You can buy a mount that will allow
mounting a transducer to a trolling motor shaft, or at least used to be able to do so. Or, you can attach the transducer with cable ties. Its been a long time, so don’t remember exactly how I attached the transducer. As for the pipe, its somewhat trial and and error. As I remember, I used about 14" of pipe and 8-12" of pool noodle. Before connecting the wires for the finder to anything, I slipped them through the pool noodle and the noodle down over the pipe shaft. You may have to play with it to get it where the transducer is parallel to the water bottom. The one thing you need to know about floating the transducer is that if you paddle beyond just a slight movement each stroke, the transducer will not be as parallel to the bottom as you may want for an accurate read. The faster you go, the more off it will be.
transducer mount
yak.canfish You have given me more ideas of how I can mount a transducer. My yak has a narrow flat place on the stern with screws to mount a rudder. I should be able to mount a piece of PVC onto that and use the troolling motor mount on that. I had thought I may try to do something like that before, but haven’t given it much thought. Now I have a way to do it.
Transducer Mounting Option
Here’s a transducer mounting suggestion.
Attach a broom clip (spring clip for hanging brooms on the wall) on your yak so it’s reachable, but not in the way (two small holes for the screws, above the waterline. I used a large washer on the inside of the yak and a rubber washer on the outside). Attach your transducer to a wooden paint roller handle. That’s it. Cost - about $5.
You snap the roller handle into the broom clip when you want to use your finder. Snap it out when you’re just paddling (to reduce the drag) or when you want to do a side scan under the lily pads or dock.
I’ve seen several variations for SOT
fishfinder mounting, and they work in a sit inside as long its not a polylink or superlink hull like the Old Town Loons or Dirigos. The most common is to mount the transducer to the inside of the hull bottom with 3M Marine silicone sealant. Put a gob on the transducer and press it to the kayak bottom, making sure there are no air bubbles. Some rig them through the scupper hole, but I’m not sure that will work on your kayak. Others do what’s called a “wet” mount. I’m not as familiar with that. I’ll try to find you a link on texaskayakfisherman.com. Another place to look is kayakfishingstuff.com.
The problem with those methods are they are semi-permanent. Also, temp readings will be off, but the transducer will read through a single layer poly hull. I don’t find surface temp readings all that useful anyway.
Here’s a thread. I’ve seen a siimilar
mount to the one with the PVC coming out of the flush mount rod tubes.
http://texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73286
Another thread on mounting a transducer.
It includes other stuff too. On the wet mount, I believe some use vasalin rather than marine goop.
transducer mounting
yak.canfish, TY so much for all the info. The boat that was used to demonstrate the mounting, using the flush mount for the transducer is just like mine.
Thanks for all the other ideas from others also.
RouseD, a friend has his transducer
mounted as in the picture. It works, but the one thing I don’t care for when fishing with him is the squeaking when he adjusts the transducer. Maybe graphite or silicon spray would reduce that. Its not bad, but if fishing for skittish fish, adjust before you get to the area you plan to fish.
transducer
yak.canfish, I think I will go with the stern mounting for now, whenever I either get my fishfinder working, or buy a new one. I do not have a rudder on my yak yet. I could see where one would help, but my yak tracks very well without one. That idea to mount one in the flushmount rod holder may be an option later for me. Thanks for the help.
Or…
A snorkel mask 
Won’t work in the waters I fish.
Inexpensive Fish Finder
I found, by accident, Humminbird’s Smartcast.
We have three large bodies of water and a large creek that surround our property and had to bring out an expert in water management.
She had the Smartcast from Humminbird to take depth readings; I thought that it was ingenious in that you cast the remote to where you wish for readings on depth or fish.
It’s very compact and they have monitors that attach to a rod or that you can wear on your wrist.
Take a look.
Had one, took it back after it went
belly up the third trip. That’s been the experience of about a dozen people I know who have used the samrtcast rod/wrist system. The screen is very small and really good only for structure. The may be better made now.
Smartcast
Had one, it was ok. However, it quit working in short order. Looking for a portable that uses double or triple A’s. Shoot thru the hull transducer?
Any finder will operate on 8 AA’s.
I’m told you can even use 8 rechargeable batteries, but it didn’t work when I tried, took 10. Just grab the long 8 battery holder and a snap on pig tail at Radio Shack and wire it in. I’ve put my battery pack in a section of PVC capped on both ends, don’t need to glue them. Drill a small hole in one end. Get some small bungies and attach to a thwart.
Fish Finder from Harbor Freight
SORRY I TOOK SO LONG!!! It has its own “bobber”…a round yellow donut thing about 5 inches across. I used the same batteries all summer this year. Just yesterday the indicator said they are going out. 2 AA batteries! Not bad. It isn’t wonderful, but you sure see where many of the fish are down to about 100 feet.
Harbor Freight FF
Ollie, thanks for the come back. I’ll have to check to see if that FF is still on sale. Do you know of other FFs that you could compare with that you feel it does just as well?
8 batteries
Yakcanfish, you may have given me a very good idea. I used 8 batteries for my fishfinder (Cuda 168), and it would not work. The dispaly worked great and I could hear the clicking from the transducer, but it would not read depth correctly. I will try using 10 batteries instead of the 8 to see if that is the problem. I have not purchased another FF as yet.
battery pack
how long does the battery pack last for? thanks and happy new year.
Its difficult to say. I’ve gotten four
trips…usually 6-8 hour trips…out of my fish finder. Lately, I’ve used heavy duty rather than alkaline batteries and see little difference in length of time.