Back in the 90's, I used to see pros with hand operated, bow mount trolling motors. Are any of you using them? I have a small fiberglass bass boat and the foot pedal takes up valuable space. Don't know if it would be inconvenient though, having to reach down and steer. What are your opinions?

I had one for awhile.  You can get the extension arms along with the big foot on/off switch.  They can be a nuisance on windy days when you're trying to work soft plastics or other baits on the bottom.  They can also be an advantage at times since you're not locked onto a foot pedal.  

It's a personal choice based on experience.  I wouldn't own one again.  

I had one for awhile. You can get the extension arms along with the big foot on/off switch. They can be a nuisance on windy days when you're trying to work soft plastics or other baits on the bottom. They can also be an advantage at times since you're not locked onto a foot pedal.

It's a personal choice based on experience. I wouldn't own one again.

I also  had one once and won't have another one.

Back in the 90's, I used to see pros with hand operated, bow mount trolling motors. Are any of you using them? I have a small fiberglass bass boat and the foot pedal takes up valuable space. Don't know if it would be inconvenient though, having to reach down and steer. What are your opinions?

If space is a real problem then you got to purchase an extension arm so you don 't have to reach down and steer, other than that consideration I would go for a foot pedal.

I wouldnt have one on the front of my boat without a foot pedal. Although I sometimes bring along the tiller steer that  I have for my small pond boat. I mount this on the back of my boat for those occasions where Im goin to a river where Ive never been.There has been times that Ive gone up creeks and couldnt turn around and the tiller steer  at the back of the boat was a plus. Ive also used it for trolling by myself in the river.