might be a bit under powered for the boat. Let me know your thoughts!

 

 

[slonezp]

@Further North has a CMV, he would ne your best resource 

[fishnkamp]

Well the CMV is a deeper V boat and would run better on the Flats and your NY waters. It will handle larger waters better.  The CX 17 is more like most mod V hulls. 

Let me be honest. Neither of these boats are setup well to fish the Susqy River.  I lived and fished that river for 5 years.  Now let me clarify something. If you intend to launch above the Conowingo Dam or above the fiber dam in Sunbury then those boats will work and the nod goes to the CX-17. 

However if you are thinking of fishing the main river around the Harrisburg Airport, Duncannon, basically up and down the entire main river then none of these boats will work well.  To do that we used one of two type of boats. Many many guys fished that river in an open jon boat with a 9.9 or 15 HP outboard and a custom made device that surrounded the entire prop area to avoid rock damage. I owned a 15 foot tiller boat just like that. Today the more popular way is to run a outboard powered jet unit and a tunnel hull with a front "center console".

 

Lets talk about you HP restricted lakes. Which ones are you talking about?  I used to fish Lake Marburg (Codorus State Park). It has a 20 HP max. I will post a pic of my Lowe boat I specifically setup to run that lake.  Many of your lakes up there are 20 HP lakes. My boat is similar to the CX 17. I installed a CMC PT 35 trim tilt plate and a 20 hp Merc 2 stroke.  I did about 18 mph.  I enjoyed that setup till I moved and just replaced the motor and plate with a 2 stroke 75 Hp used Merc.  I am familiar with the restrictions on Cowanesque Lake( part open hp,part 6 mph, part electric only). Have they made any changes to the restrictions on Blue Marsh Lake down in Reading?

 

Let me make a suggestion before you make a big financial mistake. Spend a day out with a guide that runs a jet boat. The day will be a lot of fun, a real eye opener as to how you boat and how you fish that river successfully.  If after that day out on the water you feel you can run the river in a jet boat go look into them. If however you do not feel comfortable running the river in one, then go look at the jon with a 9.9 for safety reasons.

 

Here is a pic of my Marburg rig and it with its new used 75.

 

Here is a typical jet boat setup

http://www.lakesidemarinepa.com/index.php?view=inventory&viewid=768

 

Here is a G3 brand Jon boat with a tunnel hull designed to be run with a jet.

http://www.g3boats.com/gator-tough-16-ccj-dlx

Here is a good video of running on the river.

 

.

 

[shifty1213]

Thanks for the detailed response to my question. I actually live in Reading, I am a kayak fisherman at the moment just looking to upgrade so I can bring friends and family with me. 

 

I'm quite familiar with Blue Marsh Lake, there are no HP restrictions in the main part of the lake right now. Just no wake zones in the fingers of the lake. I also do a bunch of fishing in Marsh Creek Lake and Hopewell Lake, which are electric only lakes, so the engines don't matter too much. Haven't gone yet but I was thinking about fishing at Nockamixon, which I believe is 20 HP restriction. Probably wouldn't be doing any fishing on the rocky parts of the Susquehanna and will stick to the deeper sections so I don't think a jet boat would be the idea situation.

 

I like the idea of the CMW 1850 but the size of that engine just worries me, but I think the CX 17 could be a good boat also.

[Further North]

As much as I love my CMV (It'll be my last boat unless something dumb happens to it) I have a hard time believing that the 90HP motor on that boat will move it satisfactorilly.

 

I run a Johnson 140 HP 4 stroke, which is really a Suzuki DF 140, and it works great, but if something were to happen to it, I'd bump up to max rating of 150 for a replacement.

 

You'll love the boat, and how it fishes, the storage is great, it runs well in semi-crappy weather, but that 90 would concern me unless I got it on the water and tried it and it met my needs.  That it's a 2-stroke is a benefit in my mind as I feel like that'll deliver more torque to get it moving at lower RPMs.

 

Take it for a test ride, if you like it, buy it.  It is certainly priced to compensate for the motor - that boat with a 140 or 150 would go for $15 - $16K here.

[shifty1213]

Thanks for the info @Further North like I said earlier most of the lakes close to me are electric only or low HP restrictions. There are areas hour and half away where I could take it and open it up so it wouldn't be using it in those areas as often. I love the boat wish it had at least a 115 HP on it. Thanks again for the first hand knowledge.

[Further North]

If you look at Wisconsin north of Eau Claire, you can see the kinds of water I run on.  Add in an annual trip to Lake of the Woods or other big water in Canada and that'll give some perspective on what I use it for.

 

I can't think of a new boat I'd trade the CMV for, but it something happened to it, I'd be in a Lund Pro-V Bass or a Crestliner Bass Hawk before the ink on the insurance check was dry.

[shifty1213]

@Further North what type of speeds do you get with the 140 HP on the CMV 1850?

[Further North]

Fully loaded (it's really a floating tackle box, some have called it a small tackle store, so take that into account) 42-ish.

 

Empty, with the kid driving, 1/4 tank of gas...call it 48 MPH. 

 

There's an online test somewhere with a boat identical to mine that they claimed 52 MPH.  I think they were...um...optimistic on their interpretation of the data...

 

I drove one with a Yamaha 150 4 stroke on it...we were in the high 50s.

 

Suzuki DF 140s tend to be on the low side of claimed HP, Yamaha F150s tend to test high, that's how I accounted for the difference.

[fishnkamp]

Living down here on the Chesapeake Bay and fishing the rivers here that Fish Hawk 1850 would be a great replacement for my current Lowe Stinger 170.  Even the Fish Hawk 1750 would be an improvement.