Small boat fishing: Centre or side console?

Graduating from a basic tiller-steer open tinnie to a "proper" boat with a steering wheel and remote controls is a big step for some young anglers.

But should you buy a centre console boat or a side console model? Let's run through the pros and cons of each.

The centre console is the most popular fishing boat layout. You'll find centre console helm stations on craft as small as 4.0m, and stretching right through to 8.0-10.0m offshore game fishing battlewagons.

Similar to the basic, tiller-steer outboard open configuration, the centre console layout allows you to fish 360 degrees around the perimeter of the boat, yet at the same time provides a helm station with a steering wheel, remote controls, and helm chair.

Most small fishing centre consoles are sparsely outfitted. Seating is generally kept to a minimum to provide more deck space. Apart from the helm chair, there is often a small padded seat in front of the console, and sometimes quarter seats in the transom corners.

Console shapes and sizes differ significantly from boat to boat, depending on the available space and the intended use. Some bigger tinnies have quite a large console, incorporating several shelves, a proper dash area and a tall, vertical windscreen.

The windscreen can provide good wind and spray protection for the skipper, and if wide enough it will also offer shelter to a second person.

The centre console layout is better suited to bigger boats, above about 4.4m. These craft have the size, and importantly, the beam to carry a centre console without restricting fishing space.

In smaller, narrower boats, getting around th4e centre console can be difficult if it is too wide, posing a few problems when trying to fight a fish from the sides.

These reservations aside, the centre console is a sound layout. With a proper helm station (with chair, steering wheel, remote throttle and more) this configuration is much more comfortable to use than the standard open boat, and is only marginally less space efficient.

The side console layout is a modern adaptation of the centre console. Instead of having the cockpit in the centre, the helm console, steering wheel and controls are located on one side (normally to starboard) of the boat, hard up against the gunwale.

The side console configuration was developed some years ago, and is now very popular, particularly in the smaller boat sizes. There are 6.0m-plus sea-going side console boats available, but most are less than 4.8m in length, and fitted with a compact, low-profile helm console. They’re best suited to fishing sheltered waters.

To my way of thinking, the side console configuration provides the best fishing layout. It is particularly well suited to drift fishing, bearing in mind that for this style of fishing you are normally restricted to casting over one side of the boat anyway. With the helm console pushed to starboard, there is plenty of fishing space on the port side of the boat.

If the helm console is compact and low profile, you can also fish over the top of it down the starboard side.

The side console is also well suited to trolling, fishing at anchor, or lure casting.

As with each of these popular configurations, the side console does have a few disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious is that it doesn’t work as well if you normally fish alone, as the offset helm driving position may cause a small boat to list to starboard when underway despite the natural port-down lean caused by the outboard engine's propeller torque.

Conversely, if you regularly fish two-up, then the side console layout is great, as your mate can balance the boat by sitting abeam you whilst underway. Alternatively, all the fishing gear can stow on the side opposite the helm console.

The side console is arguably the best configuration for sheltered water fishing, paired with 4.0-4.8m punts, bass/barra boats and multihulls, and with 4.3-5.2m high-sided vee bottom boats.

In contrast, the centre console configuration works pretty well for most hull types, but is best for regular vee bottom monohulls starting from about 4.3m in length.

Centre consoles also work better in larger boats used for fishing coastal and offshore waters, as they are better suited to driving while standing up.

Whichever layout you choose, you won't regret moving from a basic tiller-steer outboard dinghy to a centre or side console boat. Your outlay will be higher, but a console boat is just so much easier and more comfortable to use.