My wife and I put in 6 heavy duty years of hard-core boating in the late'80 - early '90's in the midwest with trailer-able overniter models. We went thru 3 diff boat upgrades (foot-itus) ultimately winding up on Illinois' best kept secret...Lake Shelbyville (ooops) permanently stabled on a small houseboat. We have no kids, but I can attest to alot of other families who did and the boating experience for kids is huge...let alone the adults. I cannot offer advice regarding the bass boat experience, altho I saw a gazillion of 'em out there. I got out of boating with about 1/2 my shirt and still don't regret one moment; it is a special bond with nature. What advice I can offer is to consider the value of a craft that is friendly to family entertainment beyond fishing. For me, if my wallet has anymore room at the end of the day, I see a smaller pontoon with a roof and cushy seats in a pond.
