A couple of decades ago I decided I needed a new boat. I had been using a deep-hull, 16-foot aluminum boat which was good for Great Lakes trolling for quite a few years. A 70 hp motor would push it along at 28 mph, and it could troll at 1-1/2 mph for hours. It was light for trailering, a necessity for the light trucks I use. I had been fishing either Lake Erie or Lake Ontario about four times each week nearly year-round.

But high sides caught too much wind for most other kinds of inland fishing. Since I planned to do more inland fishing the boat had to go. It was too big, and the 70 hp motor needed too much water for fishing small lakes or the Allegheny River. Great as that boat was, I had ridden the wave of Great Lakes fishing articles in national magazines long enough. It was becoming plain to see that I needed a smaller boat, suitable for a better variety of waters.

Jeri, my wife, wanted a fast bass boat. I considered a small cuddy cabin which would have been even better on the Great Lakes, but that was what I was trying to get away from. The decision I finally made, a boat that still is in my garage, is a 14-foot boat. An aluminum boat, it is wider and deeper than most 14-foot boats, but not so muck that the sides act as sails like the 16-foot boat.

My 14-foot boat originally had a 35 hp, pull-start motor on the transom. Pull starting that motor got to be more than my ageing body could handle.

The boat really came into its own when I switched to an electric start 20 hp motor. It provides plenty of power, after tinkering with propellers and the angle of the motor, and it allows me to fish the state park lakes with 20 hp motor limits, lakes like Pymatuning which is one of my favorites.

The boat decision was perfect, until I started to do more fishing for walleye and perch on Lake Erie. It was my good fortune that a friend had a 22-foot deep-v, aluminum fishing boat. We were just into middle age then, and we fished some pretty rough water.

Now deeply into middle age, some might say old, I am not at all inclined to fish rough water. So once again the 14-foot boat has become just fine. When waves are not much more than 2 feet, it fishes Lake Erie well.

The 14-foot boat has another advantage. Getting closer to the water makes battles with fish more exciting. The most exciting chinook salmon fishing happened while I fished from a 12-foot aluminum car top boat with a 7-1/2 hp motor. That boat would jerk to a stop when a chinook hit.

These things I tell you because a lot of thought should go into buying a new fishing boat, or any boat. Sit down with your family and fishing friends and discuss how the boat might be used, not just at the present, but also for things you want to try in the future.

Now, before going any farther I must point out that a 14-foot boat certainly is not ideal for fishing Lake Erie. If I had it to do over, I would go with a 16-foot boat, but not as deep as my old 16-foot boat, and with a motor no larger than 60 hp because motors of this size seen to last longer without major repairs than larger motors.

Good reasoning suggests that winter is a good time to shop for a fishing boat. Today is precisely the right time to start thinking about it, if you have not already done so. Things that occurred during spring, summer and fall that relate to the things you want in a fishing boat are fresh on your mind. It would be a good idea to write down these thoughts.

Good deals for holdover boats are likely available at dealers. It should be a buyers market for used fishing boats. Now that we are getting into the winter sports and boat show season, you will never get a better opportunity to see a variety of boats.

Boat packages are usually available at outdoor shows. But beware of some of these special show deals. Often trailers are too light, or the motors are not adequate. This is the way prices are kept low. Beware of any deal that seems too good to be true.

Check the weight rating of the trailer and the weight of the boat. Then think about the gear that will be hauled in the boat while it is on the trailer. Counting gas, a couple of large, full ice chests and fishing gear, it could amount to a few hundred pounds.

Check the horsepower rating of the boat. I suggest getting a motor that is at least 75 percent of the maximum horsepower. An exception might be ok if you plan to buy a flat-bottom boat, but even then not if you will use a jet motor.

A jet motor probably will have at least 15 percent less speed potential than a propeller driven motor of equal horsepower. Talk to someone who has extensive jet boat experience.

Choosing a new fishing boat is not a decision that should be made in haste. You may be living with this boat for quite a while, probably several years at least, maybe a lifetime.