Posts: 3504
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
Cable vs electric is a hard one to make a decision on due to personal preferences. Some guys like the instantaeous directional change with the cable control, whereas others don't. I have never used a cable control due to my fishing style for the most part.
My personal preference has been the foot control overall because I like having both hands free while fishing and I can still control the boat's direction. Although seemingly less reliable these days with the foot pedal itself, the powerdrive foot controls do the job well...they are slower to change direction, so depending on what you want to be able to do, might be a good option, it might not.
I happen to have a Minn Kota Autopilot, in which the foot pedals have been quite reliable for me until this year. I prefer the autopilot version so I can take my foot off the pedal at times to help balance my weight better, and I really like it when a fish is in the net. I can just set the direction to take me away from structure and not be blown into rocks, weeds, etc as I work with the fish...I point it out to open water. So...for me, there is a safety aspect in that regard, but it also doesn't allow the boat to move into unfished structure.
With either style, there will be things you may want to have in a tool kit/box for quick repairs. some guys with the powerdrives carry a second foot pedal, while those with cable steer have an extra cable. Sometimes, things just happen and being able to "punt" so to speak, to keep yourself on the water and working effectively is definitely a good thing, so spare parts are good to have, along with good preventative maintenance.
Steve |
