For those of you with more experience using depth finders in a canoe, how are you mounting your transducer?

I just picked up a Fishtrax unit to use this summer and am unsure what to do.

I'm considering mounting it right in the boat and shooting it through the hull. The simplest method seems to be a suction cup mount on the side of the hull, and just angle the transducer down accordingly. Fishtrax also sells a telescopic arm to mount the transducer to that hinges and hangs down over the side of the canoe. It looks functional, but kind of cumbersome.

So for those who know what do you suggest?

MP,
Is our resident expert on these matters but I'll tell you what I did and show a couple of pics.

I don't know how long the line between the unit and transducer is on your unit. I had enough line I could mount the transducer in the bow, but my method would work in the stern as well, say under your seat?

I just used auto water hose tape but good duct tape would work too to tape the wire to the side of canoe right under gunnel rail. Out of way and won't snag on portages.

My unit came with a mount, but I wanted in easy on/off, so I used a small strap to secure it between the yoke pads. I just loosen it and turn under on portages.

I did a lot of reading about shooting thru the hull on kayak fishing sites. As you can imagine everyone had a different take on how to do it.  :) ;D

I took a couple of ideas that made sense to me and
McGeyvered the rest.
I took a plastic tub (round) with a screw on lid. You need a size that your puck fits into properly. I drilled a hole in it the size of puck wire and cut a slit in the side of the tub so puck will lay right. I took a piece of closed cell foam and cut it to lay on top of the puck and hold it properly plus not rattle around on portages.

Before using unit I fill the tub with water. I read where that helps with shooting thru hull? Don't know if that's true, but it can't hurt.

The tub is secured to the floor of the canoe, say in the bow or under the stern seat with Silicone ADHESIVE ( I wanted it to stick thru the roughest portages.) I made sure the mounting surface was clean and scruffed up a little with sandpaper.


Made a circle around the bottom of the tub, an X inside the circle. Set in place and put a heavy weight on the tub and let adhesive cure.
This will hold it even if you get water in the canoe and you can still remove tub if you want with a sharp putty knife.

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I use small clips to hold the wire up under the gunwales out of the way. My puck is on the floor under the bow seat. To mount, I used a little rubbing alcohol to clean the surface and a good dollap of silicone caulk pressing in a circular fashion to get a good seal. You want to make sure there are no air bubbles in the seal. I used a ram mount for the head to attach to thwart ahead of stern seat.  8-)

Thanks guys, especially solotripper for the super detailed response! So clearly you guys are fans of mounting it in the canoe and shooting it through the hull.

I'll mess around with the unit a bit once the ice breaks before I decide. Doesn't anyone just stick the transducer to the outside of the hull with a suction cup?

fishfindermounts.com also sells magnetic transducer mounts which might work pretty well too I think:

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There are many ways that work and there is no one best in all cases way.  The suction cup is fast and easy but comes off at times Outside the boat will cause drag so you will want to remove it on travel days.  Because they cause drag people tend to put them as near the surface as they can and this can cause some problems.  Picture this you are putting the transducer on the right side of the boat.  You lean slightly to the right as you mount the transducer right at the surface.  Now you move back to the center of the boat and turn on your detector to find it does not work well at all.  If someone were paddling alongside you they could see the puck in just out of the water but when you lean over to check the boat tips and the transducer is back in the water.  If you use a over the edge mount make sure the puck is in the water.
I far prefer a semi-permanent through the hull mount. Chose a spot on the floor of the canoe where there is no foam core or extra material.  Most Wenona and Bell canoes have much of the floor covered with a foam covering much of the floor but usually there is a single layer floor in both ends. There are several products that will work to carry the sound through to the water and back to the transducer.  I have used epoxy, silicone weather calk, bathtub caulk, and my favorite is electrical putty.  I think electrical putty and plumber’s putty are the same with different labels on the package. You want as little space between the puck and the floor of the canoe as you can get and you want all that space filled with putty.  The way I put my current transducer in was to take the canoe out in the grass and set it in the shallow grassy ditch in front of my house.  Place a square of putty about 2” X 2” X ½” on the transducer bottom.  Set the transducer on the floor where I wanted it and stand on the transducer for at least 30 seconds.  Then with my finger work the putty that squirted out up against the transducer making the puty taper from the top of the transducer out to the floor of the canoe.  Anchor the cable so it won’t get caught on packs and jerk the transducer free. My transducer stayed mounted this way without remounting it for several trips from Chicago to Quetico.  I have mover it from on canoe to another and back with by just reforming the putty and sticking it in another canoe.
Magnets are HEAVY!

Quote:

Doesn't anyone just stick the transducer to the outside of the hull with a suction cup?

I think there are plenty of ways to mount them BUT since you mentioned them being cumbersome mounted outside canoe, I think you answered your own question.

If you were going in and just base-camping NO portaging then whatever is the quickest/easiest is what I would go for.

The last thing you need on that 33 day trip is something snagging on portage or something you have to mount/dismount on portages.

I'd figure a way to mount it ONCE and forget it.

Magicpaddler wrote on Jan 4^th, 2018 at 9:09pm:

There are many ways that work and there is no one best in all cases way.  The suction cup is fast and easy but comes off at times Outside the boat will cause drag so you will want to remove it on travel days.  Because they cause drag people tend to put them as near the surface as they can and this can cause some problems.  Picture this you are putting the transducer on the right side of the boat.  You lean slightly to the right as you mount the transducer right at the surface.  Now you move back to the center of the boat and turn on your detector to find it does not work well at all.  If someone were paddling alongside you they could see the puck in just out of the water but when you lean over to check the boat tips and the transducer is back in the water.  If you use a over the edge mount make sure the puck is in the water. I far prefer a semi-permanent through the hull mount. Chose a spot on the floor of the canoe where there is no foam core or extra material.  Most Wenona and Bell canoes have much of the floor covered with a foam covering much of the floor but usually there is a single layer floor in both ends. There are several products that will work to carry the sound through to the water and back to the transducer.  I have used epoxy, silicone weather calk, bathtub caulk, and my favorite is electrical putty.  I think electrical putty and plumber’s putty are the same with different labels on the package. You want as little space between the puck and the floor of the canoe as you can get and you want all that space filled with putty.  The way I put my current transducer in was to take the canoe out in the grass and set it in the shallow grassy ditch in front of my house.  Place a square of putty about 2” X 2” X ½” on the transducer bottom.  Set the transducer on the floor where I wanted it and stand on the transducer for at least 30 seconds.  Then with my finger work the putty that squirted out up against the transducer making the puty taper from the top of the transducer out to the floor of the canoe.  Anchor the cable so it won’t get caught on packs and jerk the transducer free. My transducer stayed mounted this way without remounting it for several trips from Chicago to Quetico.  I have mover it from on canoe to another and back with by just reforming the putty and sticking it in another canoe. Magnets are HEAVY!

Thanks for the detailed reply! Seems everyone is a fan of through the hull mounting.  Cheers

solotripper wrote on Jan 4^th, 2018 at 9:12pm:

Quote: Doesn't anyone just stick the transducer to the outside of the hull with a suction cup? I think there are plenty of ways to mount them BUT since you mentioned them being cumbersome mounted outside canoe, I think you answered your own question. If you were going in and just base-camping NO portaging then whatever is the quickest/easiest is what I would go for. The last thing you need on that 33 day trip is something snagging on portage or something you have to mount/dismount on portages. I'd figure a way to mount it ONCE and forget it.

Well, just playing devils advocate, I don't think a transducer stuck on the outside of the hull would be particularly cumbersome. Also, it clearly wouldn't be staying there for the duration of the trip, it would be stuck on when I'm ready to seriously fish then removed when portaging or simply traveling and not fishing. It's not that difficult to stick a suction cup on the side of the hull and remove it.  :)

But everyone seems to be a big fan of mounting it semi permanently inside the hull. I can see the advantages. I do really like your idea of using a small jar with a lid.  :)

If I always used the same canoe, I'd stick it somewhere out of the way with silicone caulk inside the canoe somewhere near me. As it is, I put the 'ducer in a Zip-Loc snack bag with a little water inside (and under). It's a little fuss every time but it works fine for me. The unit gets clamped to the thwart and the battery pack goes in a thwart bag along with the transducer and it's zip-loc for portages. Minimum cordage to deal with that way.

Any (exterior) mount I've ever experimented with made an annoying noise that I simply could not stand for very long. There were other downsides that have already been mentioned and you will need to avoid foam any core areas no matter what.

There was a removable caulk I once used to seal double hung windows temporally for winter 20 years ago. It's probably still around. I expect that would work.

My one regret with whatever is I'll tend to watch the screen more than I'd like to. It's good info to know but so is enjoying what's going on above the water so I do my best on that.

Like this.

---

SP,

When you get your unit up and running, I would be interested in exactly how long you get in battery life with it working continuously?

I thought I read it was about 30 hrs which would be great but I read a few online reviews that said it was much less than that?

db wrote on Jan 4^th, 2018 at 10:36pm:

If I always used the same canoe, I'd stick it somewhere out of the way with silicone caulk inside the canoe somewhere near me. As it is, I put the 'ducer in a Zip-Loc snack bag with a little water inside (and under). It's a little fuss every time but it works fine for me. The unit gets clamped to the thwart and the battery pack goes in a thwart bag along with the transducer and it's zip-loc for portages. Minimum cordage to deal with that way. Any (exterior) mount I've ever experimented with made an annoying noise that I simply could not stand for very long. There were other downsides that have already been mentioned and you will need to avoid foam any core areas no matter what. There was a removable caulk I once used to seal double hung windows temporally for winter 20 years ago. It's probably still around. I expect that would work. My one regret with whatever is I'll tend to watch the screen more than I'd like to. It's good info to know but so is enjoying what's going on above the water so I do my best on that.

Thanks db! Just so I'm clear, you're simply placing the transducer inside a water filled ziplock in an approprite spot on the bottom of the canoe when you're ready to fish? That works? It seems to be similar to solotripper's idea of using a small plastic jar with a lid. The difference being the jar is mounted semi permanently to the floor with silicone adhesive and a water filled bag is just laying there. Will the unit perform as well with no adhesive or silicone? For sheer simplicity I like this idea assuming it works. I agree, it's not likely much bother to set this up when you're ready to fish. 

solotripper wrote on Jan 4^th, 2018 at 11:42pm:

SP, When you get your unit up and running, I would be interested in exactly how long you get in battery life with it working continuously? I thought I read it was about 30 hrs which would be great but I read a few online reviews that said it was much less than that?

I'll let you know. It runs on four AAA batteries, so even if it was necessary to bring extra batteries it's not a big deal. I'm doing a 15 night trip in Algonquin in early May. I'll bring it with me on that trip and figure out all the ins and outs before our bigger trip in the summer.

solopaddler wrote on Jan 5^th, 2018 at 1:47pm:

solotripper wrote on Jan 4th, 2018 at 11:42pm: SP, When you get your unit up and running, I would be interested in exactly how long you get in battery life with it working continuously? I thought I read it was about 30 hrs which would be great but I read a few online reviews that said it was much less than that? I'll let you know. It runs on four AAA batteries, so even if it was necessary to bring extra batteries it's not a big deal. I'm doing a 15 night trip in Algonquin in early May. I'll bring it with me on that trip and figure out all the ins and outs before our bigger trip in the summer.

I like that you don't need a battery box like my unit.
I made one that uses 10 AA batteries. That adds a lot of weight compared to a couple of sets of AAA batteries.

Unless you keep in on constantly if you could get say 20+ hrs on a set of batteries that would be a great mix of utility and simplicity.

solopaddler wrote on Jan 5^th, 2018 at 1:43pm:

Just so I'm clear, you're simply placing the transducer inside a water filled ziplock in an approprite spot on the bottom of the canoe when you're ready to fish? That works?

It honestly works fine. That picture was my first test in a foam core Prism that I borrowed in 2009. As you can see it had a foam core.

Normally, you just have to put a quarter of a sponge of water in the bag after portages. Solo, I usually put it in the bow where there are essentially three walls already. You could duct tape it so it didn't flop and go dry but I don't recall any issues of note.

One thing that I've learned from borrowing other people's stuff is that if you forget to turn off the unit on a dedicated system before turning the canoe over for the night, and it's pinging the stars all night, that will really suck all the juice out of a brand new set of 8 AA lithium batteries. Been there done that.  First day out.  Arrrgh! Live and learn.

Why they don't provide the option of putting the batteries in the unit itself and using bluetooth for the puck is beyond my pay grade. I'm not a fan of cordage in this instance. YMMV but I wouldn't recommend anything that didn't work for me.

I don’t mess with water in a bag. My puck dryfoots it. I just glue it to the floor of canoe with a thin layer of silicone caulk, being sure to work air bubbles out. Makes it easy at portages, just turn it off, rotate head, and tell your son to pick it up and meet you on other side. 8-)

Depends on your tripping style.  If you mount the display unit then it works better to mount the transducer.  If you pack the display unit away for portages then some way to put a little water between the transducer and the floor of the canoe probably works best. I like Old salts method. I mount the display, batteries and transducer at home and it is still there when I get back home.

You guys have been incredibly helpful with your responses, thank you! As soon is the ice breaks I'll experiment a bit and figure something out. With the way winter is going in my neck of the woods that won't be till June though.

It's so dang cold outside mailmen are on the lookout for both dogs and polar bears.  ;D      

Magicpaddler wrote on Jan 6^th, 2018 at 1:19am:

Depends on your tripping style.  If you mount the display unit then it works better to mount the transducer.  If you pack the display unit away for portages then some way to put a little water between the transducer and the floor of the canoe probably works best. I like Old salts method. I mount the display, batteries and transducer at home and it is still there when I get back home.

Old Salt: "I don’t mess with water in a bag. My puck dryfoots it. I just glue it to the floor of canoe with a thin layer of silicone caulk, being sure to work air bubbles out. Makes it easy at portages, just turn it off, rotate head, and tell your son to pick it up and meet you on other side."
some silicone tube labels mention 'quick set' (3 hrs), don't recall the brand(s). i've leaned toward using those.

In terms of quick setting, one might also consider Aquaseal with the Cotol 240 (a catalyzer) that helps it cure in about 2 hours, though this may be a bit more permanent that silicone.  There is also Aquaseal UV, which cures nearly instantly with exposure to UV light (so work quickly!), but that tends to be a bit on the spendy side.

pd

I really prefer the putty to silicone or epoxy.  Set time is Zero,  Stays put for years, Removable in 30 seconds.
PS
Its cheap