G3’s Sportsman 1710 PFX fishes like an 18-footer and is nicely powered by Yamaha’s F90 outboard. G3 promotes it as a multispecies rig, and we think that it proves to have a knack for bass, crappie and, in most Northern lakes, walleye, pike and musky. Its sleek lines and shallow draft make it ideal for treacherous rivers, and in calmer weather, we’d chase walleye and pike on the big waters. It was originally designed as a crappie and panfish boat, G3 overshot the mark; it’s ready for buddy and club tournament competition as a bass hunter.
The 1710 PFX is spirited, planing in 3.9 seconds and reaching 30 mph in 6 seconds. With a top speed of just over 40 mph, it’s plenty fast—especially when you’ll be passing just about every fuel dock. The F90 Yamaha barely feeds itself, with best-cruise mileage of 8.6 mpg (!) at 4,000 rpm and 29 mph, consuming just 3.4 gallons per hour. At that rate, the 21-gallon tank will take at least a weekend to empty.
G3 employs an all-welded hull made from 0.100-gauge aluminum. The hull is rigid and sure-footed as a result. We tested on varying conditions, from 2-inch wind chop to rough wakeboard and ski boat wakes, and the 1710 responded affirmatively with a solid, unrattled ride. Heavy helm input delivered sharp turns with some moderate banking and a little side-slipping to make it fun. G3 offers a variety of paint and graphics packages. Ours was a crisp, high-gloss white with offsetting textured gray vinyl interior—easy to clean and keep tidy. It’s also available in charcoal and midnight blue schemes. For the waterfowler, there are two mossy oak camo choices: shadow grass and breakup.
A 19-gallon bow livewell and 33-gallon stern livewell ensure that your team catch will remain healthy on the way back to the dock. Locking dry-storage compartments feature rain-seal molded lips around the opening to keep contents dry. The console features an in-dash Humminbird Helix 5.
The 1710 is compact, but its wide beam offers good stability, and its trim weight on a custom trailer makes it easily trailerable with the family vehicle.
How We Tested
- Engine: Yamaha F90 four-stroke
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/Yamaha 13 1/2″ x 16″ 3-blade aluminum
- Gear Ratio: 2.33:1
- Fuel Load: 21 gal.
- Crew Weight: 250 lb.
High Points
- The 33-square-foot bow casting deck means plenty of room to play fish.
- Fit-and-finish is excellent, especially at this price point.
- Built-in three-bank battery charger (two-battery is standard) is mounted for easy access.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $37,995 (as tested) |
| LOA: | 17’10” |
| Beam: | 7’8″ |
| Dry Weight: | 1,080 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | 4/650 lb. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 21 gal. |
| Livewell Capacity: | 19 gal. (bow); 33 gal. (stern) |
Speed, Efficiency, Operation
