DarrenEm

Appreciate the response! I grew up on lake Wanapitei in Sudbury and have been in some rough weather in an 18 footer, and the waves seemed to have come out of no where. This was enough to "scare" my dad into a 28 foot cruiser. 1) How much will you trailer the boat? Will you ever get a slip? - I'd like to have the option of trailering within a few hours drve max with my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4 door 4x4). Also, I would love the convenience of a slip, as I can see myself using the boat several times/week for a few hours, whenever I can get some time in. If anyone can shed some light on avg price/availability for the area, that would be great. I work on base, so the Trenton Yacht Club would be amazing. I don't want to start too big, and then not be able to afford to use the boat. I also want to gain some experience before rushing into something big. 3) Will you ever head to the big lake? Salmon, etc. Primetime area for fishing in the summer and great family adventure. I'd love to, once I feel experienced enough. I don't plan on rushing into anything, and I'll have enough to do/explore initially anyway. 4) Will you ever be fishing early and late in the seasons when water is very cold? Hopefully, Yes. These are all questions I've been asking myself, and I've since been exploring the idea of a new Bayliner 175 I/O. Seems to have a decent layout with enough room for us, a fair amount of power, and what I think would be a better hull for my use. Possibly a decent size/weight for trailering as well? Also has a fishing package available. Thoughts? You guys rock, thanks for all the feedback so far...

Thank's for the input. I realize it is not a purpose built fishing boat but, with the fishing package it should do? It adds "MotorGuide Trolling Motor, Lowrance X-4 Fish Finder, Bow Casting Platform & Seat, Live Well under Portside Seat". Realistically, I would spend a fair bit of time on the water cruising/swimming/etc when the family is aboard, but I'd like to do some solo fishing otherwise. I've never fished from a bass boat/real fishing boat, however I've fished from bowriders, 12/14 foot basic aluminums, pontoon boats, inflatables and a 28 ft cruiser. I was hoping that since I've never gotten used to fishing with "fishing comforts", I would be fine on the Element. Wrong?? Again, I'm mostly interested on how a 16 ft boat does on the Bay of Quinte, regardless of which boat I choose.

Hey guys, This is my first post here... I'm desperately trying to get back into fishing, and thinking of buying a boat in the near future. The new Bayliner Element (16 footer) caught my eye, as it seems like it is good value and looks like it will be a good fit for my family of 4 (2 adults, 2 small kids). This will be my first boat, and I'm wondering if this would be an alright size for the Bay of Quinte (Trenton/Belleville). I'd also like to occasionally trailer to provincial parks and camp sites on smaller lakes. What do you guys think? I've got a ton of questions to ask, as I'm new to the area and will likely be limited to shore fishing until I buy the boat next spring.