Has anyone ever installed a fish finder on a canoe? If so can it work through royalex and where do you put the battery? Thanks
through royalex , probably fine …
– Last Updated: Jan-31-10 9:23 AM EST –
....... I assume your talking about a "shoot through haul" transducer and wanting to mount it inside the canoe .
You could also try the transom mount tranducer that usally comes with a unit in place of the shoot through haul , it will probably work fine .
First you want to try it out before commiting to a permenant install , right ??
Get a "toilet wax ring" from the local hdwr. store , wad up a sufficient piece of that to make the mount for connection from haul to tranducer ... press it in tightly and check it out on the water to see if it's giving a good reading . The big deal is to do your best to eliminate any air pockets/bubbles under the transducer (as solid as possible) , and in the center of the haul (unless keeled) .
Put the batt. where ever you want to ... you don't need a heavy marine batt. to run the sounder , just a small and light 12v batt. .
So what I'm saying is , use a part of that wax ring to make the connection and mould it up around the edges some too ... then check it out .
fish alone
I fish alone and use a finder and electric motor. I use a 2 man canoe and hvae 2 batteries. I keep them both up front to compensate for the lack of weight. I have a big battery and regular marine battery. Use them both alot and recharge them after every use and never had a problem with either battery taking a charge every time. Anyway, I have an Aluminum Grumman double ender and do enjoy paddling if I go any distance. The motor is mainly for control while fly fishing and working with the finder trying to locate the fishies. The middle of the canoe holdsfishing gear and food. It’s a pain setting up but when I go out it’s sun- up to sun down. To really utilize the fish finder you should have a motor to stay in the zone. Anyway, that’s how I do it and i’m outat least 4 times a week all day. The batteries can last a couple days depending on how much you use them.
Pilot
Just curious, how do you control your drift to stay on the fish without a motor. that’s why I went electric for manuverability. I don’t anchor cause I don’t stay in one spot to long and when I do use it i’m always facing in the wrong direction 
drift …
– Last Updated: Feb-01-10 4:14 PM EST –
...... it's (almost) always there in one way or another isn't it .
On flat water reservours , lakes , ponds , ... usually some kind of wind that will move you . On the rivers it's current (and wind) .
What to do ??
In "many" situations I like to use a drift to my advantage . In the river it can be the perfect ticket for tube and jig , or #3 spinner presentations . that applies to both shore line and mid river structure .
The same can be good on flat waters .
I may want to stop and concentrate on one spot ... drop anchore if not to deep to be a hassle .
Back in deep coves can be perfect , mostly out of the wind it's such a slow drift or non at all . Sometimes it's lilly pads or grass that hold you still . Other times you can tie off to fallen wood .
I rarely hold still , always on the move , but if I want to stop and stay ... then the anchore . Sometimes the wind or current is "too" strong and holding still is the only way to get cast in , without an anchore I would be spending "all" my time just trying to keep in position , either with a paddle or an elect. motor .
There's most always two of us working as a team , either in a canoe , a jon boat or a bay boat .
Regardless which boat , setting up on structure and cover takes someone to be the pilot (with paddle or motor) , the other person gets set up in perfect position for multiple presentations , while the pilot gets in fewer cast , if any depending on the situation .
The light winds and the current can be your friend . The drift can be a big advantage .
Dogsled , what motor and batts. …
– Last Updated: Feb-03-10 8:33 PM EST –
........ do you use ??
What type waters are you fishing mostly and for what type of fish ??
In all the waters I fish , I know what I'm after , although I've been acustomed to a sounder because the nephew likes to have one ... I'd never use or need it otherwise (exception is on the salt bay for "open water" Stripers , etc.).
I'll admit it's ok to see some fish right where you expect them to be , but I'd fish for them there anyway , sounder or not .
I also have some concern about the way an echo sounder may effect the fishes behavior ... they hear it without a doubt (it's a constant bombardment) and it's not like anything natural to them , so I think if you must use a sounder to find the fish and see them , at least turn it off once you know your target zone .
No…
No, shooting through the hull of any cored hull won’t work. Since Royalex isn’t a solid hull but plastic sheets around a core you won’t get a clear signal.
Same with foam cored composites.
dill , you might be correct about not …
… being able to get a reliable signal through Royalex . Do you know this for certain from your own trys at it , and if so what happened . I’ve never tried it myself , but I think it might be possible .
I’ve never had a personal look at a cross section cut of Royalex although I’ve seen all the ad. pics. . It does have an expanded ABS core , but it may be a solid without air in there , it’s not very thick , begins life as a solid sheet laminate , then heated .
It can’t hurt anything to try and find out , using part of a wax ring is a cheap , simple and effective way to find out (easy install , removal and clean up if not satisfactory) . I’d try it if I wanted to know .
I think there is two things that could happen … you’d get a reading , or the screen would just be white noise .