Hot Foot vs. hand throttle 2024
Tackleholic reply :
Shopping for a new 20 ft bass boat. I'm interested in opinions for a Hot Foot vs. hand throttle with a 250 Merc..
WRB reply :
Hot foot allows the driver to use both hands steering the boat in lieu of one hand on the steering wheel and one on the throttle in rough water. 20' w/250 means 70 mph @ WOT, hot foot is safer with better boat control, especially if need to adjust the trim/jack plate at high speed.
Tom
A-Jay reply :
If you've not tried a Hot Foot throttle set up, perhaps you should test one before making your decision.
Many Hot Foot users are very happy with them.
The ability to operate while having both hands on the wheel is often promoted as a plus.
I'm a total purist - Traditional hand throttle only for me thank you.
Throttles work fine for me is these situations - So I'm good.
Good Luck with your new rig purchase
A-Jay
iabass8 reply :
hot foot is a "must" if you fish alot of big water/rough water. Makes life alot easier and safer with 2 hands on the wheel /w a 250 on rough water. If you do alot of idling or mid/range to slow speeds in shallow water, stump fields I prefer a hand throttle so i can stand up and look for boils/stumps. Not sure about merc / yamaha but I know evinrude has controls that allow you to switch back and forth. Unless you fish alot of water that can get nuts and have alot of 3+ foot rollers, a hand throttle is fine if you're used to it.
slonezp reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 12:11 AM, iabass8 said:hot foot is a "must" if you fish alot of big water/rough water. Makes life alot easier and safer with 2 hands on the wheel /w a 250 on rough water. If you do alot of idling or mid/range to slow speeds in shallow water, stump fields I prefer a hand throttle so i can stand up and look for boils/stumps. Not sure about merc / yamaha but I know evinrude has controls that allow you to switch back and forth. Unless you fish alot of water that can get nuts and have alot of 3+ foot rollers, a hand throttle is fine if you're used to it.
Merc has those controls available with the Verado. Possibly with the new V8's. I saw a 2020 Ranger with a 200 ProXS and it had an electronic throttle system rather than cable.
As far as the original question, it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other.
Way2slow reply :
I like the comfort of just being able to set the throttle and cruise, so I like hand controls. They are great for just a relaxing cruise at 45mph or so in calmer water.
With that said though, I have spent my whole life owning go fast boats. From the late 60's when I had an Allison with twin 135BHP Merc racing engines on it that ran in the low 80's to now with a 20' Javelin that runs in the 80's with my hot rod motor on it, and I think I can safely say, I would probably have been dead or seriously injured several times if I did not have a hot foot.
Unless you are built like an octopus and have three arms, there is just no way you can have the control needed to drive a boat that is up on it's pad and just barely skimming along the surface of the water. You are either going to be driving one handed, (that's a scary thought) or you are going to be moving one hand back and forth to the throttle and you had better have some hellasush reflexes. Things can go south in a heartbeat, when you are moving along at 80mph, and if that boat is set up properly it will probably run that.
Also, with you even asking the question, tells me you don't have the experience that would be required to even try to drive it without a hot foot, SO, get the hot foot.
Team9nine reply :
Another fan of the Hot Foot. Jackplate control left of the wheel, trim/tilt to the right, two hands on the wheel and drive it like a car ????
J Francho reply :
I prefer a hot foot, though idling around a marina, where you'd rather be standing for better vision is a little difficult.
ChelseaFisher reply :
My dads bass boat has a hot foot without the option to switch back and fourth to traditional. It’s nice for cruising from spot to spot but I feel a dock and trailer the boat better with a traditional throttle. I think I’d like it better if it had the option to go back and fourth like some I have seen.
Shimano_1 reply :
Its all personal preference. I've owned both and honestly could care less. If it has one that's fine and if it doesnt that's fine as well.
Bassattackr reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 11:35 PM, J Francho said:I prefer a hot foot, though idling around a marina, where you'd rather be standing for better vision is a little difficult.
Ditto, also long runs make a hotfoot kind of a pain. For me, it also depends on the boat. If you're driving a Triton, Phoenix, etc which requires a little more driver input, both hands on the wheel is a huge plus. My buddies previous Nitro Z20 only had a hand throttle and I never felt unsafe driving it.
I have a hot foot on my Phoenix and wouldn't have it any other way.
18RangerZ520L reply :
My G2 foot pedal is super sensitive just like a car's gas pedal, so in rough water I switch it back over to the hand throttle. I've gotten used to using the hand throttle again so I just keep it set on hand throttle now.
On my old 2009 Z520 I had the hot foot and liked it. If I had a Merc, I'd have one.... 
Fishing Rhino reply :
One suggestion. Be sure that you have someone familiar with type of throttle you have when negotiating tricky waters.
Tony johnson reply :
I prefer hand throttle... especially in rough seas
Way2slow reply :
OK, gonna get on my soap box a minute.
I have to ask, those that prefer hand throttle, how many of you are running over 70 mph in a boat that's trying to go where it wants to go instead of where you want it to go. Dealing with chine walk, choppy water, other boat wakes, I find that very hard to do with a hand control.
Yea, at moderate speeds in white caps, hand throttle works great, but it could be deadly trying to drive at 70 - 80 mph in fairly calm water and the unexpected happens.
However, I doubt most have driven a boat over 70 or 80 mph and don't have a clue what's involved when dealing with those O-S*** moments that can arise.
Remember, the boat he is referring to is very capable of running those speeds and a hand throttle at those speeds makes him a candidate for the next U-tube video where they are fishing him out of the water.
Tony johnson reply :
On 10/3/2019 at 8:07 AM, Way2slow said:OK, gonna get on my soap box a minute.
I have to ask, those that prefer hand throttle, how many of you are running over 70 mph in a boat that's trying to go where it wants to go instead of where you want it to go. Dealing with chine walk, choppy water, other boat wakes, I find that very hard to do with a hand control.
Yea, at moderate speeds in white caps, hand throttle works great, but it could be deadly trying to drive at 70 - 80 mph in fairly calm water and the unexpected happens.
However, I doubt most have driven a boat over 70 or 80 mph and don't have a clue what's involved when dealing with those O-S*** moments that can arise.
Remember, the boat he is referring to is very capable of running those speeds and a hand throttle at those speeds makes him a candidate for the next U-tube video where they are fishing him out of the water.
I have driving both at speeds over 70... on a the river with really shallow water... the only time I prefered a foot throttle was in my old jet boat... I had a hand throttle in a 18ft picklefork with a 200 merc on it...
Further North reply :
Good topic...
Here's an opinion from a guy who fishes lakes where you can go one end to the other at 35 MPH in 10 minutes.
WI, MN, MI and a lot of other northern states fit this model. It also works great on Canadian shield lakes, even big ones like LOTW (one million acres) where islands and channels and shoals and reefs cut any opportunities to make long, fast runs to a minimum.
I can see the usefulness of a Hot Foot on bigger rigs easily...but can also step back and ask...why do you need to run 70 MPH on a 2,000 acre lake...and that's pretty big water 'round here.
I cannot think of any situation where a fisherman that's not making lifestyle sustaining money from fishing needs to run 70 MPH, anywhere near where I live...by hundreds and hundreds of miles.
J Francho reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 9:57 AM, Further North said:I cannot think of any situation where a fisherman that's not making lifestyle sustaining money from fishing needs to run 70 MPH
Except when you want to, and can.
JLBBass reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 11:43 PM, Tackleholic said:Shopping for a new 20 ft bass boat. I'm interested in opinions for a Hot Foot vs. hand throttle with a 250 Merc..
anything that goes over 60, a hot foot for sure!
Further North reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 8:34 PM, J Francho said:Except when you want to, and can.
I've gone well over twice that in cars...that's more fun, for me.
J Francho reply :
On 10/8/2019 at 2:28 AM, Further North said:I've gone well over twice that in cars...that's more fun, for me.
So would you want a hand throttle for a car?
A-Jay reply :
On 10/8/2019 at 2:44 AM, J Francho said:So would you want a hand throttle for a car?
Only for the ones that need an anchor . . . .
A-Jay
Logan S reply :
Between actually steering the boat, trim switch, jackplate switch, and occasionally needing to zoom in/out on my chart...I'm already doing too many things with my hands at times, so a hot foot is a nice feature.
In rough water it's invaluable, being able to cut or floor the throttle as needed while keeping both hands on the wheel to drive AND to hang on is a nice thing. I also agree about boat control at high speeds, another time I want both hands on the wheel.
I'd never own a bass boat without one. For these reasons plus I just like it in general.
Further North reply :
On 10/8/2019 at 2:44 AM, J Francho said:So would you want a hand throttle for a car?
Um..no. How'd you get a silly idea like that?
J Francho reply :
On 10/8/2019 at 11:23 AM, Further North said:How'd you get a silly idea like that?
That's how I feel about a hand throttle for a high speed boat.
Way2slow reply :
The lake I mainly fish, it's 28 miles east to the dam from where I launch and can turn north at the dam and go another 25 miles, and over a mile wide in the main body. I prefer to fish over spend all my time driving a boat when I take a notion to move. Driving a boat that's up on the pad and hauling a** with a hand throttle would be like trying to use cruise control and then try driving Watkins Glenn.
Further North reply :
On 10/8/2019 at 7:27 PM, J Francho said:That's how I feel about a hand throttle for a high speed boat.
Again...I'm confused. I think a hot foot is the best, safest way to drive a high speed boat.
...but that's not what I wrote about...I was writing about how a high speed boat doesn't make a ton of sense anywhere near where I live unless it's owned by someone making a living from being first on a spot.
J Francho reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 9:57 AM, Further North said:I cannot think of any situation where a fisherman that's not making lifestyle sustaining money from fishing needs to run 70 MPH, anywhere near where I live...by hundreds and hundreds of miles.
On 10/9/2019 at 12:50 AM, Further North said:Again...I'm confused. I think a hot foot is the best, safest way to drive a high speed boat.
...but that's not what I wrote about...I was writing about how a high speed boat doesn't make a ton of sense anywhere near where I live unless it's owned by someone making a living from being first on a spot.
I was offering a differing opinion to your earlier statement. You are within approximately 100 miles of two Great Lakes. I can think of several situations where a hot foot and speed is a better option.
Further North reply :
On 10/9/2019 at 1:49 AM, J Francho said:
I was offering a differing opinion to your earlier statement. You are within approximately 100 miles of two Great Lakes. I can think of several situations where a hot foot and speed is a better option.
If you have to go that far, it you have to split hairs that far down...drag Great Lakes into it...to make your point...OK, you win.
...but that's not what I was talking about. I suspect you know that. I suspect that everyone else knows you know that. Enjoy being "right" about 1/10 of 1% of fishermen in my part of the world...that and $4 will get you a cuppa coffee at Starbucks...
Logan S reply :
To be fair...100 miles isn't really that far. Unfortunately for me, that's a pretty normal fishing trip outside of the Potomac and some small local lakes. My next tournament is on Lake Anna, which funny enough is exactly 100 miles from my house - I consider it one of my 'home waters' and it's where I fish most of the winter.
Some people like (or have) to travel and fish outside their immediate area.
J Francho reply :
On 10/9/2019 at 12:40 PM, Further North said:Enjoy being "right"
Sorry, it wasn't about being right, it was a different opinion, based on my perspective, and what I think is probably best for the OP. I would highly recommend blinker trim as well.
contium reply :
I've had both. I will never run a bass boat without a hand control. If they have both, that's great. But I HATE graphing with a hot foot. I spend way more time graphing than running wide open. All my lakes have 35 mph speed limits anyways so I rarely drive wide open.
Further North reply :
On 10/10/2019 at 1:39 AM, J Francho said:Sorry, it wasn't about being right, it was a different opinion, based on my perspective, and what I think is probably best for the OP. I would highly recommend blinker trim as well.
Interesting selective quote out of context...which gives what was written meaning...
I was also offering, "...a different opinion, based on my perspective..." and very useful for a ton of fishermen.
One size doesn't it all, and decisions are seldom binary.
On 10/9/2019 at 9:46 PM, Logan S said:To be fair...100 miles isn't really that far. Unfortunately for me, that's a pretty normal fishing trip outside of the Potomac and some small local lakes. My next tournament is on Lake Anna, which funny enough is exactly 100 miles from my house - I consider it one of my 'home waters' and it's where I fish most of the winter.
Some people like (or have) to travel and fish outside their immediate area.
Great observation, and me too...I'll be going over 100 miles tomorrow...to fish with a guy who's got a big motor with a hot foot...but the lake won't justify the motor size...his successful tournament fishing does.
The number and density of lakes in this part of the country is very high...there are hundreds of fishable lakes in our county.
Minnesota claims to be the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and they're not kidding...Northern WI has another 15,000 or so...
Few of them justify 70 MPH runs for 2 minutes and 12 seconds, unless some one is making a significant portion of their income from competitive fishing.
J Francho reply :
The OP is located close to Bull Shoals and Table Rock, along a few other very large ressies. He wants a 20' bass boat with a 250 motor. Hot foot, and blinker trim controls are still likely the best options, for that kind of boat. What's funny, is you think that I'm making some kind of binary condition. I'm not. In fact, my next boat may very well be a big deep-V tiller. I'm not at all close minded about fishing tools.
Glenn reply :
And scene....
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