Fish finder in a canoe?

[Delavan]

Folks,

I have an old beaten up coleman canoe. Only boat I own.
I was looking at the lowrance fish finders, you know the cheaper ones at average $150?

Salesman at CTtold me they use batteries, but nothing else.
What kind of batteries and setup? I gather its nothing like AA batteries...more like a motorcycle battery or a small boat battery?
what would I ned to do to set one up?

I don't want to sacrifice mobility, the canoe spends the whole summer on the truck.

help!

[RavYak]

For a canoe could look at the humminbird fishing buddy max, it clamps to side so is easily removable. It does run on 8 AA batteries, probably want to spend the extra bucks for rechargeable batteries if you went that route.

Either that or you can get any other fish finder and build a removable arm for transducer to mount to. Any 12 volt deep cycle battery will work, most people just use the 8 ah sla's but other options available too.

[dutchpirate]

I have the H-bird one Rav suggested, battery life has been pretty impressive so far and it's very convenient. Have used it on my one-man pontoon, a canoe, a small inflatable, and even on ice!

[THERICARDO]

Originally Posted by RavYak

For a canoe could look at the humminbird fishing buddy max, it clamps to side so is easily removable. It does run on 8 AA batteries, probably want to spend the extra bucks for rechargeable batteries if you went that route.

Either that or you can get any other fish finder and build a removable arm for transducer to mount to. Any 12 volt deep cycle battery will work, most people just use the 8 ah sla's but other options available too.

I used The HUmminbird unit on my pontoon and then my tinner before getting new boat. Battery life was actually very good considering was AA's. Was great way to find water temps and structure more than an actual fish finder per say. good luck

[Willowtrail]

In my old 14' boat I ran a Lowrance unit. I wire it into a 7Ah gel cell and on long days carried a spare. If your running the smaller units with sonar only they last a long time.

Scotty makes a great transducer mount that you could incorporate into your canoe and hold the transducer with. Or, if you have a fiberglass canoe and don't mind you could epoxy the transducer and do a shoot through the hull and I king will win in your way of rowing or fighting fish.

http://scotty.com/product/no-140-kay...r-post-mounts/

http://scotty.com/product/no-141-kay...ead-adapter-3/

[Bushleague]

This is how I do mine, because I use my canoe for wilderness tripping its important to me that everything can be removed when not needed. I find it to be convenient, any questions just ask.





[IMG]http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv45/exophysical/Fishing/033-1.jpg
[/IMG]

[CanuckShooter]

Nice set up Bushleague!!

I have my transponder on a piece of aluminum C channel and use a small C clamp to hold it to the handle on the back of my tin boat, the batteries I use 2 of those bigger 6v flashlight batteries wired in series. I duct tape them together and they last a long long long time.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

Nice set up Bushleague!!

I have my transponder on a piece of aluminum C channel and use a small C clamp to hold it to the handle on the back of my tin boat, the batteries I use 2 of those bigger 6v flashlight batteries wired in series. I duct tape them together and they last a long long long time.

Never thought of using 2 6v batteries. I don't use the electric motor very often so I have a gel cell battery ziptied to the bottom of the crate just for running the fish finder. I cant remember ever running it out, even on multi day trips, not sure how it would compare to your 6 volts.

[CanuckShooter]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Never thought of using 2 6v batteries. I don't use the electric motor very often so I have a gel cell battery ziptied to the bottom of the crate just for running the fish finder. I cant remember ever running it out, even on multi day trips.

I've managed to get several seasons out of a few of them, perhaps 15 long days of fishing [I use it mostly when char fishing]...and then I just leave them outside in a yard shed over the winter. We were actually amazed how long we got off them before they needed replacing.

This is how I usually trout fish, and the electric is just for running back to camp as it pushes the Clipper a little too fast for my liking.

[Mulehahn]

There is a company out of Chilliwack BC, I believe, fishfindermounts.com that has some pretty nice portable set ups. I recently bought one of there mounts for my kayak after talking to them at a show. I cannot say the actual quality as I haven't used it in serious conditions yet but my initial opinions were pretty good.

[35 whelen]

We used to use these for flyouts they always seem to work pretty good nice and Light

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Mr Flyguy]

I've been using a Humminbird 140c for 3 years in my canoe. Easy to slip into the clamp-on holder and easy to pull out when going fast to a different location.

Takes 6 AA batteries which last about 6 hours for a day of fishing. I just use Kirkland (Costco) brand 'cause at $20 for a pack of 48, costs me just over $3 for replacement. Can't even buy a bacon/egger for that!

Generally happy but:

Not easy to read the screen in bright sunlight.

Wiring in the battery pack area very flimsy. Rewired and soldered this winter so hope it will hold together for the coming season.

[yetiseeker]

I just use one of the suction cups you can buy at any fishing store.

[dwedmon]

I use the Fishin Buddy sonar and it just clamps on the side. Mine is from before Hummingbird took them over so it runs on c batteries and can scan sideways as well as down.

[catnthehat]

II used a Fishin Buddy for years in a canoe and small boat..
I like them ,, especially the side scan feature and the fact that they are in a tapered friction mounted
Cat

[Delavan]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

This is how I do mine, because I use my canoe for wilderness tripping its important to me that everything can be removed when not needed. I find it to be convenient, any questions just ask.





[IMG]http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv45/exophysical/Fishing/033-1.jpg
[/IMG]

Very nice! Incredible stuff can be done with a milk crate! You got the whole package there!

[Unregistered user]

I have a Humminbird portable unit, self contained came with 12v lead acid battery, works well. 30 years ago I had an Eagle 6000p that used 2 6v lantern batteries. Old tech, went thru a few sets of batts until l got a 12v motorcycle battery much better as l used that thing a lot.

[weedhaul]

Here's my canoe rig. Humminbird 197c with the transponder on the trolling motor. Works great.

[fishin_guy]

I use a Humminbird 570 portable. I paid a few hundred for it. It has the small 12v battery built in just like my ICE 35 flasher. I had a previous Humminbird cheapy but I found it didn't find fish like my upgraded finder. The old one took about 8 AA batteries. The portable models have a suction cup transducer that stuck great on my canoe or my little 16' aluminum boat. I also run my ICE 35 in the boat too. I tie the transducer to the back of my boat and use the float it comes with to hold the transducer in place. Much more accurate than the fish finder.

[Unregistered user]

http://www.kijiji.ca/b-boat-parts-tr...r-sale-by=ownr

[nast70]

I use a very similar set up for my 12' tinner. I had an old Eagle from my old boat that was just collecting dust.
Bought a group 27 battery box with lid.
Mounted the screen mount to the lid top
drilled a couple holes for the wires for convenience
transducer is mounted to a big suction cup that goes on the transom
use a group 24 battery in the box, enough room left over the store everything inside when not in use.
I too like the 2 6v flashlight batteries. Much lighter than what I'm running now.