Lets see, criteria Bottom width, beam, bottom to beam difference, HP rating, low front deck, front livewell, do livewells have either baitwell or minnow bucket storage, Front engine trim switch, 24v trolling motor wiring standard, 6 ga wiring for trolling motor, fuel capacity, three pedestal base on front deck, 3 across seating for when running, engine brand available or standard, trolling motor brand that is standard on boat depth finder brand standard on boat, material of construction standard on trailer, hull rise, hull thickness, boat weight, accessory rail, person capacity, person or total weight capacity, boat all aluminum or is wood used in the decks, and length.
That makes 24 Criteria. If beam was 60" or less, it got a yes, if Bottom to beam difference was 21 or less, it got a yes vote. If HP rating was 90 or Above, it was a yes, fuel capacity 18 gallon or more got a yes vote. Hull rise was 8 degrees or greater got a yes, hull thickness of .125 got a yes vote, boat weight listed less then 1000 lbs got a yes. person seating of a 5 or more got a yes, and person weight capacity of greater than 600 lbs got a yes. As for the Engine, an E-rude and a Mercury got a yes cause I like these motors. A Minn Kota trolling motor got a yes cause I like the Terrova, a Humminbird fish finder got a yes because they are my preference. The rest of the criteria were yes or no answers.
I then totaled the yeses and used boat length as a tie breaker for any ties, shorter length won the tie. The Excel 1860 got 21 yeses, the Excel 1754 got 20 yeses. The G3's got 11 yeses for the Talon 17PFX, and 8 yeses for the 176. My beam to bottom difference was based on my wanting the widest boat that will fit in he narrowest spot. I used this because after 54 years, I know myself pretty well and while RCC might not take his big fancy boat on the St. Francis river, I have no delusions that I would never do that. When I had a Stratos fiberglass boat in South Carolina, I put my boat right in the middle of stump fields on Lake Moultrie, or ran the abandoned rice paddies on the Cooper River above the T's and had all of the paint worn off of the skeg and lower unit of my Mariner Magnum. So I know this boat will wind up on shallow stump filled waters and fishing in tight spots.
I think that covers everything I used. If you think of more criteria you would use, let me know, I am open to considering more items in a boat.