One thing to consider when buying a boat is what kind of fishing you will be doing the most. If you are primarily a bass man, then having a big deck up front is nice. But if you are mainly going to use the boat for trolling or sitting on an anchor in the Columbia, then I would get a boat with a helm forward design to get the most room in the back of the boat. When I first bought my Crestliner fish and ski, I was trying to get a boat that would do all things for all people. In reality, the boat is used about three times a year for warm water fishing and/or pulling the kids on a wakeboard, and maybe 20-30 days a year trolling for kokes and their bigger brothers in the salt. That big front deck is now used for storage on most trips and wet storage at that if it is raining or windy. I would much rather have the extra foot or two in the back of the boat and have to deal with the smaller platform up front when I take the kids bass and crappie fishing. My buddy has a 19 foot North River that has the window closer to the bow and for trolling and sitting on anchor that extra room in the back is great.
