Hi Chris, to answer your question, I would look for a good name brand boat, and it should have DEEP gunwales and a deep transom , reason being, say your out on the water enjoying a day of fishing, a idiot in a power boat goes blowing by you not a care in the world but wanting to go fast (I have a power boat but for smaller boats I slow down responsible for my wake) or the wind picks up on your fishing hole and so do the waves, boats without high sides the water will swamp the boat leaving you in the water,also look for ones with positive foam flotation under the seats, look for storage for gear and fuel,electronics and people, the new four strokes are nice and worth the money, both for you (resale) and the environment, so spend some time looking at them and then decide you will find some offer one thing and some offer something else you like,but the decision is yours and what YOU want not the sales person good luck :-)