hand vs foot

[hipster dufus]

last 2 rigs have had foot operated tm on the bow. my old all electric had a modified hand control on the bow. iam thinking of going back to the hand control. pros cons? 1648 mv weldbilt. not a ton of room on the front deck, thinking foot switch and hand control. all opinions welcome

 

[Zum]

I went back to hand control.
Like you mentioned, takes up less space but also I find it quicker to steer and less cables etc.for my fly line to get caught in.
There are times I miss the foot control but for the most part I'm good with my decision.

 

[bobberboy]

I suppose for those born into a world with joy sticks and game controllers this may be second nature but I have trouble with the foot controller. I feel pretty good about being able to use both hands at the same time but add a foot and it's all over for me. Come to think of it I'm not sure how I manage to drive. Maybe with a lot of practice I could get it. It makes sense to have your hands free for rod and reel but I still like the idea of hand controlled. Having said all of that, I have a foot control and am not very good at it so I'll be watching this thread.

 

[txninja]

I have done both and Foot is the only way. I want to fish, not jack with the trolling motor every 5 seconds. The longer you use it the more you get used to it.

 

[bird35]

I have a hand controlled TM, but my next large boat purchase will be a foot controlled TM. I have having to stop fishing to adjust the TM especially when I am drifting down a river in current.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Depends on your style of fishing - if you are just using the TM to get to the next place where you drift or anchor -then hand

If you are moving the boat and casting (like working a shoreline or structure) then a foot is the way to go

 

[ccm]

I like both though I do still prefer hand control. Hand controlled units are generally cheaper on the initial purchase price than foot controlled units. With cable steered units there is always the risk of a cable snapping though the new dual cable steering has less issues than the old rack and pinion style. In rough water cable steered units are harder to control. The main advantage of foot control is your able to steer and fish at the same time. If you go with a hand controlled unit I highly recommend a ProKontroll and a couple or even three T&H Marine foot switches for ultimate control. https://www.prokontroll.com/prokontroll.html I do not own stock in either company, I just believe their products are the best on the market.

my modified ProKontroll
[imghttps://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s284/ccm31/ProKontroll001_zps08caddf3.jpg][/img]

go from this to...

this in one motion

ProKontroll gives your hand controlled trolling motor 360 degree steering vs. only 180 with other hand extenders.

A person with a ProKontroll and foot switches can move and fish just as well as a foot controlled motor.

 

[lovedr79]

Foot all the way

 

[lovedr79]

I hated the foot control at first, but once I got used to it I won't go back to a hand control. I can fish and steer. I can keep my fishing buddy in position without having to stop what I am doing to keep him happy

 

[ccm]

Some people prefer foot control some people are die hard on hand control. If you look at large bass tournaments there will always be some percent of the field using hand control. The two major brands of trolling motors still have a line of hand controlled units up to the most powerful models available because there is still that segment of fisherman who won't do without one. I like foot control but it is a little hard for me to work the pedal because of a permanently weakened ankle ( doctor said I'd been better off if I broke it but that's another story ) My hand controlled unit works fine for me; I'm just glad I'm not using a sculling paddle anymore.

 

[Shoedawg]

Funny this topic came up. I was just discussing this with my father-in-law today about the exact subject. As mentioned earlier, he said it all depends on what you are doing or how your fishing.

I am leaning towards a foot controller myself. Having fished with a hand controller, I find it to disrupt my fishing flow. I have not used a foot controller, but have seen others use them on their boats and it appears to me that you spend more time fishing than hassling with a hand controller

 

[Ranchero50]

Minn-Kota Electric steer with 'autopilot'. Probably one of the very best improvements I did to my boat.

Honestly the best of both worlds. You can even add a remote to attach to your fishing rod. Foot control is short so you don't get the Captain's leg syndrome. I'll just set it close enough I can tap the steering with my fingertip. The cord is 20' so I can steer from the back if I needed to. Really easy to control while chasing something big on your light gear and just aim it into the current and set the speed so you can hover over the bottom while you deal with your catch.

I hated being chained to the controls with my old cable steer setup.

 

[Lost Pole]

Disclaimer, I didn't read previous responses.
I don't fish lakes or confounded areas. Rivers, creeks n bayous aren't as forgiving as fish bowls. So obviously I don't troll.
If you're looking for good water here, you'll actually find yourself in someone's backyard a lot of the time. Being able to cut on dime by visuals is a must.
It's the TM placement which is the most important.

 

[ccm]

Pro's & Con's

Cable Steer
Pro's 1 You can fish and steer at the same time 2 All in one unit no accessories needed. 3 quick and responsive steering 4 Easy to adjust the speed
Con's 1 Broken cables ( ruins a day of fishing ) 2 Learning curve for operation 3 hard to control in rough water leaving the angler/boater in an off balance position for taking a swim 4 Foot petal & cable assembly takes up more space 5 you cant speed through timber

Hand Steer
Pro's 1 Generally a cheaper retail cost 2 precision control 3 less bulky, 4 Easier to use right from the get go
Con's 1 You cant fish and steer at the same time 2 Not all in one to take full advantage of motor extension handle ( preferably 360 ) and foot switches must be bought 3 you have to reach down to change speeds.

Electric steer/wireless
Pro's 1 Easy to use, 2 Precision steering, 3 Foot pad takes up less space, 4 Can be controlled from anywhere in the boat with a remote, 5 Some models are offered with the ability to be fully integrated where your electronics talk and can do all sorts of cool things
Con's 1 Highest retail cost of all ( even for non integrated models ), 2 A fully integrated system is quite expensive, 3 A remote even for a non integrated is still an added cost 4 The mount seems to be a tad bit more bulky, 5 and the steering is not quite as quick to respond vs. cable or hand steer.

This above mainly pertains to bow mount motors though there are some interesting transom mount ideas
Cable Steer transom mount MotorGuide's Bull Dog
360 steering MinnKota's Vector 3X
Plain old hand controlled with this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIUIjzxP6WM and the website https://procontroll.com/

Accessories for your trolling motor

If you go the hand control route like I did then I highly suggest using a ProKontroll, and a couple of foot switches ( I cant fish without it )
https://www.prokontroll.com/prokontroll.html You can fish just as well as a foot control with a little use your fishing will be just as uninterrupted and seamless as foot control without the worry of getting bucked overboard while fishing in windy rough water.

If your worried a cable might snap ending your day on the lake or costing you the tournament then a Dick Watsons Pro Stick might be the answer. I haven't seen one in years and last saw them advertised in the late 90's so here is the link to the patent on Google https://www.google.com/patents/US5632216 just click on the blue print pictures and you will get the idea.

What it all boils down to is the users needs, preferences, and situation on which might be best for them. I hope I have provided some good information on this subject and what options are available, feel free to correct/argue against me or provide your own experiences as to what really works best in certain situations. I hope this helps sorry for the length I hope we can agree at least on one thing paddling sucks for fishing :LOL2:

 

[chrispy186]

On my jon boat I have a hand controlled. On the Triton its a foot controlled. Now, I always used to prefer the hand control, but after fishing yesterday with the foot control, im seriously starting to think about switching the jon boat to foot. Im not sure why, but something told me that I have been a fool all these years and foot is the way to go.

 

[New River Rat]

I fish only current, and have tried both hand and foot. To operate the foot, some of my balance is lost by standing on only one foot. Although I've never took a swim because of balance loss, I feel I have came very close.

These days it's hands on for me.

 

[lovedr79]

I just stay seated while using the foot control.. I guess I am lazy.

 

[turbotodd]

I too was a die hard hand control angler. When I bought my first bass boat, it had a cable steer foot control and I HATED it. Takes up space, cables in teh way all the time, trip over them, if I had it steered all the way to one direction and wanted to go the other, I had to hurry up and swing the pedal over the other way, and if you're trolling in a lake that's full of trees and stumps, you need to be quick...or risk bending (or breaking) the TM shaft. I put a hand control back on it. Then realized that the darn thing was too far away from the seat to use it. So I was finding myself standing up more often as opposed to sitting at the seat and fishing. My back bothers me occasionally and I'd rather be sitting if it's hurting. I kept the cable steer and put it on dad's flat bottom. He liked it. I still hated it.

Losing your balance is a thing of the past with a "well" that the pedal sits in. Many bass boats have it now as an option, it puts the pedal down below the floor a little so that the top of the pedal is about level with the floor, so you just stand on it and move your foot. You don't lose your balance nearly as easily. It is a nice addition to a cable steered foot controlled motor, and I believe it could be put on a tin boat's casting deck as well with a little fabrication.

Later on I sold my bass boat and went back to a flat bottom, which had a hand control on it. It worked. It was placed on the side of the boat right next to the front seat, easy access. Just reach over and either steer or on/off or change speeds. Real easy. Until you had to steer it to where the handle had to be moved to the outside of the boat, then it was a chore to get to. Reverse sucks on a trolling motor. No torque/thrust to speak of. I ended up selling that boat but kept the outboard because I bought a brand new boat/trailer and used my old (if you call it old) outboard on it, and bought everythign else new as I could afford it. I decided to try an electric steer wireless Motorguide (W45 48"). I am tickled with it. The first few times I used it, I had to get used to it. It doesn't take up any space. Less than a bow mount hand control. I bought the hand held "fob". It has a retractable tether on it which clips onto your belt or pocket or jacket and you can hold the fob in your hand, and when (or "IF" for me) a fish is on, just let go of the fob and it retracts to your belt or pocket or whatever. The foot pedal has been used twice in the 4 years I've had this motor. Once when I dropped the fob and couldn't find it (went under the floor) and the other time to see if it worked. It, too, is wireless. Really though, the best thing about my setup is that I can fish from the back of the boat while dad sits in the front of the boat and I run the trolling motor from the back. His eyesight is pretty poor so it works out well.

The W45 that I have is also variable speed-which ALL trolling motors should be. Actually I think its 24 speeds but for the sake of simplicity, it's more or less variable. I can count the rotations of the prop on the first click of the fob. REAL slow. If the wind or current is moving, I can pick a speed to match it and the boat sits still. My old motor was 5 speeds and it always seemed like one was too slow and the next was too fast. But they do make variable speed hand control motors now too, I've run one and liked it.

If there were any downside to the electric steer, it's that the steer motor makes a little noise and it's not as fast to steer as a cable steer. You get used to it quickly. Especially the slower steering. Learn to work around it, watch your obstacles and plan ahead a second or so. Sometimes I fish a small cold stream that is full of trout. If the water is calm and clear (usually is) the fish can be scared off by the noise of the steer motor. I have mine isolated from the mount; and have the trolling motor isolated from the boat. They'll still scatter if they're in one of their moods. I've learned to float carefully and not use the motor much on that particular area as to keep from spooking them. Can't say I've caught any more fish that way but I don't see them swimming off when I steer like I used to. Only when I move in the seat and the seat makes that stupid creaking noise. If it ain't one thing it's another.

The co-pilot feature is kind of cool. Holds your track that you stored in your fish finder. iPilot is neat too but I found that for me, the co-pilot was more useful. Expensive too, for either one. I watched a guy drive an expensive Gambler up kinda close (but not ON) to the concrete ramp, hop out with the trolling motor down (nobody in the boat) and it held it's position while he went to get the truck. I was baffled how it stayed put with the wind blowing and no anchor but that was before I knew what Minn Kota was doing with those motors. Pretty cool but it takes a while to learn how to use everything. I'm technologically challenged anyway so the learning curve for me is twice as long as it is for a 5th grader these days.

 

[New River Rat]

turbotodd » Today, 00:29[/url]"]Losing your balance is a thing of the past with a "well" that the pedal sits in.

Bet a "well" wouldn't help much where I fish. A tinboat would be in question, too. The flow was beautiful yesterday, as my son can attest. BTW, those black things in his hands are trolling motors of sorts.