I bought a fishing boat for my retirement, and am wondering if it is too much boat. It is a 1997 Roughneck by Lund. It is an aluminum deep V (think Lund), and is 17 1/2 feet long, 7 feet wide, and has a 90 hp. Johnson. It weighs 1300 lbs. The trailer is a single axle with roller bed instead of having bunks. I have launched it on lake Charles, Frierson, and the ramp at Old Davidson state park on the Black river without too much trouble, but it was obvious that any shallower water would have been a problem. I want to fish it at least 3 or 4 times a year on the bigger lakes, and would like to fish the White river from Batesville up to around Calico Rock. I am close enough to Horseshoe to make the drive a couple of times a month.

On the plus side, the boat is really comfortable, and easy to handle. It has enough storage, and I have even been considering dropping a mosquito net from the bimini, and sleeping on board on extended trips.

Would I be better suited with a smaller boat, or should I dust off my old 14 foot semi-V for the small water, and enjoy the extra size and comfort of the Roughneck where I can squeeze it in?