Crestliner 1650 Fish Hawk Review

It’s never easy to pick out a new fishing boat, and it can be even harder if you like to fish for a variety of different species that are found in vastly differing habitats. A boat that’s right at home trolling for walleyes could be completely out of place prowling the shallows for bass, and even less at home plying big water for lake trout or salmon.

The search gets even tougher if you also need your boat to be compact enough to fit in a standard garage, and be towable with a mid-sized vehicle. Someone at Crestliner evidently had this very predicament in mind when designing the all-new 1650 Fish Hawk.

Big enough to tackle the Great Lakes but still compact enough to be easily towed with the family mini-van or a compact SUV, the 1650 Fish Hawk is a multi-role performer that’s designed with serious fishing in mind. That’s apparent when you step aboard and note the large casting decks front and back, plus the open cockpit. The standard floor covering is a durable, hard-wearing marine carpet that provides a comfortable non-slip surface. But if your travels often take you to sandy spots, a fast drying, easy to clean all-vinyl floor is also available.

The elevated front casting deck is surprisingly large, with storage below for bulky items.

The front casting deck is simply massive for a boat of this size. A pedestal base plate here accommodates a removable seat, while large storage compartments in each side of the deck floor hold bulky gear. One great feature is the available cargo netting that runs along each inner gunnel – a perfect add-on that lets you keep small items like market buoys, pliers and other essential gear close at hand, but safe from being stepped on. Up front, an elevated deck pad provides the ideal spot to mount an electric trolling motor, while an adjacent plug provides a direct power connection. An accessible cavity under the trolling motor pad is the perfect spot to store the anchor, keeping it easily accessible yet out from under foot.

Available cargo nets along each bow gunnel stow small essentials, keeping them close but safely secured.

The large compartment running up the centre of the bow casting deck is an in-floor rod storage locker, which can hold five rods to seven feet in length plus another five to six-feet, nine inches in length. Double gas rams hold the lid open allowing you to store or retrieve expensive rods with both hands. There’s also a quick access rod rack along the port gunnel in the main cockpit, which can securely accommodate yet another five rods up to nine feet long.

A large in-floor rod locker has space for 10 rods, with a lid operated by double gas rams.

The stern casting deck is also elevated, carpeted, and conceals both battery storage and a 15-gallon recirculating live well. One popular option for this boat is an available stern bench seat, which provides comfortable seating for three additional passengers. When not in use, it can be flipped forward to create an even larger stern casting platform.

Additional rod storage along the gunnels keeps expensive rods safe but easily accessible.

Seating in the main cockpit consists of two comfortable bucket seats on pedestals; with six bases in the boat, these can be easily repositioned wherever needed when fishing, giving the boat incredible versatility.

The 1650 Fish Hawk actually comes in two versions – a standard side console version with a helm console for the driver and an open deck to port, as well as a dual console version which adds a passenger console and a walk-through windshield. Tournament anglers tend to prefer the open side console version, while those who often boat early or late in the season more often opt for the walk-through version, which provides quite a bit of extra protection when boating in cool weather.

The 1650 Fish Hawk comes in both side console and dual console versions. Side console boats get a removable plastic windscreen, while dual console versions have a full walk-through windshield.

Just to prove it isn’t a one-trick pony, Crestliner offers a range of family-friendly accessories to fit the 1650 Fish hawk, including a stern swim platform and a Turbo Swing, so you can spend non-fishing hours pulling skiers, boarders and tubers.

Family-friendly accessories include a rear swim platform and a Turbo Swing.

With its 16-foot, nine-inch overall length and 1,185-pound dry weight, Crestliner’s 1650 Fish Hawk is indeed easily towable and fits nicely in most garages. Those who can’t believe it’s possible to have a full-featured fishing boat with such compact dimensions would be wise to schedule a test drive at the first opportunity.

Crestliner 1650 Fish Hawk Specs

Length: 16’ 9”

Beam: 7’ 6”

Dry weight: 1,185 lbs.

Passenger capacity: 8

Fuel capacity: 719 gal.

Maximum power: 90 hp

Info: www.crestliner.com