S.E. Fishing

Although I used to live in Chester cty, I did all my fishing in NY as I had a camp in N.E. PA. I've lived up here the past 4 years, but now I'm moving back to Chester cty, West Caln twp to be exact. Right now I have an 18 foot Wellcraft Sportsman with a F115 Yammie that I run on the Finger Lakes and Ontario, set up with a planner mast and downriggers. I'm thinking I won't have alot of use for this boat down that way without a run to the Jersey shore or the Chesapeake. With the prices of gas today, towing a boat on 4 hour round trips doesn't sound good. Now I also have a 16 foot Smoker Craft Fish and Ski that I'm converting to a tiller steer fishing boat. I've got a bowmount Autopilot electric for it, and also a 9.9 Yamaha four stroke.
    I believe most of the local lakes are electric only, Marsh Creek and Octorora are electric only. Are you allowed to have a bigger gas motor on the boat if you don't put it in the water? I was leaning towards selling the 9.9 and buying a 40 or 50 HP motor so I could run the boat on bigger water. But I don't want it to restrict me from using it on the small electric only lakes. With the 9.9 it's easily taken on and off, not so with a big motor.
   The wife and I like to crappie fish, and I like to troll also. Is there any walleye or striper fishing within a reasonable distance of Chester cty, and if so, should I hold onto my downriggers, mast and boards and other trolling gear?
   As it stands now I'm hoping to be there late July, early August, probably tough fishing times, but looking forward to the fall and maybe ice free fishing all winter!  Thanks for any help.