Re: Boat Under 5k
Only because of the type of boating he's doing: open water, salt, and fishing; plus he wants an old inexpensive boat.
He's striper fishing and that means cold water and probably at night; safety is important. The BR hull design is dangerous in chop and swells b/c the bow will bury and the open front is a scoop, and then (typically) no fast draining scuppers at deck level. (Same reason I recommend against the bay boat hull, and others said V-20). You need to operate standing up in those waters fishing, so the side sit-down helm doesn't work. And you have far less room to move around, and to fish stripers you have to walk up and down the sides. You need places for your live well and fish locker.
But right now, the almost-free used boats are almost all BR's or similar. The interior in an old inexpensive BR will be in sad shape, unlike a similar vintage and well-used fiberglass. Then you have to be able to hose it off, since you'll cover it with fish slime and blood, plus bait. Bad scene on carpet.
I'm not knocking a BR for comfortable riding around on the right waters but it is a sit-down design and better suited for cleaner calmer activities. Guys fishing like to stand up.
Some dual consoles are a good compromise, except the standing up part; my DC Key West is a great flats boat for fishing and has open spaces fore and aft. I use it in the marshes, fishing and hunting--but I have no uphostelry or carpet.
