Hey guys, I have a hummingbird 525 fish finder on my yak. I mounted the transducer to the stern under the rudder. This works fine, but I really want to mount it inside my kayak through the hull.
My question to you all is can I use a transom mounted transducer as a thru-hull? If so, what is the best way to mount it? Thanks for any suggestions!
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With my hummingbird I lost about 95% of the detail you will see with a good fish finder when trying to use it inside the kayak. I would try it both ways to compare quality.
I have mine mounted using the method bowhunter57 mentioned and have no issues. Originally had it mounted on a Mad Frog transducer arm but it was a magnet for twigs and stuff and just just seemed to get in the way.
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Wilderness Systems Commander 120
I found this kit years ago for my humminbird piranhamax 170 and it works perfectly in my Tarpon 120. I think I paid like $30 for it. Mounted it pretty much right behind my seat as I figured that part of the kayak would sit the deepest in the water. Everything you need to mount it comes in the kit.
Go to Lowes and get electrical putty. Push your tranducer into the putty and the putty to the inside of the hull. Won't come loose and works great as long as there are no air bubbles and the putty is not too thick. Whatever method you use, make sure the transducer is parallel to the bottom of the yak.
Kit can be ordered online, just search by name. My transducer was just a regular one, nothing special. One you would find on any boat and that came with the fish finder
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On top of all of the replies on here there are several You Tube videos showing how to install a transducer on a Yak.
Just search transducer install, everything from the way Wendell installed his to using part of a pool noodle to install them.
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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. ~Author Unknown
Bowhunter, did you put anything between the hull and the transducer, or did you just put the duct seal around the transducer?
jsm197,
Sorry for the slow response...I've been busy trying to get a second turkey with a bow and haven't had much online time.
I cleaned the hull surface, rolled the duct seal, in a way as to not allow air bubbles between it and the hull, at the spot where I wanted it mounted and then I pressed the transducer into the duct seal. Once I felt the transducer hit bottom, I pressed the duct seal around the transducer, so as to hold it in place.
It's been in place for almost a year and still going strong.
Bowhunter57
Here's a couple of pics to go with the installation:
Last edited by Bowhunter57; 05-30-2012 at 07:28 PM.
Reason: Add some pics
I have a futurebeach 126 kayak and a humminbird 150 fish finder. I found a video on youtube and tried it. I mounted the transducer in the rear compartment.
1. I took a pool noodle i bought for 3 bucks at walmart.
2. I cut a 2-inch section off of the end.
3. I traced the transducer in permanent marker on the 2-inch part of the noodle. The noodle has to be bigger than the transducer.
4. Then, i took the part of the noodle, and used 3M marine 5200 adhesive to glue it into the back compartment on a flat surface
5. When it dried, i put about 1/2 inch of clear silicone caulk and put it in the noodle. Do not take the tip of the caulk out of the 1/2 inch of silicone as you shoot it in to avoid air bubbles
6. I put the transducer in the silicone, and made sure it was level
7. I covered the transducer completely up with silicone to the top of the noodle
8. I went around the edges of the noodle as well
9. I drilled a hole in the top of the kayak to feed the line to the monitor
10.Ran the wire next to the cockpit and put rolled it together and velcro'ed it to the top of the cockpit so I don't run into it
11. Ran the battery wire to the very front of the cockpit and velcro'ed the drybox to the front
This setup works like a charm and I never have to worry about the transducer being bumped by other items in the back compartment. I will post some pictures later.
I just got a yak and already have a hummingbird fish finder.
I was thinking about using the duct seal to mount my tranducer. One question:
do you travel with the kayak upside down on your vehicle? I'm concerned that the duct seal will not hold the tranducer if i transport my yak upside down on my SUV. I was told the correct way to transport yak was upside down.
ski
Most kayaks I have seen are transported right side up. I have that same type of tranducer setup and have not had issues with it coming loose after 3 years of transporting
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I used a small glob of Marine Goop to install my Lowrance transducer on the inside of my kayak. It normally rides on the roof upside down and has made 1 trip to Texas and 6 trips to Florida on the roof and 1 trip to the Keys on its side in the boat. It hasn't moved.
Simple solution... cut a piece of foam swimming noodle about 3 inches thick (4 inch noodle). cut the center out in the shape of your transducer and place the transducer in it and just hang it over the side from a hatch. Let it float... works great... no glue, no goo... not recommended for shallow fast water... great for flat water,quarry's,ponds,etc. I use it on my wilderness kayak with a 718 Humminbird. Allows you to have an accurate temperature reading, which you can't get from inside the hull. When you are done fishing just put it back in the hatch.
Velcro to the back works for me. Allows me to take it off when transporting, yet keeps it in the water when on the boat for a good temp read, and readings on the go. It may come off if you do a tight turns in weeds, or bumb the back into somthing.
Here are the pictures, sorry I forgot to post them. Easy, durable transportation, no problems at all.
You can see the transducer, how it feeds up through the top back (you can see the silicone blob), the wire goes along the side lip, and I velcro'ed the extra to the ceiling in the front. The battery is in the very front and velcroed in with the dry box. Works great!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Northern1
I have a futurebeach 126 kayak and a humminbird 150 fish finder. I found a video on youtube and tried it. I mounted the transducer in the rear compartment.
1. I took a pool noodle i bought for 3 bucks at walmart.
2. I cut a 2-inch section off of the end.
3. I traced the transducer in permanent marker on the 2-inch part of the noodle. The noodle has to be bigger than the transducer.
4. Then, i took the part of the noodle, and used 3M marine 5200 adhesive to glue it into the back compartment on a flat surface
5. When it dried, i put about 1/2 inch of clear silicone caulk and put it in the noodle. Do not take the tip of the caulk out of the 1/2 inch of silicone as you shoot it in to avoid air bubbles
6. I put the transducer in the silicone, and made sure it was level
7. I covered the transducer completely up with silicone to the top of the noodle
8. I went around the edges of the noodle as well
9. I drilled a hole in the top of the kayak to feed the line to the monitor
10.Ran the wire next to the cockpit and put rolled it together and velcro'ed it to the top of the cockpit so I don't run into it
11. Ran the battery wire to the very front of the cockpit and velcro'ed the drybox to the front
This setup works like a charm and I never have to worry about the transducer being bumped by other items in the back compartment. I will post some pictures later.
Last night I picked up my handed down fish finder / gps from my father in law. It is a Lowrance X15. I won't be installing the GPS. The transducer looks identical to the one in BowHunter's post. I see that the flat part of the transducer is facing the stern, is that the correct way I want to mount it?
Also to fishwrm I'm curious about your no goo solution. Where in the cut noodle section does the transducer sit? Is it flush with the bottom or suspended within the middle of it? Would it work on a chopier lake like Ceaser Creek can be?
Transducer mounting question
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