Hand-controlled front trolling motor?

I’m wondering if anyone is using a hand-controlled front trolling motor instead of a foot control and how they like it. Right now I have a Minn Kota foot controlled Powerdrive on my 17 tiller boat. The foot-control is so herky-jerky, and I think it would be so much more immediate and easy to just have a hand-controlled trolling motor up front.

I have a hand controlled one…

i.e. i push the buttons on the ipilot remote with my hand.

Awesome.

Are you asking about putting a transom mount (Trolling motor with handle) on the bow, or getting a trolling motor with a remote control?

I had one on a used boat I bought once. Couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. I have since had an ipilot and an xi5. I used the remote controls for each. I haven’t even taken my xi5 foot control out of storage yet. It just sits in the front storage of my boat hoping to be used some day.

x2

I have never used my foot pedal for my terrova.

Orv
i upgraded to a 24V 74 lb thrust Powerdrive with Ipilot. i have a 17 ft also and had the 12v 55 lb thrust. the added power really helps on the river..

I’m guessing the people that don’t use there foot pedal don’t do a lot of vertical jigging with two rods. I don’t use my foot pedal much, but when running two rods, I wouldn’t be without a foot pedal.

I’ve never understood the hand operated bow mount concept. Whenever I see that setup I just think it looks like a giant pain in the backside.

Dave,

I have a fishing buddy that uses a tiller TM at the bow of his Flat. I hate it. You are constantly in an uncomfortable position having to run it.

FDR

I used a power drive unit on friend boat. I didn’t like it either. I have always had the foot pedal..I guess you would call it a cable system. You can tell which direction the motor is pointed just by the position of your foot…toe down or heel down. I’m happy with that system until I can afford the ipilot. I do a lot of casting and moving the boat without effecting your fishing is easy.

A buddy of mine bought a Jon boat with a tiller handle bow mount last year He loves it and I hate it. But if you are use to using a transom mount tm already I don’t see it being much of a change. On his old boat he always used his transom mount tm where I have never had anything but a cable steer bow mount.

The other thing to consider is the newer ipilot and xi5 trolling motors also have autopilot features which do a lot of the directional adjustments for you. They can’t predict when somebody drops an anchor 10′ behind you on a drift, but if the flow or wind is strong enough to keep the motor running at a decent speed, the directional changes happen pretty automatically.

I can drag jigs with two rods without issue, vertical jigging two is more difficult. That’s really the reason the foot pedal is still in the boat, otherwise I’d probably leave it home on the shelf. I’ve also found over the years that I ultimately do better vertical jigging one rod rather than two because I can concentrate on that one more in depth. That’s not the case for everybody, my dad for example does better jigging blade baits with two rods because it helps him stay in that rhythm better. He has a heck of a time without a foot pedal for that reason.

I fish a lot of timber and heavy cover just off the main channel and it would be so nice at time to just grab that trolling motor and make immediate turns and corrections. I don’t do so much of the vertical jigging these days (never with 2 rods) so it’s more for “jungle operations” than drifting big water. I do a fair amount of bass fishing and again I just think it would be easier when snaking through narrow spots to just grab the trolling motor handle. It can’t be much more of a hassle than the blankity-blanking Powerdrive foot pedal!

My experience with the one I had was that I couldn’t turn it far enough from where I was at. The newer ones with 3X turn might not be so bad, but trying to turn 90 degrees, when you actually have to turn the head 90 degrees was not at all fun.

If you can find one with the 3x turn, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

I would be lost without my I-pilot.

I guess I’m the weird guy…..again

I use a low cost(no PD,pilot etc.) hand kota on the bow with a foot on and off switch and love it!!

Using and combination of reverse and the momentary switch.I have no real issues with turning….

I just could never get the knack of the foot pedal…..and could not afford the remote control motors……

Personally, in my opinion the biggest mistake people make is not learning how to use the foot pedal. Having hands free operation of the trolling motor is a huge plus when your pitching or doing any casting.

In my boat I fish on the front deck and run the Terrova with the pedal and whoever I’m with keeps the remote around their neck. That way if I need to retie or do anything else they can take over.

Until I got the Red Sled, I always used a hand controlled front trolling motor (that pulls up with a rope the same way afoot control did. Then I installed two bigfoot switches in the deck so I could power on, power off. This set up helped immensely when fishing docks or in the wind (just set it continuous run and a low speed= then tack into the wind). Much more precision positioning and boat control. With the hand control I fished much more slowly then I do now.It’s hard to keep my foot off the pedal and when I do the motor tends to start heading in another direction.

I had a hand steer and hated it. I switched to a cable drive for the quick response.
DT

What’s a foot pedal?

had a foot pedal not a cable drive and hated it. Went to a 24v 70lb thrust and installed a dimmer light switch to turn power on off, doesn’t take up any room in the boat plus you can add a bigfoot telescoping handle and it is right there. works great for the river when your normally going in a straight line trolling of bass fishing shore lines you can just bump the stick with your hips to make needed adjustments. One other thing to consider is dependability how many times on here have you heard guys having issues with their foot controls going bad, or the batteries dying on their remotes. Sometimes less technology is the way to go. Oh have you priced them Ipilots. Just my two cents

I’ve had a hand control on all my boats since 1978 ,I’ve never broken a steering cable , on my 2001 champion ,I have a 72# minnkota maxumm,I have a foot button on the floor that runs a golf cart selenoid ,that has ran it for the whole time and have never burnt up a set of points or foot button.I just move the extenstion handle with my knee. I had a power drive for a try once and it was gone as fast as I could afford a new hand controll ! My back doesn’t get sore from balacning on 1 foot, I have ran a foot control with a floor pan that wasn’t to bad too use. that would be a second choice ,if you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Stan

abster71 wrote:

had a foot pedal not a cable drive and hated it. Went to a 24v 70lb thrust and installed a dimmer light switch to turn power on off, doesn’t take up any room in the boat plus you can add a bigfoot telescoping handle and it is right there. works great for the river when your normally going in a straight line trolling of bass fishing shore lines you can just bump the stick with your hips to make needed adjustments. One other thing to consider is dependability how many times on here have you heard guys having issues with their foot controls going bad, or the batteries dying on their remotes. Sometimes less technology is the way to go. Oh have you priced them Ipilots. Just my two cents

I have two dimmer switches .. one for on and off and the other for 12/24 that I never use.. I had foot peddles for years until i had ankle problems.. Now I am standing on TWO FEET , not one.. makes for a much more stable boat.. and I have an arm off the shaft of the trolling motor that I can kick with my foot.. or slap with my leg or hand.. the arm moves either up or down.. so you can use your foot, let or hand at any time.. plus.. I never have a CABLE BREAK on me to ruin a trip or a tourny..

Are you talking about putting a transom mount TM on the bow, or are you talking about a actual hand control bow mount that you see on those saltwater flats boats???

hand control bow mount..

puddlepounder wrote:

Are you talking about putting a transom mount TM on the bow, or are you talking about a actual hand control bow mount that you see on those saltwater flats boats???

Hand control bow mount.

I fish with a friend who has the bow mounted hand control TM and he does very well with it. It’s adjusted to the exact height of his chair upfront and his steering is very precise not having the delay or mistake of a FP or remote. You push it where you want it and it’s there, now!

He doesn’t fish two rods but he fishes one quite well.

ET

Bow mount…

I too have a preference for the hand control so I can fish like Bill Dance. Foot pedals do have a nod for vertical jigging two rods but for me that also results in a back ache and a pain in my leg since it pins me down too much. I can grab onto that hand control even standing on my head and not stuck in one position like and feeling like I was cast in bronze.