fish finder on inflatable boats?

nevercatchmuch · #1 08-24-2010, 09:33 PM

For my bday I got a fishfinder! yeah! Unfortunately, I am not too sure how well it will work on my inflatable. Seems best to put the sonar onto the bottom of the trolling motor with a bracket and strap? Have any of you had success with that? Or do you mount on the transom directly?

thanks as always for your help.

WayneChristie · #2 08-24-2010, 09:35 PM

When I use mine in my canoe I just set the transponder right on the bottom and it seems to work fine.

noslack · #3 08-24-2010, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevercatchmuch

For my bday I got a fishfinder! yeah! Unfortunately, I am not too sure how well it will work on my inflatable. Seems best to put the sonar onto the bottom of the trolling motor with a bracket and strap? Have any of you had success with that? Or do you mount on the transom directly?

thanks as always for your help.

that's exactly what I did. Used those metal straps for the transducer and zip-ties for the cable that's going back in the boat.

Overdrawn · #4 08-25-2010, 05:02 AM

I just made a a bracket up for my trolling motor for the transducer and glued some hockey pucks together and mounted the fishfinder to that. They hockey pucks fit perfectly in the cup holder. Worked great, and didn't have to remove 2 things from the boat when I was packing it up just the motor. Good luck.

nevercatchmuch · #5 08-25-2010, 08:20 PM

good to hear you guys have had success.
anyone use the portable ones with little batteries? or do you hook up to the 12v battery?
wayne - can you describe a bit more about what you mean by putting it on the bottom?
thanks so much all.

elkfriend · #6 08-25-2010, 08:26 PM

just use the same 12v battery that you are using for the trolling motor. connect the fishfinder.

take a metal hose clamp and/or zip ties and attach the fish finder sensor to the houseing on on the trolling motor that holds the prop shaft (in other words, the thick round section adjacent to the moving prop. the "bottom"is what is parallel to the ground, in the water, on that housing.

I needed a stand for the fishfinder in my inflatable, so I took a ground coffee container, turned it around, punched a hole and put the fish finer on the bottom on the outside. all the cables go into the container, to keep it tidy

the coffee can is a light and stable base for the fish finder and keeps if off the floor in the boat, just in case there is water in the boat.

hope that helps

chris

uicehole · #7 08-25-2010, 11:55 PM

I have a portable ff that multitasks for ice fishing, canoeing, sailing, pontooning, floatubing and boating (inflatable). If you don't want to permanently mount your transducer, this contraption is what I use to stick to the transom. It's about 11 inches of 3/4 inch alum. tubing, one end cut and bent to take the transducer. The suction cups are from Crappy Tire from the roof rack aisle. The same tube is used with a cross member instead of the suction cups for icefishing.

Alternately, if you don't want to fab anything, you can just tuck the transducer under the floorboard providing your floorboard has the "U" cut into it to expose the drain plug (this is a feature found only in "high-end" inflatables

. This shoots through the rubber bottom. The transducer bottom needs to be wet so add just a bit of water to the bottom of the boat. My ff is wired to use either a rechargable gel cel or the boat battery, whichever handy/available.

nevercatchmuch · #8 08-27-2010, 06:25 PM

I am constantly impressed by the creativity and generosity in sharing ideas here. THANKS

soggysocks · #9 08-28-2010, 07:10 AM

I'm giving uicehole a call when i get my fish finder! I kinda want to see more it. I don't want to get stuck with some portable one that looks like garbage when I have the money to go out and buy one

dsbooyah · #10 08-28-2010, 09:24 PM

i have a fish hunter360 with a 35lb trolling motor. all i do is use a superstore green box to hold the 12v marine battery and zap strap the finder on one of the numerous holes on the green box. the green box also doubles as a tackle holder, as we all know.............sharp hooks and inflatables dont mix.

TrollGRG · #11 08-29-2010, 11:04 AM

I would have thought that there would be a lot of interference with the transducer mounted like this but this is what the Eagle/Lowrance people suggest. It even has the slots in the transducer for using a hose clamp.

seahawkfisher · #12 08-29-2010, 10:29 PM

that's exactly how i mount mine when using my inflatable GRG; works great, but on a minnkota the transducer fits better between the skeg and the prop
cheers

uicehole · #13 08-30-2010, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soggysocks

I'm giving uicehole a call when i get my fish finder! I kinda want to see more it. I don't want to get stuck with some portable one that looks like garbage when I have the money to go out and buy one

PM me when you're ready!

EZM · #14 08-31-2010, 09:22 AM

If you mount your transducer onto your trolling motor make sure you turn your sensitivity setting down so you dont get the "illusion" of a school of fish following your boat around the lake at 3 feet all day!!!

Kingfisher · #15 09-01-2010, 01:11 AM

I have my transducer mounted onto a 1"X2" and I clamp it to the transom. I mounted a 1"X6" board to the clamp. The 1"X6" is about 2 feet long. I use it for mounting my finder onto and also have a rod holder mounted onto it.

Rob