bleonard

My wife and I are going to be looking at used boats soon. She is fond of metal boats (we have rented some) but I have concerns. I have talked to experienced folks that go both ways. I hear complaints about the dangers of the light aluminum boats, but equal complaints about the others, including cost. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the two? What should we be looking for in a new (to us) boat. We will use it for fishing only. We do not need an extremely fast boat, but I want enough power to get from one hole on a large lake to another in a fairly short timeframe. Stability and storage are important, but nothing is as important as dependability (except for safety). At this time, we are looking at no less than 17 1/2 feet, and prefer over 18. We would like decent rod storage and two live wells. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.