How to Mount a Kayak Fish Finder Transducer

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So you finally got your great fishing kayak and you’re ready to go out fishing on the water you’re all excited and you think you have everything but then you forget there is one piece of the puzzle that’s missing and that is the kayak fish finder, GPS and transducer. You may have already put some modifications on your kayak like some rod holders some trolling motor spacing and extra storage but there is one thing that most kayakers leave to last and that’s the hardest modification it is mounting the transducer.

What can I do?

There are a couple of ways in which you can put a transducer on the kayak you can put it in different spaces like the scupper holes, over the trunk of the kayak or close to the rudder. There are even kits that allow you to mount with suction cups some people also prefer to dangle the transducer over the side. But that considerably reduces your equipment’s durability and lifespan.

As long as the transducer is installed properly even a small transducer will do just fine and go directly through the plastic to give you fantastic readings.

Here are a few methods to installing a transducer at the bottom of this guide we have included some other links to potential sites that have great information and guides for additional reading.

Strategy number one installing it at the hall

This is the method which most men and women prefer also most forums and videos show this exact same method for mounting.

This method involves you opening the hatch of your kayak and deciding on the best flat place in your hall for the transducer to go if your kayak does not have some method of directly accessing the hall then you need to think about another type of technique for mounting.

You need to wash out this area with a nice chemical like rubbing alcohol to make sure there is no debris and make certain that there is no dust or pieces of debris which you could accidentally mount over and cause the mounts to not be as sturdy as it otherwise would be.

Now we discuss the transducer some people like to make an a small enclosure from the transducer so it can be even more secure. Create a 2 to 3 inch thick slice of a swimming pool noodle and using a sharpie trace the shape of the transducer.

Using silicone from the dimensions of your transducer and enclosure to the area from the stand which you just cleaned with alcohol apply it generously and make sure it and there are no air bubbles trapped from the silicone. Put a bit of duct tape onto the peak of the transducer encasing this is really to keep it stable within the interior of the stand as the silicone dries. Go ahead and put the transducer onto the silicone secure it nicely and tape it down using the duct tape. When it is dry you can go ahead and remove the tape. You can even apply a small amount of silicone in addition to what you already have. Be sure to wait 24 to 48 hours until it dries.

Run the cable through the hole if you have not decided to drill one already if you did decide to drill one make sure you place it where you mount the fishfinder and utilizing a water tight fitting to pull out the cable bring out only enough so that the wire can be plugged in the fishfinder unit flawlessly.

If you havent yet chosen a kayak fish finder be sure to check out our guide here.

Be sure to note that you can actually put in a transducer using this method without having to create an enclosure for it the enclosure is just a personal preference.

Strategy number two – through the scupper hole

This is a really great method the only negative here is that one of your scupper holes is probably going to get plugged up so you want to find another means of emptying the water out of your kayak.

If you don’t want to go through doing a do-it-yourself job there are some companies that create a scupper bracket and you can just match a transducer on there and adhere it through the scupper hole. They mentioned that is only made for specific brand model transducers however using a little do-it-yourself work you can match any type of transducer to it.

Be sure to get a PVC pipe which is the same dimensions as the scupper hole you will be using normally three quarters of an inch

Go ahead and fit the transducer through the cut out area for your PVC and ensure that you have run the cable through the two and that is sticking out from the surface and twist the transducer through the holes you’ve just created.

Next go ahead and stick the pipe through the scupper hole ensuring that the transducer sticks out at least 1 inch below the base of the kayak

Next seal the pipe in the base using some pipe insulation

Finally seal the surface of the pipe.

Strategy number three – on the back by the rudder

Go ahead and mount the transducer on the small plate near the back and be certain that it’s somewhat higher than the rudder or the base of the kayak. Through this manner if your kayak hits the stone the underside of it will strike the plate rather than the transducer.

Strategy number four, using an aftermarket suction cup transducer

This is one of the easiest ways. It might also be a bit cheaper because mobile kids are a bit more costly than the standard ones. These kits come with a battery and you may fasten them with bungee cords from your kayak. The transducer mounts that you come with have suction cups. When you’re finished you pull it from the water and then back into the kayak and your good.

http://kayaksportfishing.com/equipment/submissions/ted/fishfinder/fishfinder.htm