do you want to sit in back and control the trolling motor or steer from the front. do you want a CC or small cabin.
18' will fish any where in sound and safe in the ocean bays.
I went to the boat shows the past few years looking for a newer boat, but nothing out there allowed me to control the trolling motor from the back. So I put a new motor on my '93 boat 18' CC. For the rain and cold you just buy good dry/warm gear