Kicker Bracket Location

[FishRCutBait]

Hello all:

I am a bit new as a poster to ifish, ya one of those who mostly look, but now I have a worthy question about preferences for kicker bracket locations.

I am likely going to purchase a new boat (NR Seahawk) with an offshore bracket for use with an outboard. That said, I would like to know how many of you prefer to have the kicker mounted on the offshore bracket or up on the transom.

Never having owned a boat with an offshore bracket I have no experience with the pros and cons, but I am thinking that from a pure fishing standpoint having the kicker on the transom would be better to keep the boat controlled while trolling and still being able to get access to rods with strikes, baiting, landing etc... From a foul weather standpoint I can see advantages to having the kicker controlled by the steering wheel. Of course there is always the benefit of a TR-1 as well, but that can work with both options.

Those of you who have used both set-ups will be a great point of reference!

[Moldy45]

My buddy has a 22 seahawk with his t8 mounted on the transom and we made a link to the main OB to steer it and it works great.At first we thought the angles would be to hard to make it work but it wasnt at all

[Pirate]

FRCB,
I own a NR Commander not a Seahawk, but the options of a swim platform or transom mount were available, so the choices were similar to yours. I had mine mounted on the transom and believe that is the only way to go. The closer that motor is to you the better, for better, quicker control in an emergency. Mine even has a TR-1 and I still like the motor close for raising before running and minor adjustments while trolling. No choice IMHO. :cheers:

[FishRCutBait]

Thanks for the feedback, it pretty much goes with what I was thinking that being skipper on the boat it's much easier to run the kicker off the transom.

Now I just need to find a 2007 22' Seahawk with that configuration with the goodies I want. That is likely not going to happen as all the dealers I have called so far are pretty much out of stock and I hear I am facing an 8% price increase for ordering the boat of my dreams if its a 2008 version, ouch!

Anyone out there with a 2006 or later 21' or 22' Seahawk with transom mounted kicker they need to get out of?