Posts: 656
Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | I run an 2005 Alumacraft Tournament Pro 185 tiller, with a 90 horse Yamaha 4stroke and a 15 horse Yamaha kicker. 18'11" by 8' wide. It was the largest tiller on the market that year. Lund and Ranger now has longer tiller boats but they're not as wide. I also have the Mertens Tiller assit steering system in it. With 4 batteries, 3 large screen Lowrance units, Raytheon Marine Band radio, 70lb??80lb? thrust Minnkota autopilot., wavewacker splash guards. So you can see that I have a lot of gear on it. I can still linedance 3 guys in it. It has below deck storage for 8 rods in one compartment and storage for 4 more 8 foot rods in the gunnel. I have 1 livewell with custom luretubes holding roughly 150 spinnerbaits and bucktails plus another compartment with 24 more luretubes that I can fit 3 to 5 glide/jerkbaits in each tube. Also. I carry 2 tackleboxes for the trolling lures, and surface baits. I figure that I'm carrying 300 to 400 lures in the boat. I have had 3 large men in it and have had plenty of room so we're not tripping over each other while fishing. I point out all this room, so as to argue with MuskiesTreats claim about no storage in a tiller boat The only thing that sits out in the open on the deck are the 2 tackle boxes and the landing net which is tucked along one side, out of the way. If I wasn't such a baithog, I could get by without the 2 tackleboxes. I use the other livewell as my cooler. (who needs livewells in a muskie boat? We don't use live bait and who keeps a fish?) As far as deck space, the whole boat is wide open deck. I can fish from anywhere in the boat without windshields and consoles in the way.
I can control the boat for fishing in the roughest water and hold on position better than a bassboat. I can use the bowmount or if that won't do the job, then the kicker and back into the wind/waves. or forward position with the kicker to push and the bowmount to steer and if the wind is still blowin me around I can use the main motor to back into the wind. If it's still blowin me off my spot and out of position it's probadly so rough that I don't want to be out anyways. I'm talking about fishing here not running from storms. Also, I can forward speedtroll.
I've been on outings with Muskie treats. He can run faster than I can by far and probably stay drier from side spray than I do. My top speed is about 35 mph on a good day. He's running 60+mph, I'm guessing. But then he's at least 110 more horsepower than I am and using that much more gas. With the windshield he stays drier than I do from side spray, but in any kind of storm he's as wet as I am because no boat has a roof to keep the rain off.
I was with Treats on an outing to LoTW N.W, Angle a couple of years back. We got caught in a Severe Thunderstorm coming back from the Tug Channel. It was wide open water to the south and the waves from Big Traverse Bay were rolling at us. Treats was able to keep his Procraft on plane and I had to back down because I couldn't quite push through the waves without pounding to much. I think my boat is underpowered with the 90 horse and it's rated for 100 horse but no one makes them. If I had a little more power I might have been able to keep her on plane and push through the waves better. I backed down the speed and trimmed the bow up and didn't have any waves coming over the bow and with the wide width she didn't roll or corkscrew. I did not at any time feel the least bit worried or scared that I would swamp my boat or have it roll over on me. Treats ProCraft seemed to be plenty safe and rode better than my boat in so far as he kept it on plane. We were both soaked from the rain. So much for the windshields on his bassboat. I did beat him back to the resort though. He got lost and headed around the south side of Oak Island and ran into even bigger waves. So, I guess you draw your own conculsions about rough water running and tiller vs bassboat. But for boat control while fishing a tiller boat will perorm better in rough water.
There are many opinions and experts on this subject. In the end it boils down to personal perference. Do you want speed? and some protection from the weather go with the bass boat. Do you want lots of room and great rough water fishing control? Then go with the tiller. |
