Fish Finders on a Kayak

[Stella]

So what is everyone using for a Thru Hull Wiring Kit when attaching a fish finder to there fishing kayaks? I need to add one or 2 to mine but not sure which one i should go with. The wilderness and the old town ones are nice but you have to drill a decent size hole in the kayak. The Yakattack one is nice as its flush and i don't think you have to drill as big a hole. Only a hole for the size of cable your running. Leaning towards the Yakattack but wanted to get some feedback from people who have done this. Thx!

[HuyFishin]

I dont have experience with the mounting kits. I would ask Stringtheoryangling since he has more experience mounting electronics on Oldtowns.

[Vapor]

As I recall it's really just a matter of drilling the holes where you want your wiring to go through and popping in whichever brand of plugs you want to seal the wiring into.

It's super easy to do, but you do get that hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach when you drill the first hole. Simply take your time and think things through for the placement of things. The rest is quite straight forward.

I used the Hobbie through the hull system. Mainly because I liked how clean it looked for the finish on my Jackson Big Rig. I found with the other systems you either had to drill extra screw holes or had a squared off look to them which I thought might be a bit of a nuisance. The Hobbie is rounded. Never had a stitch of problem with them and the seals are tight. Super happy to have my 9" Lowrance screen marking fish!!

[thumper]

I used the Hobbie through the hull system.

Same - nice and neat & clean.

[Stella]

As I recall it's really just a matter of drilling the holes where you want your wiring to go through and popping in whichever brand of plugs you want to seal the wiring into.

It's super easy to do, but you do get that hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach when you drill the first hole. Simply take your time and think things through for the placement of things. The rest is quite straight forward.

I used the Hobbie through the hull system. Mainly because I liked how clean it looked for the finish on my Jackson Big Rig. I found with the other systems you either had to drill extra screw holes or had a squared off look to them which I thought might be a bit of a nuisance. The Hobbie is rounded. Never had a stitch of problem with them and the seals are tight. Super happy to have my 9" Lowrance screen marking fish!!

I never thought of this one. I like that no screws are needed. Where can a person buy this hobbie system from?

[thumper]

I'm always surprised that no manufacturer has developed a fish-finder specifically designed for kayaks (or other shallow-water very small craft). We seldom fish in water deeper than 30ft and the common sonar 'cone coverage' is tiny at those depths. Almost every brand's sonars brag about how deep they can detect fish/structure, but none really attempt to dramatically increase the area covered in shallow water - without complicated and expensive side-view.

I'd love to find a very simple fish-finder for my Hobie kayak, and my 10 ft Pelican Bass-raider, with a wider underwater view. Just rudimentary depth and structure info - maybe water temp & speed. Something I don't need a teenager to program & operate !!!

[Vapor]

I never thought of this one. I like that no screws are needed. Where can a person buy this hobbie system from?

Here you go!
https://westerncanoekayak.com/thru-hull-wiring-kit/

[Stella]

Has anyone used one of these on there fishing kayaks:

Scotty Kayak/SUP Transducer Mounting Arm with Gear-Head

The mounting plate on my old town with my Striker 4 attached, the transducer sits 1/2 to 3/4" below the hull. I know when on the water its fine but its when you launch or beach your boat this could damage the transducer.
I saw this from Scotty and with a Kayak not traveling that fast I thought this might be an alternative. Any feedback would be great!

[CanuckShooter]

I was looking those over for mounting on my canoe....seems like a better idea than putting a hole in the hull.

[lakerman]

Food for thought, I'vs seen transducer mounted inside the hull with plumbers putty works great, just no temp. and its always protected.

[thumper]

Food for thought, I'vs seen transducer mounted inside the hull with plumbers putty works great, just no temp. and its always protected.

I've done that too - and it works very well. It just needs to be well sealed against the hull - no gaps or bubbles.

[StringTheory]

Has anyone used one of these on there fishing kayaks:

Scotty Kayak/SUP Transducer Mounting Arm with Gear-Head

The mounting plate on my old town with my Striker 4 attached, the transducer sits 1/2 to 3/4" below the hull. I know when on the water its fine but its when you launch or beach your boat this could damage the transducer.
I saw this from Scotty and with a Kayak not traveling that fast I thought this might be an alternative. Any feedback would be great!

I had the same problem as you when mounting my helix transducer, it was either too high that it interfered with the side imaging or too low that it would be stuck out past the hull, just waiting to be knocked out by a rock or log.

I ordered a new bracket from Navarre kayak fishing and now the transducer placement is perfect. If you have questions, send Nick an email and he will get back to you right away.

https://navarrekayakfishing.com/shop/old-town-transducer-mount-replacement/

For a thru hull kit, I tried the new Old Town kit that is seen on the Autopilots. The hole in the hull is smaller than the hobie kit and works with my Helix cabling but you do have to screw into the hull along with the holes:

https://www.stringtheoryangling.ca/side-imaging-fish-finder-install-on-the-old-town-bigwater-pdl-132/