I was were you were about 6-7 month ago, doin research and trying to figure out what was going to be the best fit for me... what i found after trying out multiple boats was this. Size matters. More specifically size matters as to performance on what type of water you are going to be on. Long/Skinny is faster and tracks straighter for open/flat water, and short/fat is more stable and maneuvers faster for river/rapids/tight quarters.
Do you plan on running rivers(wide/deep or shallow with rapids), Lakes/open water, or Surf/inshore/Offshore. While you can use almost any boat in each of those situations, choosing the correct one will make it a much more enjoyable day for you.
I ended up with a Ride 135 from wilderness as i am larger than most people that kayak, and still wanted to be able to stand and sight fish and pitch/flip. I would recommend for almost every fishing situation besides constant class III and higher rapid running to go with a SOT kayak. It allows easier getting in and out, more open for casting, and allows you to stand and get higher point of view. Also there is NO type of water that is not able to be safely navigated by SOT. That allowed me more bang for my buck as i can go to a lake, fast river, or the ocean in the same boat. instead of having to have one for each. I can tell you i will be buying more specific boats for each type in time, but for now i have what i believe is the most diverse.
I bought mine new, without going with the angler edition because i didnt want the stock locations for rod holders, but you can find a perfectly decent boat used through craigslist, but you will be stuck with what ever mods the original owner had. Also there are "generic versions" like the perception sports pescador from academy, or a heritage, these are kind of like the same boat as their more expensive counterparts without a lot of the "add-ons"...
Sit-ins kind of are a pain in the butt if your having to get in and out over and over to navigate log-jams/extreme shallows, and are
Hope that helped
Here is a pic of meh boat, standing to pick my line through the next rapids on the Flint River: http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/457682_3605116921275_1283872325_o.jpg
I am in no way a expert, just someone who recently went through the same process you have started...
