boat shows start in about january and a lot of times you can find great deals on noncurrent new rigs. Worth mentioning. I've bought a few over the years from the boat shows, always used (they don't really sell used boats at the 'show' but I usually ask about their preowned inventory, just in case). In 2012 finally bought the little Jon boat that I have/use still to this day. Been a great one and one of the better investments I've made in my life. Thoroughly enjoy being on the water, well most of the time.
Local lake, summer time is often riddled with pleasure boaters, and don't get me wrong they have every bit the right to use the lake as I do. The problem that I have with a very select few is their lack of consideration for anglers and in particular smaller craft. Case in point I was tied up to a submerged tree a few years back in August, it was later in the evening about an hour before sunset. One of the pleasure boaters decides they're gonna run around that area where I was at, in their expensive wake board boat. I'm ok with that except they decided to make circles around me, within about 200 feet of my little boat. It was totally obvious that they were being jerks. Absolutely no question. I ignored them for the first few circles but then they started hollering about my rig being a tiny POS and that it had no business on THEIR lake. Then I got mad. The longer it went on the madder I got but I was also trying not to sink (and for the record, my little boat will not sink, it stays afloat even with the drain removed....don't ask how I found that out!). This went on for 5 min or so, probably 20 circles. I think they got dizzy and moved on down the cove but what these drunks didn't realize that it gets real shallow down there, and is FILLED with submerged timber that was either fallen or blown into the lake. So as they run down there, I hear the crackling of timber and rocks and such hitting the props of their rig, then I see the MUD being kicked up as they're trying to get out. Soon they're STUCK. Totally stuck. The direction they are going just gets shallower, there's always water but it's no more than 6 or 8" deep at that time. I can get over it in my boat but I don't make a habit of it, I'll go around usually, from the other side of the cove (it circles an island). So I'm sitting there in my boat picking up all of the stuff that was knocked down by their wake, and they're down there full throttle trying to rock off of that mud bottom. I mean they were STUCK. Finally they shut it off and holler for help. I motored on down there and stopped, looked directly at the "captain", who was obviously intoxicated, and turned my tiller steered outboard and idled away, all the while these guys were screaming words that I won't repeat towards me, and again I'm fine with that. Ive been called much worse. 3.4 miles back at the ramp, it was getting dark, the sheriff rolls through like they always do and I stopped him & told them about the stuck boat. Told him of the situation and he said he'd drove over to the other side of the cove, there's a road back there, and he'd keep an eye on 'em. I told the deputy that they were intoxicated, but he said he wasn't surprised. Said he's just gonna make sure nobody gets hurt and let them learn a lesson.
there's been a few other instances, mostly at a different lake where some anglers will pull right up beside me when I'm catching a few, then start dunking their lure in a hole that I'm using. Fine. The lake is 6000 acres of water, I can move to another spot and catch a few-or maybe more-or maybe none. I'm not that serious about it. That's happened several times and each time I keep telling myself that I need to invest in a jet outboard. One of those guys pulls that stunt? Turn around, tilt the motor up, hammer down. A 60hp jet will throw a stream of water about 90 feet at 5800 rpm, and this is from experience. A 115/80 will throw water about 125 feet. I've not run anything larger. Lots of 40/30's and 60/40's and the one 115/80 but never anything larger--although they do make a 150/105. That's a 150hp engine but they're derated to by the jet to 105.
grew up along the river and worked the local marina, money can’t buy brains but it can buy a boat 
