Stick steer or side console?

My Boat has stick stearing and only 14 feet, the drawback is the front seat is mounted to a aluminum bench all way across and takes up valuable room. I installed foam on the floor and covered with plywood and Carpet The back has the same aluminum seat with the swivel seat attached as well and fabed two hatches to cover the Gas tank and Batterys making a small deck on back Tackle boxes and ice chest in the middle.... being small it gets into tight spots and light enough it does not sit low in the water like bigger boats. Bro has a big side console. he keeps all his junk on one side of the boat and it will not sit level in the water and tracks sideways trying to load on the Trailer. He got a big one to fish Nets, Trot-Lines and Yo-Yos and take a tug Boat in the River!!!!! your fishing style should dictate what you fish from . Been in a center console fishing inshore and you could not give me one of the Tubs

Pros: you can see what your fixing to hit.
Cons: if you hit something, you coming out da boat.

The Xpress that I have is really built well, it's been a great boat. The next boat I get will likely be a custom 18ft James River Jet w/ Stick Steer to accommodate a 3rd person better and run the shallow river with a UHMW bottom.

My current hull is a MOD V, and as long as I'm not in some heavy chop, it's a pretty dry ride. I spend most my time fishing the tributaries of the lower Potomac River, or the Upper Potomac above the falls (which is shallow). I don't make any really long runs, and I launch relatively close to where I intend to fish for the day. It's nice and comfortable for the type of fishing that I do. Losing the console and having the extra space on a 16ft boat makes a big difference.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...bafffdf7a9.jpgWhere I fish at (skinny water/ small bayous) stick steer is the way to go. I don't have to get on plane to see where I'm going. We also deer/duck/squirrel & turkey hunt and run lines/jugs & yo-yos very comfortably from it. I also feel safe letting our boys drive it. This has been interesting to read everybody's opinions and see their pics but being that it was posted 4 1/2 yrs ago doesn't anybody know what Mo Slab ended up getting? Lol

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I bought a used stick steer back in the spring,, love the ease and covenince. Like others have said,, sitdown, start the motor go where you want to fish ,kill the motor, drop the trolling motor and start fishing and never get up out of your seat,,,lol, thats for me.

After that post, I bought a side console 17.5 ft War Eagle, practically brand new that I found on Craig's list.....I sold that and now have a 16ft Ranger alum, with a tiller handle 40 Etec.......Think I'll wait a little longer before I get a stick steer.

Up here on Black Bayou a stick steer works best for me. Especially if I am fishing alone. My SeaArk allows me to get into tight places in the trees or try places in open water. To me I like not having to move around in the boat to use the motor. Plus being down low allows me to get under the trees in places.

The stick steer boat appears to be the type boat to fit my needs and solve my problems after reading these posts.
I don't like to launch and load by my self.
I don't like being on the boat, I like being in the boat.
I don't like moving around in the boat
I like fishing by my self.
The stick steer would solve the problems listed above. The trade off would be rough ride and may get wet but I only fish in good weather and small lakes.
Wow I have read and talk my self into purchasing a stick steer boat but what size LxW.

Mike

Glad we could help Mike......if u have any other problems, we'll help with that too;-)

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Originally Posted by MO Slab

After that post, I bought a side console 17.5 ft War Eagle, practically brand new that I found on Craig's list.....I sold that and now have a 16ft Ranger alum, with a tiller handle 40 Etec.......Think I'll wait a little longer before I get a stick steer.

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Thanks for the reply, it's pretty cool your original post lived this long and helped out a lot of folks! Good fishin' to you Mo Slab[emoji106] [emoji106] [emoji106]

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