Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller Review

Serious freshwater anglers who need maximum space and versatility have always gravitated toward larger aluminum boats powered by tiller-controlled outboards. The Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller is a great example of why.

Dispensing with the console provides much more interior floor space, while the ability to control the outboard’s speed and direction with just one hand – leaving the other one free to hold the rod and feel for light bites – gives big tiller boats a unique advantage that boats with console steering simply cannot match. That’s something that’s particularly appreciated by multi-species anglers who need all the versatility they can get.

The tiller advantage in a nutshell – the ability to control the boat’s speed and direction with one hand, while still holding the rod with the other.

And, that’s precisely the thought process behind the Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller – a serious freshwater fishing boat that is designed and built to please the toughest customers out there.

Stretching 18 feet, six inches in overall length and riding on a 94-inch beam, the 1,375-pound 1850 Pro Tiller represents a highly successful balancing act on Crestliner’s part. With its 22-inch cockpit depth and aggressive V-hull it’s big enough for large, open lakes, yet still compact and light enough to get into small back lakes with poor launch ramps or no launch ramps at all. And at less than six feet tall when sitting on the trailer, it easily stows in a typical garage.

The open design of Crestliner’s 1850 Pro Tiller is deceptive, as there’s a lot of clever engineering here.

Stepping aboard, a first glance shows an open boat with a raised how deck and a small electronics cabinet at the stern. But look closer and there’s actually quite a bit to this deceptively clean design in the Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller.

The stern deck provides gear storage, a baitwell and a livewell.

First up is an abbreviated stern deck just ahead of the splash well – just big enough a person could stand here comfortably while casting. A large compartment to the starboard end provides storage space for gear, along with room for a battery charger and the main engine crank battery. To the port side of the deck is a second lid that reveals a 15-gallon aerated and recirculating livewell with a divider and a timer function. In the center of the deck, a third lid opens to reveal a 2.75-gallon aerated bait well.

In-gunnel rod storage accommodates rods to nine feet in length.

The boat’s cockpit is rimmed with a raised inner deck that conceals a large in-gunnel rod locker along the boat’s starboard side, capable of eating rods to nine feet in length. The standard flooring here is 16-ounce marine carpet, with a hard-wearing and fast-drying vinyl available as an optional upgrade.

The Command Console is pretty slick, combining storage, a dashboard, and electronics storage all in a single unit.

Along the port side, a second lid provides access to a convenient storage compartment, while directly in front of the driver’s seat is Crestliner’s Command Console, which includes two cup holders and a small dash panel at its forward end. The dash provides a fuel gauge, a digital multi-gauge, a 12-volt outlet, a USB/AUX outlet, and a row of backlit toggles to control the live well, live well recirculation, bilge pump, courtesy lights, navigation lights. There’s also a master power switch, which is a great convenience.

A large drawer in the base of the console holds still more tackle or gear.

The main compartment of the Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller opens to reveal a single, central opening large enough to accommodate a 12-inch multi-function display that can slide out on a drawer-like base, then retract back inside the compartment to be stowed safely behind a locked door. Two additional drawers at the bottom of the console provide a secure spot to stow more gear or valuables like wallets, cell phones, and the truck keys.

Yet another drawer holds further items – or makes the ideal spot to stow valuables like wallets and truck keys.

The Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller comes with two pedestal-mount fishing seats, with six seat bases scattered throughout the boat allow them to be places wherever they’re needed.

Crestliner’s attention to detail includes a standard boarding ladder mounted on the port end of the transom.

The Pro Tiller also comes with Crestliner’s SureMount gunnel accessory system, which allows a wide range of accessories from rod holders to tool holders, cell phone brackets and more to be easily attached wherever they’re needed, and without drilling any holes in the boat.

The SureMount gunnel accessory system comes standard, making it a cinch to install accessories anywhere.

Up on the large, raised front deck there’s more than enough room for three anglers to fish in comfort and without getting in each other’s way. Multiple compartment lids here reveal space for storing tackle and gear, a 12-gallon aerated livewell, and a massive in-deck rod locker that holds 10 rods of up to seven-and-a-half feet in length, with room below them for deep-cycle battery storage and room for an onboard charger.

They’re an optional upgrade, but cleats that fold flat when not in use are worth the extra since they won’t snag fishing lines or catch the landing net.

Right up front is a raised deck pad with room to mount an electric motor and another multi-function display, and with anchor storage below. Crestliner offers a second baitwell in this location as an option.

The huge front deck contains rod storage, a second livewell, and still more storage space.

Two other options that many anglers will want to seriously consider are stainless steel mooring cleats that fold flat when not in use, to avoid snagging stray fishing lines, and a washdown system that makes cleaning the boat at the end of the day a simple enough matter of just hosing it off and walking away. There’s also an available man overboard system that will cut power to the engine if the operator goes over the side – a welcome safety addition that will be appreciated by those who sometimes fish alone.

The 1850 Pro Tiller even offers an available man overboard safety system that cuts the engine power should the operator go over the side.

With the ability to handle outboards of up to 90 horsepower, the Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller can dash along at top speeds of over 30 mph. It’s not a speedster, but it is an exceedingly capable, versatile fishing boat with more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

Serious anglers have gravitated toward tiller boats for a long time, and Crestliner’s 1850 Pro Tiller shows why. Deceptively simple, it’s the kind of boat that simply can’t help but impress.