Tiller Guys?

[Mille Lacs Guy]

To the above post regarding boat speed with the large Tillers. As I mentioned in my original post I can back troll at less than 1.0 mph in glass calm water with my 90 Etec. The motor idles at about 450 RPM. I can forward troll less than 2.0 miles per hour for sure. Most of the time if I am backtrolling with any wind at all I actually have to give it gas to move at decent fishing speed.

[Mille Lacs Guy]

What do nasty conditions have to do with fishing in a tiller? I stay drier than most guys in alumimum boats with a windshield in my 18.5 fiberglass tiller, that is unless they have a full windshield. And I'll guarantee I am riding a lot smoother in the real rough stuff in my fiberglass tiller than most guys in aluminum console boats as well.

[FullTilt]

I've done a ton of back trolling in the 0.8-1.2 mph range. Do you go with the drift sock off the bow if you need to go slower than 1.4?

I guess I don't see the point of having a big tiller as the primary trolling option if it won't troll slower than 1.4? Maybe I'm missing something here.

Don't get me wrong, my 8 hp tiller is my favorite piece of equipment in my whole boat. I just don't see the application of a big tiller as an effective back troller for all situations.

[Redline]

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What do nasty conditions have to do with fishing in a tiller? I stay drier than most guys in alumimum boats with a windshield in my 18.5 fiberglass tiller, that is unless they have a full windshield. And I'll guarantee I am riding a lot smoother in the real rough stuff in my fiberglass tiller than most guys in aluminum console boats as well.

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I'm talking about a full windshield in a 20ft. Crestliner. I doubt you would be any drier then that, and we still get wet! I am just saying I would rather be in a big full wrap around windshield boat then a tiller in some of the conditions I have been in.

[Vtiller1900]

I have a Lund 1900 (19 feet 7 inch) tiller with 100hp merc. I will upgrade the motor when the time is right and it is getting close with the price of gas! I absolutely love the room and the ride. Not always fond of getting wet but when its hot it feels good and when its cold dress for it. Wouldnt trade it. I can fish in almost any environment and have plenty of room for the kids and the dog!

[Mille Lacs Guy]

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I guess I don't see the point of having a big tiller as the primary trolling option if it won't troll slower than 1.4? Maybe I'm missing something here.

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I can troll slower than 1.4 with my rig but I think the Minn Kota vantage or similar allows you to troll slower if necessary. Any time the wind is blowing on a larger lake I use the big motor and can creep right along. If my big motor is too fast the vantage does the job for me.

[SuddenlySummer]

I have a 17' Lund Angler with a 75 Yamaha 4 stroke. I pull tubes and wake boarders with ease. I even mounted downriggers on to the sides. I love to go to Door county every July/Aug and slam the salmon. A little deeper v would be nice but I'll never go away from a tiller.

[Team Otter]

Once a tiller, always a tiller! A console set-up is not an option.

[bnbrk94]

Lund 1660 Pro V with a 60 hp merc. Love my tiller!

[Nova]

I was trolling on Superior 2 weeks ago with my 115 Johnson 4 stroke tiller and it was glass calm. forward trolling was 1.6-1.8 mph. I can back troll down to about .8-1.0 if it's glass calm, but usually IF that happens(and it doesn't very often on Mille) I run the electric to avoid any noise.The electric is on the back also

[Vtiller1900]

With my 1900, I have no problem pulling the kids on wakeboards or skies. In fact, they will ride the wakeboard out to the mud in the summer. We just stop early and put the board away to fish. My 14 year old has been driving this since he was legal with no problems.

[PieEyed]

All this controversy over, if a big tiller goes slow enough... they sell trolling motors for when it's calm.

A bigger question for everyone is how does a T8 do in 4 footers? If it's calm use your electric and if it's rolling you need some power to hold you on the fish (like a big tiller). As for you counsel and full windshield guys that are so worried about a dry ride... I bought a boat to fish out of not to worry about how dry I'm going to be. I guess when it gets windy on the big pond and you can't stay on the fish at least you'll have an enjoyable ride back to the access as I sit on the fish and pound em.

I run a 1800 Lund with a 90hp 4 stoke Yamaha and I wouldn't trade it for any counsel boat.

[norteastern]

I am for sure a die hard tiller guy. I like the control better and for the absolutely slow troll for 'eyes. When you hit a hot spot, you can either turn it around on a dime or throw it into reverse to get to your hole. I am running an older 14' Crestliner with an older Evinrude 15 HP. I may not get to the spots that quick, but when I am there, I can putt along pretty slow to entice those rascals with a small spinner.

[danlk]

yes i agree its not the boat that does the cacthen.its your head if you use it. my 1st boat was a 14 ft lunker then a 1660 pro v with a 60 merc now a 175 tp alumacraft with a 90 mer i hope i get no more 2ft itis. my garage is not big enough. still love tillers, i feel like im fishing not just a boater MORE AND BIGGGAR.

[Mike Walerak]

Tillers Rule!

I run a 1900 Pro-V with a 90 merc and a 15 hp 4 stroke kicker. The reason I went with the bigger kicker is if my big motor breaks down in the middle of Lake Oahe I can cut a couple 3 hours down on my trip back to the dock . Not to mention the quiter motor has less effect on fish in shallow water.

I do use the big motor some if I have to backtroll against some heavy waves but found the kicker does and adequette job in most cases.

The only down fall I have found to my tiller is that in huge waves it can be a little tough to handle while running. If I was to get more into tournaments I would go with a console just to get the speed for spot hopping. I would still have a tiller model kicker though.

mw

[LetThemGo]

I have a 06' 90 HP Yamaha with VTS (variable trolling speed). When backtrolling, I can hit the VTS buttons on the tiller handle to increase/decrease the engines RPM's by increments of 50. I've been testing it and it works quite well down to about winds of 10 mph; then I switch to my trolling motor.

As far as tiller go, I sure like fishing out of one. It's a pain is the butt to run big waves and wind with a tiller, but once you start fishing you have the ultimate in boat control: backtrolling. Nothing else, IMO, will allow you to hold on a spot like backtrolling, unless you want to anchor.

[OldBear]

I have a 16 ft. Lund S-16 with a 25hp Evinrude tiller. Serves my purpose great. When my wife and I get packed and in it their no room left as is so I sure would not want a console in the same size. I notice that most of the time I fish alone though and I have the motor tilted in and it planes better but it is harder to steer.