Have used both over the years. I currently have a hand control with a Pro-Kontrol handle and 2 Bigfoot switches. I like a foot control equally well and in some situations I find it superior. Reliability is the reason I have a hand control now. 85% of my fishing is done in Mexico and a steering cable or micro switch may be 700 miles away. Heck, I even carry a spare trolling motor. If I only fished here in the states,I'd run a foot operated motor without a doubt....Cmack

I've had both and prefer the hand control. The foot control made me feel off-balance, especially in rough water. However, I've not used one on a boat with the control "hole" in the deck. I think it is like anything else, you have to try both and use what you feel comfortable with. Each require there own skill sets that take time to get use to.

I had hand control from '94 to '01 and have had foot control since '01. I like the hands-free part of foot control but I really can't say anything negative about hand control. My tournament partner still uses hand control and won't even consider foot control.

Foot. I can go left, right , back or straight and do it all while reeling an casting.

Only way to go.

www.prokontroll.com

Have any of y'all thought about the Comfort Troll modification to the foot control? I'm am.

On the other hand (pun intended), a hand control is a lot more comfortable to the legless or arthritic older angler.

Manual (paddles) all the way, baby! Yeah! Poor man's trolling motor!

I have only had the foot control on both of the boats I have owned. For me that is the only way to go. But I have had the directional cable break on me twice and both were during tourneys which left me dead in the water. I recently got a ProKonTroll that will connect to the lower part of the TM so that if it ever happens again it wont ruin the day. JR

I have had both and when I did have the hand control I had bigfoot switches on both sides of the deck and a pro control on it. Thats the best set up if you are going with the hand control unit.
I currently have a foot control in a recessed deck and would not go back to the hand control after using this set up. I think the recessed deck is a tremendous asset to have with the foot control unit. You have better balance because you are not "standing on one leg" using the t/m and it puts less strain on your back.

I don't know how many times I was reaching for the pro control to change direction and got a bite and missed the fish. I am in more control of my fishing with the foot control unit.
The foot control unit is much better if you fish in a lot of timber also.
If you fish long stretches of bank going straight a lot of the time then the hand condtrol may be a better choice.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/Cmackdaddy/2-08004.jpg

Here's a pic I took of my setup yesterday on Livingston...Cmack

JRoberts, I'm curious about the ProConTroll that attaches to the foot control motor shaft. Their website doesn't show one. Also can you use it anytime or just when the cable breaks?

They make 2 models, one that has a longer shaft to attach to the inner mandrel of a foot control motor below the bearing housing . They also make the one tat attaches to the shaft right below the head on a hand cotrol model as is in the pic I posted the link to above. The website is Prokontrol with a K....Cmack

I've had both too and it seemed the hand control cut down my number of casts about a third per trip on windy days. Replaced it with a foot but like others have said one legged dance sometimes. Going to look into recessing the pedal.

With a constant on-off floor switch and a proKontrol handle i can make many more cast per day with a hand control, especially on windy days, just click the power foot switch on and let her run to maintain position with the wind. Very seldom touch the handle, can stand on two feet, walk around in the boat changing lures, etc, without losing any ground, er water..