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I’ve been guiding for almost 50 years—owned some nice boats—mostly tillers. Most guides I know are adamant about tillers. It does keep everything in front of you and under control.

A few years ago ago I came across a side console 17ft crestliner with 115hp 4-cycle Merc. Really good price—loved the motor—hated the boat—But—i would never go back to a tiller. Wrap around windshield is really nice.

I got into Pontoon boats a few years ago and wish i had of got into them 30 years ago. I was always dubious about how they handle rough water—needless to say I was wrong. I’m talking Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior here. Big Water can come up fast. I got a 25fter with a Honda 90 (wish I’d got the 150) and have not missed a days fishing due to high seas yet. Plus I can put on 2 or 3 more fishermen—double the income for no more expense.

You can get into a 25ft tri-tube with 150 for about $40,000 new—can’t do that with a Crestliner or Lund.

You have more leverage with a tiller than you have with rotary or single rack steering, not as much as hydraulic though. I can't imagine that you'd have hydraulic or dual rack with a 70 horse power motor. Handling issues would be the same, the gearcase doesn't know if you're steering with tiller or remote, boat would handle the same. FWIW, I've seen 200 hp tiller motors before.

My flat bottom loves the Rock and Kosh.

Friend of a friend has a full canvas set for the cockpit of his pontoon. Then he cut holes out of the floor and will sit inside the canvas with a buddy heater going using short ice-fishing rods through the floor of the pontoon.

Work is slow....I'm bored...I'm getting in on the pics. Some of these are boat specific, all are fishing / water related. Sorry if I go overboard or derail. These are mainly just what I have on my computer here at work.

John, maybe these will give you an idea of what the AL gulf coast has to offer.

The first boat I ever "owned" was a 15ft Monarch flat bottom jon boat with a 40hp Evinrude tiller outboard that was given to me when I was 15yrs old. Untold quantities of bass, bluegills, specs and reds have been caught in that little boat. Still have it too. Haven't used in a couple years since someone stole the outboard and I just haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. No good picture of the boat on hand but here is one of some of the fish I caught in it...the bow on that boat makes a great fillet table platform!




The first boat I ever bought was a 21ft Answer Cuddy Cabin.




Some fishing on that boat in the mouth of the Mobile Bay with my father.








After a few years with that one, I decided to "upgrade" to something a little more tailored specifically to shallow water and bayou fishing. This was a SeaChaser 20ft Flats Skiff. LOVED that boat.






Even took my (now) wife on our first date in that boat...and did it right by getting her hooked up with some good reds.

After some "he-ing and she-ing" we found out that we had a baby on the way. I freaked out and went into financial crunch mode and shed a lot of "unnecessary" debt...which also meant the SeaChaser went down the road as a means to get rid of the note. I didn't last long before I NEEDED another boat though. I decided to buy cheap and ended up with this jalopy...still not sure what it was...but I got it titled as something and went fishing.




We used this boat to rat around Mobile Bay, the Mississippi Sound and all over Dauphin Island. We end up on the beach a lot just so the wife and daughter can play in the water when it gets hot.

Caught this guy on a piece of squid while fishing for white trout in the MS sound.




This dude was right on the beach and I caught him in my cast net (accidentally) while trying to net mullet...Sheepshead and a cast net makes for a tangled mess!




Pod of cow nose rays swimming past while we were chilling on the beach.

My dad's preferred saltwater boat for some time has been this Triton 20ft Sea Flight. Great boat. Good sea handling capabilities but still good maneuverability in shallower water and bayous.








I eventually broke the jalopy and we upgraded to an old SeaBird that we decided to sorta restore. And with a slightly larger boat came slightly longer trips to new territory. But we still stop on the beach after running back in from offshore...and I usually go do some surf fishing for whiting while the gals play in the water.

Here are some more randoms....including a buddy who came for a visit from Oregon. We were running to a new spot and came upon some busting fish. Thinking they were slot reds, I handed him a 12lb spinning rig....they turned out to be 15-20lb class jack crevalle. After a 20 minute fight, he finally got his pic.






Exceptionally good water day in the sound....










It does suck when these guys show up in late summer....but in this case, we were mesmerized by how clear the water was and thought it was amazing to see this many of them with 20ft of visibility.




Netting mullet for bait




Someone at the ramp has a sense of humor





And just for the heck of it.

The extra room in a tiller is the only advantage. Wet ride in wind. Hit a stump your shoulder will sure know it. I'm on over 30 years of fishing tiller boats from the gulf of Mexico to sakakawea and even the windy lake you can walk across (koshkanong). I'm done. Walk through for me next time. Check walleye central classifieds. More good fishing boat options than you can imagine on there. Also check out tuffy for a good semi affordable glass boat. Iced had 2 and they are great at half the cost of skeeters or rangers.

Mine is easy to drive. Without the hydraulic jack plate it would be difficult. Depending on load and speed a minor height adjustment makes a big difference. It is on a 20 ft bateaux that I built.

My buddy has hydraulic assist on his 150 tiller. The throttle and steering is the same as mine but as you put pressure to steer a sensor activates the hydraulics.

There are guys that are into cars or motorcycles or planes or a myriad of other toys for fun but I’m a boat guy. I love boats, fishing and the general solitude of exploring hidden bays, cruising inlets and throwing the hook out in a place that makes you feel as if you’re the first person to lay eyes on such unblemished beauty. Southeast Alaska is a boaters playground unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Despite my love of fishing I hate crowds and I detest “combat fishing” which means that a boat is a necessity.

The “right” boat for one type of fishing is the wrong boat for other types of fishing. Saltwater fishing in the PNW and Alaska sees all types of materials used in boat building but Aluminum boats are the most popular around here. They’re generally lighter than a glass boat of the same size and “style” and don’t require as much horsepower to get up on step thereby saving money in the initial cost of the motor (outboards) and over time you’ll see a significant savings in fuel costs. Aluminum boats are lighter than their glass counterparts making towing, launching and recovering easier for an older couple to do by themselves.

As for the tiller versus a ‘console” dilemma, that’s a choice of personal preference, the type of fishing, the water you plan on fishing (river, bay, ocean, etc) boat size and motor size. I’ve got buddies that are running 24’ Alumawelds and Duckworths with 200hp outboards and jet lowers. For fishing rivers in a sled the tiller is the preferred method. Personally I prefer a console and really don’t like tiller steering on anything larger than a skiff. I like having a warm and weatherproof cabin, hot coffee and a place to take a nap while waiting for the weather to pass or the tide to change. Making breakfast while trolling is a nice perk as is BBQ’ing freshly caught salmon, halibut, lingcod, spot prawns, etc all the while continuing to fish. Having to set your plate down so you can fight and land a nice King Salmon makes those kinds of days unforgettable. Having some of the basic comforts available onboard also makes it more pleasant for the less intense fisher-people in your life. I want my boat to be as comfortable as possible because I want my wife to enjoy our time rather than to merely endure it for my sake.

If you’re in the market for a boat determine what you’ll be primarily using the boat for, what conveniences you want for yourself and your fishing companions and then narrow it down from there. Once you’ve narrowed your choices down you should arrange some “test drives” in both glass and aluminum as well as with tillers and consoles. Buy what you’re most comfortable in and what you’re most comfortable operating.

Good luck and I hope you post pictures with whatever you decide to go with. 👍

You’ve fished Kosh?

Lots of great advice and insights above. I think it all boils down to what style of boat you like and what works best for what you intend to do with it. Personally, I like aluminum boats for durability and I like a windshield for those cold winter morning runs or to keep the skeeters out of your teeth and eyeballs when heading back to the dock at dusk in the summer. I mostly fish rivers and lakes, in fact I went fishing this morning on the Sacramento.


For my retirement years I bought a used 16' Alumaweld with a 40 hp 4-stroke Merc. Removable canopy and a trolling motor.

I'll have to take pics on the water. This is the only one I have right now

Very nice! I gave up a Ranger 620 decked out for Walleye going through a divorce prior to buying the Allison. I miss that boat...

Loving this thread. Especially the photos.

War Eagle, Great Pics, and what a lovely little tyke you have there. Give her an extra hug from Idaho tonight.

I have been boat shopping also for a year or so. I am looking for something I can put into a skinny river, or a reservoir, or occasionally the Snake R or Clearwater R in Idaho. But I do not intend to run any white water.

My Son in Law just parked a 24 foot Weldcraft W/ a hard top out back. The hull is a bit older, But the jet was just rebuilt and the 460 Ford has two hours on the clock. But just WOW. That thing is huge! Three axles on the trailer, and a full eight foot beam. The SIL got wet in the Snake River last weekend. He said the cab heater is a hell of a nice thing to have.

Yes, I am pretty sure I do not want to go any more than 20 to 21 foot. 350 Chevy or 351 Ford w/ a Hamilton pump.
Professional river guide tells me Mercury Sport Jets like to grenade at 1000 hrs. Automotive engines weigh a bit more for the HP, but are more dependable.

Yes any boat is a compromise between varying conditions. The Weldcraft out back with ten degree deadrise will lift its nose well over a roller in a steep river. But she is going to hammer the hell out of the passengers hitting swells at speed on a big lake or the ocean

I watch what come across Craigslist and there are a few river jet boats out there with thirty year old hulls but less than 300 hrs on the engine for around 20K. Almar, North River, Alumaweld, Weldcraft, Duckworth. If an Aluminum hull has not been hammered on the rocks or beat too hard in the river canyons, thirty years old is as good as a new one.

Aluminum vs glass. If you scratch an aluminum hull, you have a scratched hull. If you scratch a glass hull, you risk water intrusion and rot.

One of the catfish legends lives near me and he uses a 20ft pro V Lund with a 250 Verado.. they have a power steer handle you can use a finger to steer with.

I personally got a Lund Alaskan 1800... because I couldn’t fit one like that in my garage...

My latest project, I still have my bass boat but always wanted a Boston whaler, I'll eventually set it up for Baja and inshore out of San Diego and Long beach.

Kent

Kent, cool boat! I dig the liquor bottle holder in the seat back. Suppose you can call that a 'wet bar'?

I forgot that we were posting fish pictures, too. I try to leave mine in the lake where they're safe and secure