If you were to buy a new 20' or bigger boat this next year, and you had all the money you needed in cash in your pocket, would it be a tiller or console boat? I am just curious about how many big tiller guys there are really out there. I am not looking for brand bashing or praising, just an honest answer to the question"Tiller or Console"? Myself would definately be a console. I feel more secure in bad weather situations with a wheel and also I have a wife, which means a windshield is a requirement.

TILLER 20 foot skeeter, Had a wheel boat for 8 years now going to switch to a tiller my buddies think I'm crazy, but you can't beat the fishing room.

20 Ft Lund pro guide tiller with a 200 verado...SWEET!:raisin:

Skeeter WX2100. Plenty of room and storage, baitwell, 2 livewells. Windshield and steering wheel.

I've owned a tiller boat to many things left to be desired IMO, console for me all the way, I wouldn't own another tiller boat.

Tiller.

I am 54 years old. I grew up living in a house on a river in Iowa. My Dad bought me an old wood boat that we patched up to stop most of the leaks with a 16 horse Oliver motor. My first Tiller. Had a tiller my whole life. My wife went boat shopping with me in 2000. Purchased a side console boat, then a bigger windshield boat, then a dual console Crestliner 202 RCL Tounament series with a 225 yamaha. Like the boat but can't maneuver or follow edges near as good as a tiller. Fish a lot of trees. That boat isn't really made for any of the kind of fishing I do. Going to sell it. I just purchased a tiller again. Probably going to stay with a tiller. Much easier to fish trees and follow edges and structure. Sure going to miss the room, speed, and storage of the 202, but being the most efficient as I can be to catch the fish is what it is all about for me.

i think it has a lot to do with how you like to fish. i have fished both wheel and tiller boats over the years and in my opinion except for forward trolling a tiller is a better fishing boat. i do think however that for all around boating a wheel boat is the way to go. unless you really understand WHY you want a tiller in most instances i think a wheel boat is the way to go. i will tell you this, the tiller boats you can buy today are fantastic fishing platforms able to handle any thing you want to do and more. good fishing

i'll take a tiller any day,especially when forward trolling.

frank

Console forever!!

. . . . not to mention backtrolling, this is where the tiller has it all over a wheel.

big_crappie,
This is an age old question that comes up probably once every couple of months on this board and the answers are always the same. Ford or Chevy, I firmly believe that if storage & costs are not issues then how do YOU fish most of the time?

Base your decision upon the room you need & want and the type of water you fish most of the time. There will never be ONE perfect boat for big water, big winds and then expect the same boat to be used to explore back waters of the rivers effectively.

Once you decide upon tiller or console then decide upon material & all the options and upgrades that make some boats luxurious and others just functional.

It is interesting to listen to what others believe is the perfect boat is garbage to someone else.

Good Luck,
walleyejohn

Dual console, hands down. I have a 1900 Pro-V and there is still tons of room in the boat and I back troll with a vantage....much easier...console boats are just way more comfortable to drive not to mention higher HP rating...just my opinion. Forward trolling is a dream with a Verado and smart craft...so she's covered all the way around.

Want to go back to a tiller, works better for my style of fishing. Have a dual console now and thought it would work better for the family....Not!!! Just a hint of rain and the wife wants to go in and the boys don't care so it's tiller time when my boat sells.

Welcome back!:howdy:
HRG

I fish rivers and small lakes in addition to the Lake Michigan. For me the tiller provides the best fishing platform for the various waters I fish and fishing techniques I use. It comes down to setting up the right "tool" to do the job.

Tiller.
I never plan on owning a Console boat again. And I fish 12 months out of the year. So Hot or cold. Tiller until I am dead and cold.
Lund 2010 with a 175 hanging on the back.
Pete

I'm not a tiller guy. It boils down to I do not like getting wet. Better control with a tiller, but with that comes a price...getting more wet. I can keep pretty good control with my console boat. I use my bow mount all the time and have never had any issues keeping on an edge. If I want a tiller, thats why I have a kicker thats tiller.

I would take a Tiller boat for fishing. Real fishermen like waves to the face every now and then.

Just driving around the lake smoking a pipe ... wheel. JK LOL :)

karpbuster

i just upgraded to 2025 w 250 verado from 18' alaskan with 50hp 4stroke tiller(which is 4sale). havent fished much in it yet so not sure how will like not having my hand on the main motor all the time but i did use a electric tiller alot on the alaskan. so will prolly have to put a 36v vantage on it for backtrolling and of course wavewackers. However with the new tillers available with huge motors and power steering dont think you can wrong....if it is a fishing boat and not a joy rider.

ryan

In fantasy land I’d have a 300hp 20+ foot console, with a 15hp tiller.

Having rented boats for my outboard (tiller) most of my life, my first boat was a 1993 Lund 16' Explorer tiller with a 30 HP Johnson, that I bought in 2001. This was my 50th Birthday present to myself. My wife and kids kept bugging me to get a real boat (console), so I did. I had a 2005 16' Lund Mr. Pike (Console) with a 90 HP E-Tec, that I owned from July 2006 till the end of the open water season. This was a really nice boat, just never felt comfortable in it. During that time only my one daughter had time to go out with me. So the next year I sold it and replaced it with a 2007 Lund Explorer 1700 Tiller with a 75HP E-Tec. I'll never go back to a console boat. The only inconvienent thing about a tiller boat is the locator / GPS is hard to see where it's mounted. This just means a BIGGER screen. I'll put my vote in for "Tiller"