Buying a boat

[Nice Racks]

Thanks for all the info everyone.  While my knowledge on boats is limited, I take it that the "walleye" style boats offer more protection from waves should they kick up, but are more difficult to control in tight spaces. What about the width of boats?  I would assume the wider the better for stability,  but what is considered good? Thanks again.

[10Key]

Our Superhawk has a beam of 86", which is pretty standard for a 16-17 tin boat. Lowe makes them with almost a full foot more beam, crazy wide. Nice for space, but tough if you are storing in a garage.

The reason the deep Vs are harder to maneuver in tight spaces is that they catch wind as they are higher off the water and they usually have a windshield, another thing to catch the wind. The trade off is that in a deep v, you sit in it, not on it (feels safer and better for kids) and they handle big water better (in general, a good captain makes a difference).

We bass fish ours in lake WA, sammamish, potholes, columbia/snake, Roosevelt, Stevens...you get the idea.the only time I find myself dreaming of a bass boat is when we are trying to pitch and skip docks, spot lock on your trolling motor helps a bit.

[NW SURVEYOR]

My 20' StarCraft has a 98" beam.
Plenty of room inside and plenty stable.
As for maneuverability I have never had a problem.
Make sure that you don't skimp on the Electric Motor.
The wind CAN be a factor on bigger lakes.
I regularly fish alone with no problems.
We also fly fish for Smallmouth with two guys, no problem.
I have a plywood platform all the way across the back (Over the IO).
This is padded for the wife and kids to lay on.
With the swim ladder it's great for recreational boating.
The platform is easily removed and does not require that I remove the 8HP Yamaha kicker.
Later,
Rob.
 

[BigGoonTuna]

if i wasn't a jet sled guy, i'd own a deep-v walleye type boat.

i've owned 2 smoker craft alaskans over the years, can't beat the low cost of ownership and overall practicality of one of those.