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What boat would you buy tomorrow? With price and practicality in mind, not JUST your dream boat. I find myself changing my mind almost daily as to what my next purchase will be. Glass or tin is still undecided. I do, however, know what my next boat NEEDS to do for me.
* 18-19 foot with full walk-thru windshield(tired of getting wet)
* Plenty of rod storage (my last boat really lacked this)
* Fuel economy is a factor with gas prices (max 150)
* Must fit in standard garage
* Be able to handle bigger water, but easy to slide in a small lake
So, there it is I guess. I want a do-everything type of boat. I want to fish it hard during the day, but be able to take a nice cruise if I want in the evening. Let’s hear what everyone’s thoughts are. Again, if you were heading out the door and HAD to buy a boat, what would it be and why? What does your current boat excel in, and what does it lack? Feel free to post some pics too, I don’t think anybody here hates looking at boats.
I’m in the same boat. 
Take all of your above points, from size, to storage and economy, and it sounds like we need the exact same boat. Most fishing boats these days are also family friendly, so I’m not too concerned about that.
I currently own a 1775 Pro-V, and like the boat for the most part. However, its big-water performance is severely lacking. Not to mention, it’s not a “small” boat that will get into the tightest of spaces. I can launch on gravel or dirt ramps with the rollers on the trailer, but it’s touch and go on pulling it out/up. To the point where I avoid earthen accesses in all but the best circumstances.
Which is why I’m pretty convinced that eventually I’ll have an MX for most of my fishing, and use the old and small tin boat our family has for the smaller waters. I just can’t find the right amount of compromise in a boat that truly does it all. I’m not willing to do without the performance on the mid-size lakes and larger, and the boats that do well in those circumstances won’t launch into puddles with unimproved accesses. There’s not too many concrete ramps that won’t work well for glass boats.
I guess my point is that even with a tin-boat, you’re hard pressed to get into small water-bodies with poor access. That’s what canoes and cheap duck boats are for.
To describe the boat a bit better, I’m looking for (in order of priority):
* Proven Big-Water Hull – The boat doesn’t need to be a 21 footer, but I need a hull that will handle big water reliably when in those conditions. Driving slower in calmer water and at only certain angles to avoid getting wet will no longer be an option.
* General Storage/Layout – Fishing a number of species effectively, or even a single species given variable conditions, lakes, and patterns, requires some gear. Poor storage is fine if you’re just fishing with yourself, but I’m usually with friends and/or family. Rare is it when I don’t have at least two others in the boat with me. Throw in food and their gear, and you fill a boat in an incredible hurry. Keeping that junk off the deck while not compromising in the gear you have with you out in the boat is a seriously overlooked key to putting more fish in the boat.
* Rod Storage – Multi-tiered, well-organized center rod storage is about the only way to go.
* Motor performance vs. economy – Certain motors do better on certain hulls, and I’m more interested in pairing the right motor to the right boat than I am about economy. Price is always a consideration, as-is fuel, but compared to 2-stroke motors, any Yami 4-stroke has out-shined the 2-strokes that I’m used to running. I personally don’t need top-end speed. A boat that does mid-high 40’s is fine by me, provided the low-end, torque, and responsiveness is there when running in rough conditions. This consideration makes it more difficult to “buy-down” in motor size.
Given all those preferences, as of right now, the MX1825 with a 200 on the back would be the boat I’d buy tomorrow. Given some more time to save and obsess, I’d be in the 2025.
Joel
and to be able to cast from anywhere..
