Deciding where to place Vantage. By far the majority of boats I see have the Transom electric/Vantage on the starboard (right) side, especially tillers. I am considering placement on a wheel boat, with no kicker, just splashguards. On many newer boats, there is considerable width, making it difficult as a right hander to sit in the back and control your rod out the port (left) side and then use your left hand to steer the Vantage.

Is there any reason not put the Vantage on the port side? Do most people have it on the starboard side because it controls the boat better or makes turning the boat easier? Thanks.

Deciding where to place Vantage. By far the majority of boats I see have the Transom electric/Vantage on the starboard (right) side, especially tillers. I am considering placement on a wheel boat, with no kicker, just splashguards. On many newer boats, there is considerable width, making it difficult as a right hander to sit in the back and control your rod out the port (left) side and then use your left hand to steer the Vantage.

Is there any reason not put the Vantage on the port side? Do most people have it on the starboard side because it controls the boat better or makes turning the boat easier? Thanks.

I run a tiller and my vantage is on the starboard side but I wish it was on the port side. When I am sitting in the back my electronics are all right in front of my and if I had the vantage on the port side my pivot point would also be the back port corner of my boat and would be much more convenient. On tillers I think they should be on the port side with wheel boats not sure it matters. The reason I think most tillers have them on the port side is that is the way most if not all dealers have been installing them forever. IMHO

Deciding where to place Vantage. By far the majority of boats I see have the Transom electric/Vantage on the starboard (right) side, especially tillers. I am considering placement on a wheel boat, with no kicker, just splashguards. On many newer boats, there is considerable width, making it difficult as a right hander to sit in the back and control your rod out the port (left) side and then use your left hand to steer the Vantage.

Is there any reason not put the Vantage on the port side? Do most people have it on the starboard side because it controls the boat better or makes turning the boat easier? Thanks.

Mine is on the starboard side of a 2025 Pro-V IFS.

I placed it there to be a little closer to my dash electronics. My seat base is also offset to the starboard side which would make reaching the handle (if the Vantage was on the port side) quite difficult.

As a right handed person myself, it seems odd, but I fish out the starboard side and run the Vantage with my left hand. While at first this seems a little awkward, it really is not too bad because of the 4-1 steering that the Vantage has. It takes so little handle movement to control the boat, it really is not hard.

Like you, I was concernered about the long rod needed to fish out the port side. Also being so far from the port side (because of the the live well door and the offset seat base ) there would be no good way to keep the rod tip low when it was windy.

FWIW, the guide we used a couple of weeks ago had his Vantage on the port side, with one of his fishfinders mounted on the port side also, so he fished out that side.
HRG

ttt

I had my vantage on the port side of my 1785 yar-craft tiller. I liked being close to the locators and it seemed to give me a bit better boat control. A small bit, but I could stand up and run it, cast jigs easily and have my electronics at my fingertips and everything infront of me which was really really nice. when I had a more traditional style transom mount TM, it made it alot easier to get it in and out as well
What I hated in my tiller was always having my arm reached out to hold on. (slider seat would have really helped) Eventually after about 6 hours of running the motor, my back got really tight right under shoulder blade. Other thing I disliked was it made it harder to watch you jig if you fished directly under the boat, because you have to move the transducers to the other side. Depends on your fishing style, but for me, having that transducer 5 feet farther away from my jig and an aching back was enough for me to change back to starboard. Also, you get a few more accidental tangles when you set a rod down to net a fish because you are just that much closer to your line.

Has good and bad, but the new set of splashgaurds is also something to consider. also, where are your wires run on your boat? is that going to be an issue as well?

Mine is on the starboard side of a 2025 Pro-V IFS.

I placed it there to be a little closer to my dash electronics. My seat base is also offset to the starboard side which would make reaching the handle (if the Vantage was on the port side) quite difficult.

As a right handed person myself, it seems odd, but I fish out the starboard side and run the Vantage with my left hand. While at first this seems a little awkward, it really is not too bad because of the 4-1 steering that the Vantage has. It takes so little handle movement to control the boat, it really is not hard.

Like you, I was concernered about the long rod needed to fish out the port side. Also being so far from the port side (because of the the live well door and the offset seat base ) there would be no good way to keep the rod tip low when it was windy.

I would LOVE to have mine on the port side, I find it really awkward as a person that likes to hold their rod in their right hand to fish on the starboard side. If I'm facing backward and back trolling it puts my arm in the middle of the boat or out behind the boat and fishing underneath it rather than nicely over the side. If I'm turned to look at the sonar unit at the helm, I'm fishing "backhanded". I've worked out a system where I kinda lean against the trimmed up outboard or use a butt seat. It works OK as long as you don't have to be constantly working the Vantage, but having it on the port side would be WAY better for me.

Unfortunately, Lund makes that really difficult. They offset the seat mount to the starboard side and they put the baitwell along the gunnel on the port side, those two things make it near impossible to put the Vantage there and fish comfortably. I've actually contemplated removing the bait well somehow to get the Vantage over there and even possibly moving the seat base or adding a second one.

Waxy

It is all a matter of how you use your boat, and what will be comfortable for you. I've recently re-rigged my boat to move the Vantage from the Starboard side, to the Port side. But the reasons I spent $350 for new Wavewachers are as follows. Maybe some of the things that motivated me to change will help you make your decision?

Since you don't have a kicker, that's probably the end of it for you. I'd put the Vantage starboard if there was no kicker - reason - you will be directly behind your electronics, and have the best visibility of electronics, with sunglasses or without, weather standing or seated. For me - I have a kicker, I run my kicker sitting down, but I always run my Vantage standing up. So I can see my electronics if my Vantage is left or right, but I only sit behind my electronics when running my kicker if my kicker is starboard.

Consider if you are right handed, or left handed, and which hand you will hold your rod, and which hand will steer the vantage. You don't want to be forced to switch hands just to reach the reel paddle when you have a fish on.

Sunglasses - I like wearing sunglasses when on the water, mine are prescription, and if I tilt my head the wrong way, the lenses do not allow me to see the sonar screen - it blocks it out... This made running the kicker from the port side, and looking at my console to see electronics, an extreme pain.

When I run my kicker, I also want to be able to turn the big motor, to help change direction of the boat. So being in the driver's seat with kicker operation was a plus for me. Note my kicker is a tiller style, not a remote style.

Boats will turn easier one way than they will the other when the power source is mounted to the side - like kicker's and vantages. But which direction it turns easier is a non-issue. I have to turn both ways an equal number of times. It's not like I'm nascar and only turn left.

I've spent 2 years thinking about changing, and finally this year, going into the year, I told myself that's it - I'm getting a new set of wave wackers and swapping sides between my kicker and Vantage. A big reason this works for me is, I ALWAYS stand up when running the vantage - so I'll always be standing in the same place - middle of the boat. The only difference is, which hand I steer the vantage, and which hand holds the rod.

I always sit down when running the kicker - which makes more sense to have directly behind the electronics, and not have me swapping seats with my other fishing partners, just to run the kicker.

When I get time, I'm going to have to put my old Wave Wackers on the swap board!

I am curious how tall is everyone? I have my vantage on the starboard side and it fits me perfectly at 6'3" (1825 pro guide). I did get to put my seat base where I wanted it at the dealer, if that had not been the case it might not fit as well. Sure is a nice piece of equipment, we can hover in a good chop.

I have a pro v and my vantage is on the starboard side. I'm right handed, pole in right hand and I steer w/ my left. Typically I'm standing up looking forward at my electronics, this works best for me. It's a bit awkward when I sit down, but it still works.

Timely post for me on this...

I just bought a new 1675 Pro Guide this year although I didn't start with a Vantage, I've considered getting one from the beginning. When my dealer went to install my ducer he asked which side I'd put the Vantage on, if I ended up getting one. I told him I'd mount the Vantage on Starboard so we put the ducer on the Port (HB SI ducer), which is also convenient to where my line would generally be to watch jigs, etc.

While fishing this past weekend I sat in my stern seat, where I'm at all day, and pretended to have a Vantage mounted in each location. Stbd mount would allow me to run it sitting down, with a rod in my right hand, fishing out the Port side as normal. Port mount would either force me to stand while running a Vantage or would cause me to have to reach really far forward, as some others have noted.

I stand often, especially while jigging and rigging but I'd rather have the option of sitting than being forced to stand, so I'm going to stick with my Stbd mount if I end up adding the unit.

I'm 5' 11' with average length arms.