Well I know your not looking for new, and there are some good used ones out there but you have to do your homework and make sure its not a lemon just like anything else now days.

As for models, each person has their opinions on what they like. I have had a Champion, and Ranger in the past. Both good boats but liked the Champion better for overall smooth ride and layout. Now I have a 2002 Skeeter, as I decided to down grade in size to a smaller size boat, mine is a SX 180, which is a 17 foot 8 inch boat. For a shorter boat it has tons of room, its even double console but has room as if it was a single console boat. The shorter boat is lighter as well so it dont cost as much to tow or as hard to tow as the 21 foot Champion I had. So it depends on the size of boat your looking for, and if you have room to store it, or feel comfortable towing it. This boat has tons of storage and a big front deck. I recently upgraded the Trolling motor to a 24 volt 70lbs and you can bull doze through the toughest wind with it. It has a shallow draft compared to some others, so shallow water isnt as hard to fish.

I have looked recently at all boats in my list of ones I like. Between Triton, Ranger, Stratos ( which are all owned by one company now) Champion, Basscat, and Skeeter, my choices come down to Champion and Skeeter. Both are very similar in how they ride (smooth as butter even in rough water) and both have great amount of storage.

My thoughts are to try and fish in a boat your interested in if at all possible. That way you can get a feel for it and see what you like or dislike about it. Oh and if you like speed then go for 2 strokes, but if you are like me and dont care how fast your hole shot is then get an efficient 4 stroke Yamaha, they last forever and are great on fuel. Good Luck to ya bud.