Shopping

I got an email recently from a gentleman in Arkansas asking me about an estimated value of his 1992 Ranger 680t (pictured above). He has owned the boat since new, stored it indoors, and done all necessary maintenance as scheduled.  He was considering selling it to get a newer, lighter boat. 

After giving the best appraisal I could from some hi-resolution pictures he sent and assuring him that the boat would sell very quickly he decided to go boat shopping.  This is where the desire to replace the 680t usually ends.  Unfortunately some of us have bought a new boat and dealt with extreme cases of buyers remorse almost immediately.   Robert saw right away that the storage and fishability of any newer boats of comparable size in his price range were nowhere near what he was used to with his 680t.  

The number one rule when shopping for a boat is to test drive it!  If it feels like a compromise, doesn't fit like a good pair of boots, and give you a sense of pride, then walk away.  If you are a 680t/681t owner you'll likely find that nothing else feels right. 

Most of us only get to spend a small fraction of any given year fishing, shouldn't every second of that time on the water should be savored?