I was in your same spot two years ago. I have two kids and a wife who love to fish and play on the water. I also take fishing trips with the guys a couple times a year to the missouri river and LOW. I settled on the Crestliner 1850 Sportfish with a 150 Yamaha HPDI. It has a conversion bow and a bench that flips down. It has 6 peds in the rear(two under the bench)of the boat and one in the front for pedestal seats. Two livewells. It planes plenty fast for skiing. It is carpeted all the way back to the transom sides, so getting in and out of the boat is easier than in a Lund. My wife likes the look of the boat. She thought the Lund and Ranger are too much of a pure fishing boat. My brothers both own a Ranger 620 and Lund Tyee. Very spacious boat. My only complaint was the rod storage. Mine is a 2004, and it has side rod storage which is tight getting rods in and out, so I built a rod and net holder to clamp on one of the peds. Anyway, I bought mine late september also, which I feel is a great time to find a closeout or a newer used boat. If you buy new, make sure the dealer does not skimp on the trailer. If you go with an 18′ or larger, I would suggest that it has trailer brakes. We have been very pleased with the Crestliner, and have had some great family outings in it.