boat preferences?

[mike frisch]

I have another question for anglers out there; this one regarding boat style preferences. Personally, I was a "tiller guy" for many years, then went to console boats with kicker motors, and last year ran a Ranger 188VX bass boat with a 150 E-TEC. Really loved the Ranger/Evinrude combination as it was perfect for my bass tournament fishing and also for the recreational fishing I do where bass have also become my favorite target. I am wondering what others prefer in boats; how many tiller guys are still out there, how many guys have converted to wheel (console) boats, and are there any other guys who've made the conversion to bass rigs?


Mike Frisch
Fishing the Midwest fishing team member
Elbow Lake, MN

[Hot Runr Guy]

Tiller guy.
HRG

[KHedquist]

Tiller guy.
HRG

we all have issues:cookoo::happy:

[stinkycat]

Absolute tiller guy!

[KabNam]

I like a kicker motor to steer from the console and a good electric motor on the bow of my Alumacraft.

[Morton]

Tiller guy until I die ....

Morton

[Catcrazy3]

Tiller through and through

[dutchboy]

I fished bass for many years from a single console Ranger 681VS. Super boat, really couldn't be happier! In fact I still have it.

A few years ago I started to get the itch to try a tiller. I had never owned one before and didn't want to stick a ton of money into one without trying it out first. I bought a damaged one. Had a hole in the hull (fiberglass) but the motor was good. 60 hp Yamaha, 2 stroke. Fixed the hull and ran the boat for 2 years, decided that I liked it. Last summer I hung a new 60 hp Yamaha 4 stroke on the back. So now I have 2 boats, one console for when I want to go fast and one tiller for trolling. The best part is I was able to avoid payments on a new tiller boat!!:rockit:

[Jimmy Jig]

Steering Wheels belong on pickups....

[KHedquist]

Steering Wheels belong on pickups....
:funnypost:

[Minnesota Tiller]

Tiller for me

[DADDY228]

i wanted a 18ft lund tiller. the wife would not go for it with 2 boys at 3 and 1 and now i have boy #3 on the way in march. full windshield with a wheel for me. After my trip to canada last year i am glad the wife said no to the tiller. it rained every day we were there, it was the last week of may so it was cold as well. there was 4 boats in our camp and i was the only boat with full glass and when it is upper 30s to low 40s they were drawing straws on who went in my rig. i ended up with a 18ft crestliner 150 opti

[Skis]

Single Console for this Alumacraft owner. Love the openness without sitting at the back end of the boat getting wet running a tiller. First Alumacraft was a tiller though....

[Dave Q]

75hp tiller ....for the room, the cost and the control.

[Anthony E]

My first boat was an Alumacraft 165 Magnum tiller with a 50hp Yamaha 4 stroke & Wave Wackers. It was a nice rig but I became real tired of being wet when using it. I bought a 1700 Lund Fisherman with a 140 Suzuki 4 stroke in '03 & I'm very happy with the change to a full windshield. I also have the top & side curtains that Lund offers-very nice. I doubt I will ever purchase another boat without a full windshield. I bought the tiller because of the wide open space & better boat control but now feel the loss of both are well worth the gain in comfort from the elements. Actually the consoles offer quite a bit of storage for things like life jackets, tackle boxes, etc. so the loss of space is'nt quite as bad as most people think. Windshield & wheel for me.
Tony