One thing to think about with the live well is weight distribution. Once you fill it with water there is a lot of weight there.
My boat came with the life well on the starboard side and I ended up putting an extra 75 lbs of lead on the port side so my boat is level in the water when I'm sitting at the drivers seat on the Starboard side of the boat. I'm heavier than I was when I got my boat. But the boat is a 1978 model.
Getting the boat you like is a personal thing. Only you can really decide what's best for you.
I'm not familiar with either of those boats.
But if I were looking for a boat that would suit your Garage I'd think about a trailer with a folding front tongue. You probably already thought about that.
Four strokes are quiet and may get a little bit better gas mileage although I'm guessing on that.
If you need more room up front and that's number one on the list then go with the bigger boat that has more room up front.
with gas prices going up again 3.78 a gallon here I'd go for the most economical motor/boat that I could find. Especially if you are going to fish smaller lakes that are trolling motor only a lot. The only time you really will need a lot of speed is to try to outrace a lightning storm. That's a life and death situation IMHO and I'll go as fast as I can to get off the water when I see lighting. Other wise I don't need speed. Now if you are fishing tournaments and have to race to to your spot to get their first then that's a different story. I don't do tournaments. I don't need the stress these days. I got enough stress the way it is with my heart condition.I like to take it nice and slow and relax as much as possible.
Another factor that I look at in the boat is the ride though waves and rough water. How is the bow constructed and the stakes under the boat. Is the boat stable when you turn at high speed? If the lake is rough and there's 4 ft rollers and white caps can you still fish out on the main lake? That's where a longer and bigger boat may come in handy. But unless you are a fishing guide or a tournament guy you don't need to be out there in those conditions. Well at least I don't need to be out there. Don't want to tell you want to do. That's your job!
Good luck and enjoy the new boat when you decide to pull the trigger.
Any boat is better than fishing from the bank.
PS: when I was around 8 years old I started driving the boat for my dad when we went fishing. We would rent out a 14 ft or 16 ft alumacraft fishing boat. The kind with wooden benches and rivets holding the aluminum together. They were V bottom boats. Dad Owned a Black Mercury 20 HP motor that he got sometime in the 1960's. He would haul that motor in the back of the Grand Prix with all the other gear and the back shocks looked like they had failed the rear end sat down so low due to the excess weight of the motor. But that motor and boat combination let me ride the 4 ft waves on KY lake when there was a North South Wind. I would cut into the waves at 45 deg angle and I did just fine. If I had fallen out of the boat I would have had a long swim to shore. I guess I was lucky as I never had any problems when I was out on KY Lake all by myself. My current boat would not do so well as it's front end is like that of a old john boat. No "V" front *****. Every wave that I hit comes over the front of the boat and gets every one wet. I'd do it all over again if I could. It was my first boat and I still have it 36 years later. May you have your boat for a long time too.
Originally Posted by MrSplitshot
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