Hi guys...I finally have scraped together a small amount of money for a boat! I DON'T want to make a bad purchase and I am coming to you in hopes of some advice, wisdom, or help!!! PLEASE!!! It's a pretty big deal to me!!! Fishing is a HUGE part of my life and keeps me whole and sane!!!

First off...as much as I love the beauty of the Rivers, I would STILL be fishing 90% of the time on the South Sound!!! The launch is only 2 blocks away, and the fishin' is AWESOME!!!

Last year I fished all the Chinook and Coho season on my little 12 foot
aluminum boat, that really shouldn't have EVER found it's way off a lake! I
had a few hairy times when the SE winds would blow, but for the most part
did alright out there! SCARY, but alright!

I don't have a whole bunch of money to spend on a rig, but I need something
that's safe and dependable! I am a woman, I usually fish alone, and I tow with a Dodge Dakota, so, obviously I can't haul a cruiser!

I've fished on a friends boat a few times and it seems to be small enough to
manage, but big enough to stay fairly safe! He has a 16 1/2 footer, the
brand I can't remember though! It has a nice open, uncluttered deck
area...a walk through window, a 70 HP motor! I THINK the bow would be
called closed but I'm not sure! It covers the front 1/4 to 1/3 of the front
end of the boat evenly, ending at the walk through window! His dog usually hangs out there!!! I KNOW I don't want a
motor OVER 70HP for just the expense of FUEL to fish! I'd be out every day
I could possibly be out!!!

I don't have a father or big brother, or ANYONE much in my life to help with
advice on this, my husband doesn't fish, and because my budget is so tight,
I DON'T want to make a bad investment! I just want to fish and fish some
more and then again...but in some dependable SAFETY!

It's pretty
overwhelming when I read ads on Classified 2000 or the Little Nickel...I
have some BASIC familiarity with brands, but very limited! I don't know
WHAT I can expect to find for $1,500-$2,000! I'd LIKE a boat that could
haul up to 4 people, for just poking around with family members...and fish 2
comfortably!

I'm sure you're as busy as the rest of the world, but, I thought I'd take a chance and ask for any advice you
may be able to offer! Do you know anyone that's HONEST that has a rig like
I'd be needing or do you have any thinking on what brand or type or size???
I already own a 9.9 Mercury engine...late model for kicker
(DEPENDABLE)...and a long shaft Minnkota (2 years old)!

Thanks for all the time it took to READ this long novel I've written...and
thanks for any advice you can offer! Feel free to forward my letter to
anyone that you think might be able to help with advice!

Hope your day is a good one!

P.S.-I got to go Ling fishing the other day! What fun!!! I pulled up a 36"
Ling and released it!!! Boy, I can't BELIEVE how tough they are to get
up!!! Kept a 29"!

Wishin' to be Fishin',
L




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"Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds!" Albert Einstein