Fish Finder Install on a Emotion Mojo Angler Kayak

[Reel Tune]

Here is an install I just completed for a friend of mine from Tennessee Kayak Anglers. He wanted to start using a fish finder without breaking the bank so I sold him a complete setup very affordable. I listed the parts used and lots of pictures in my blog at http://kbfunleashed.com/

Almost all products Hook1 in Hendersonville carries.





Rigging kayaks is something I really enjoy doing, so if you have an idea or project you are wanting to tackle, but don't have the tools or confidence feel free to ask any questions.

[Travis C.]

Looks good. I like to rig boats as well but never had a yak to trick out yet.

Have you ever thought about mounting a through-hull transducer inside the cavity of the boat on the bottom? Then you could fish the wires up and into the back of the head unit mounting hardware.

You would lose your temp reading but everything esle would be the same.

[txnative]

Most kayak anglers just use marine goop to fasten the transducer to the hull inside the kayak. The big advantage with the way midtnkayakangler mounted the fish finder is that it is removable, very handy if you have multiple kayaks but only one fish finder. Also, I believe the unit is more accurate than if it shoots thru the hull.


Chris

[bd-]

My transducer on the bottom of my gheenoe kept getting whacked by rocks and stuff. It stopped working, and I rarely use a depth finder anyway (usually I can see the bottom in the places I like best), so I never replaced it. That might be a reason to consider a thru-hull transducer though; I don't know.

bd

[Reel Tune]

Travis, and BD


txnative is correct


I did have it mounted thru hull for about a year and a half, but I have 6 different kayaks, and regularly fish out of 3-4 and it takes about 24-36hrs for the Lexell to setup. I don't have that kind of time to wait between a river float, or fishing a lake so I went externally, and if you have air bubbles you have to redo it.

I've found better results with the clairity, and more accurate temperature readings for surface temperatures. It's easier to find structure on the bottom, bait fish, and suspended fish. The transducer picks up and deploys easily with the swipe of a paddle, or just reach forward and move it out of the water if I'm going really shallow. I like the GPS feature also because on the rivers I might do a 10 mile float and I like to know about where I am so I'm not trying to find my takeout in the dark.

I'm looking into several different units all Humminbird. I don't know if I want to do with just Down Imaging or Down Imaging with Side Scan. This year I want to fish a lot of deeper water. I've always fished relatively shallow 1-17', but want to try fishing 25-40' in the lakes and reserivors, and 100' in the Gulf this year.


Thanks for reading, Jeremy

[Travis C.]

Interesting. I can definitely see the need for a removeable transducer if you are swapping back-n-forth. When I had multiple boats we went the expense of installing a matching transducer to the other boats so it was a quick grab of head units then didn't matter which boat.

Oldtimers and some guys who have pond boats will have a unit and not mount it. They will simply place the transducer in a plastic bag full of water then tape it up so the water stays put. After that they drop if on the floor of the boat at it works like a thru-hull. As long as water covers it then it is like it was in the water. Put the head unit on a piece of wood and you have a portable depth finder.

[Travis C.]

How do you compensate for the cone angle or does a kayak sit pretty level once a rider is on board?

Bass boat guys who install their own on the trolling motor will do it in the drive way on a trailer (which is convenient) but fail to consider a passenger sometimes. If they fish alone and put it directly under the tolling motor shooting straight is fine but once a buddy climbs in the back to go fishing the tranducer will shoot a few degrees forward instead of straight down causing your coverage to be off.

[txnative]

I mount it as close as possible to the center of the kayak. Kayaks still pretty level, no doubt since a tilt of even a few degrees is easy to feel, and while moving there is no up or down tilt due to the inherent low speed...3 knots is about the fastest a paddler can maintain without wearing themselves out.


Chris

[Reel Tune]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

Interesting. I can definitely see the need for a removeable transducer if you are swapping back-n-forth. When I had multiple boats we went the expense of installing a matching transducer to the other boats so it was a quick grab of head units then didn't matter which boat.

I wish I could do that, but I just cannot afford 3-4 transducers at $80+ a piece. When my old unit brand new was $400-$450 new.

Originally Posted by Travis C.

Oldtimers and some guys who have pond boats will have a unit and not mount it. They will simply place the transducer in a plastic bag full of water then tape it up so the water stays put. After that they drop if on the floor of the boat at it works like a thru-hull. As long as water covers it then it is like it was in the water. Put the head unit on a piece of wood and you have a portable depth finder.

I need everything in it's place and mounted in a kayak, you are limited with room and I stand a lot, so something laying on the deck is a tripping hazard.
I've seen some people lexell a 4" dia by 4" long piece of PVC in the hull of the kayak put some water in it and drop their transducer in there also.

[Reel Tune]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

How do you compensate for the cone angle or does a kayak sit pretty level once a rider is on board?

Bass boat guys who install their own on the trolling motor will do it in the drive way on a trailer (which is convenient) but fail to consider a passenger sometimes. If they fish alone and put it directly under the tolling motor shooting straight is fine but once a buddy climbs in the back to go fishing the tranducer will shoot a few degrees forward instead of straight down causing your coverage to be off.

The kayaks do sit fairly flat on the water, I've seen some lesser designed that the bow will stick up in the air or if it's over loaded in the rear, but for the most part all mine sit fairly flat in the water. The depth of the transducer is adjustable because my Hobie Pro Angler sits higher than my Wilderness Systems Tarpon. So I adjust the depth of the transducer to about 2-3" below the hull at home on the rack. Then I take a level and insure the transducer is level with the bottom of the kayak. The transducer pivots with the adjustment of one bolt on the Mad Frog Liberator Mini. I nornally don't have passengers, but that is something to consider since I do occasionally have my brother-in-law in the tankwell of the Pro Angler, or 80lb Chocolate Lab.