I was just curious what everyone prefered for the trolling motor. I have always had hand controlled on all my jon boats and know have a nitro (much bigger boat) and have foot control and am not sure If I like it. I acually am in the market for a new trolling motor and am having a tough time deciding between Minn Kotas 3X hand control and Motor Guides wireless foot control (transom mount).

I voted foot, but I also have back trouble and the pedal can get to be a problem sometimes with balance.  My next one will probably be a remote or hand control.

Foot controlled is all I will use. I refuse to take my hand off my rod and reel to adjust the direction of the boat.  As for backpain and balance, periodically I will use my butt seat set so I can lean against it - Its a must have for windy, choppy conditions.

My first boat(used) had a hand control and when I bought a new boat it came with a foot control. At first I didn't like the foot control but after getting used to it I wouldn't go back to hand control.

I have a foot control on my boat, used to have a hand control, I will never go back to hand control. Having to stop reeling or not casting so you can chage boat direction is a pain. I much rather use my foot to do that.

Paul

I currently have a hand control with a Big Foot but will be installing my new foot control soon. I am sure I will love the foot control.  Too many times I'm trying to position the boat (especially more so in windy conditions) when i should be casting.

Also have had to perform a little two step on the deck trying to land a fish and keep the boat from running into docks, etc with the hand control.

Foot seems to be the only way.  Why else would everyone on the circuit be using them?

I used to have a hand control. When I got a new boat I bought a foot control. At first I didn't like it, and the main reason is the bulky cable running in a loop to the head of the trolling motor. If you do decide to go with a foot control I highly recommend one with a wireless remote, particularly if your front casting deck is rather small. I also think that it would pay dividends to try and check out several different makes/models to see what the ergonomics are like. I've got a Motor Guide, and frankly don't care for it at all.

I have both the foot control and the wireless remote control on my Minn Kota Power Drive with Co-Pilot & Auto-Pilot. I like the remote control over the foot control with the front deck being modest in size I don't have to deal with triping over the foot control or it's power cable.

Chow

The Pa Angler

I have both the foot control and the wireless remote control on my Minn Kota Power Drive with Co-Pilot & Auto-Pilot. I like the remote control over the foot control with the front deck being modest in size I don't have to deal with triping over the foot control or it's power cable.

Chow

The Pa Angler

my  new boat  and my last one had foot controls   and i loved  themm  when i was a kid i had a hand control on my jonboat   and that was what was suited for that boat   but now its  2006   GET A FOOTCONTROL  OR  REMOTE  CONTROLED

There was a time when the pro's swore by hand controls over foot controls. That's when all those bigfoot on/off switches came out and the handle extensions were all the rage.  I used a hand control on one of my boats in the early 80's and could never figure out why anyone would prefer them over foot control.  

I like a foot controlled TM.I'll take the old fashioned cable over the wireless remote.

YES IT'S 2006, I guess I failed to mention that the foot control and remote came with the TM not that I USE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME but with night fishing in the Northeast corner of Pa where they have night contests for Striper, Walleye and Catfish the foot control became a safety issue of tripping on a modest front deck. You can run the TM from anywhere on the boat something you can't do with a forward deck mounted foot control. If you do use a remote you may need at sometime a backup and that's were the foot control comes in otherwise I've found FOOT CONTROL to be nothing more than T&TS ON A BULL. OLD HABITS (FOOTCONTROL) ARE HARD TO BREAK EVEN IF IT'S INCONVENIENT.

Chow

The Pa Angler

I voted for and still use hand control.  I think I would like Foot control better for "normal" fishing if I got used to it but since I don't sit or lean when I fish, rough water and high winds are not easy to balance on one foot and drive with the other.  Besides, I take lots of people fishing that do not have boats and they couldn't operate a foot control.  We fish enough places that are pretty swampy and when the wind is up, someone HAS to be on the t-motor... if I hang a good fish, need to pee, etc.  I just call the other person to the front to take over.  Sometimes I like to be a passenger and with a hand control, anyone I bring can drive me around, once in a while!  ...lol

The other part of a foot control that I don't like is having a single control, in one place... I have big foot switches mounted on both sides of the deck and can use them from anywhere one the deck...  since I rarely fish off the front, I go side to side a lot and that would be a pain moving the foot control around constantly.

Unless it's really windy, I only use the foot (or knee or hip) on the hand control anyway.

But for tournament bass fishing, I do think foot control is the most efficient.