awlrighty JHAP (and howdy).....FWIW i enjoy owning both a boat and a pond. i guess my comment for you drue would be why make them mutually exclusive (expensive property/pond OR expensive bass boat)??
you can raise nice fish in a small pond, and own a "not so expensive" boat. for the pond, there is nothing like a personal honey hole. i am so attached to my little puddle and the fact i can catch fish on my property.....its an AWESOME hobby (maybe one day turning into an amateur profession).
for the public waters aspect, we have the luxury around here of quite a few lakes/reservoirs that prohibit water and jet ski's and are pretty much for fisherman only, plus its just plain fun to get out on larger water and explore or fish or lounge around at one's leisure. we have a 16.5 ft aluminum w/ "nice enough" features (windshield, steering, live well, fairly good storage, trolling motor, fish finder, all weather flooring and top, and 60 HP outboard)........and we didnt spend an arm and leg for it.
my couple cents.....
edit post.....i forgot to mention....one of the primary reasons to own a fishing craft......coming up soon i will be spending a week up at a place called Eagle Lake......it is an amazing place in the NE corner of CA, a remnant of the once great Pleistocene lakes that covered the west (aka Lahonton and Bonneville). it contains a special and rare variety of trout (eagle lake trout) that developed a resistance to extremely high salinity as these fossil lakes receded after the ice ages. it also contains a type of forage similarly rare called a tui chub. the fishery is heavily managed and reportedly REALLY GOOD, i cant wait, being one of the boat owners entitles me to all expenses paid
i just hope my brother and i can get along for an entire week w/out fighting
