With a front mounted trolling motor you are on the right path. Had a 24 volt bow mount trolling motor on the one I had and it was a very versatile rig. A 24 volt trolling motor would allow you to troll and/or fish for bass with ease. Restored an older 16′ lund with a flat floor for my brother a couple years ago. He’s borrowing a 1979 35hp Evinrude and it does 26-27 mph with 2 guys and gear depending on the wind. The rebel I had would do around 30 mph give or take with 2 guys and gear with a 40 hp Honda 4 stroke. So the 40 hp vs a 35 hp isn’t a huge difference in mph, but the 4 stroke could go forever on a 6 gallon tank of gas vs the 35 hp Evinrude 2 stroke gets a little thirstier and he has to deal with mixing the oil in the fuel.
Tiller or console is just personal preference. Both have pros and cons. Biggest con with the console is have less room because of the added space the console takes up. If it’s just 2-3 people normally not a big deal. The console is nice for seeing and longer runs.
Soft floors are always a common concern with older boats, but even newer boats can start the rotting process if kept outside and not covered. With ebay and clist there’s usually someone selling parts somewhere for older outboards. Plus there’s a couple very good parts supply places online that have reasonable prices and carry most everything. Storing batteries in a garage or basement out of the way is the best way to store batteries as long as they are up off concrete floors. Storage costs vary considerably, but there’s usually someone willing to store boats somewhere without totally breaking the bank. Drier sheets stuffed all over the boat are helpful to keep the mouse traffic down somewhat while in storage.
You seem to have a very good handle on a lot of the things that go into buying and owning a boat, and are going into it knowing you don’t know everything and willing to ask a lot of questions. That’s good, never stop asking questions. If you don’t know something ask. I always feel like I’m asking dumb questions, but if I don’t know something, it’s the only way to learn. Plus the fishing/boating market is always changing or there’s a better product or way of doing something and it’s hard to keep up with it all without a constant learning curve.
