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kpdoyle
member (45)member
  
01/10/2018 08:24PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hey everyone, I am thinking about spending a few bucks and getting a portable fishing finder this year for our BWCA trip. I have heard that you can put the transducer IN the canoe as long as it is positioned in water on the floor of the canoe. Does anyone have some tricks as to how to properly pull this off? Should I just place the transducer on a soaking wet hand towel?

I appreciate the input!
 
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eelpout89
member (47)member
  
01/10/2018 08:36PM  
I use a Hummingbird Helix 5 with the ice fishing transducer. With a little splash of water it reads right through the bottom of a aluminum canoe.
 
old_salt
distinguished member(2547)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/10/2018 08:58PM  
I glue puck to floor under bow seat using a thin layer of silicone caulk, pressing in a circular motion to work any air bubbles out. I don’t mess with water. Works great. My canoe is Kevlar.
 
01/10/2018 10:10PM  
There is always a little water on the floor of my canoe, I just let the transducer sit on the floor and have no issues. Unless I knock it over, but then I just set it back up.

Make sure you aren’t over foam otherwise it won’t shoot through the hull.

T
 
01/11/2018 07:13AM  
You will not be able to get a water temp by doing this. In the shoulder seasons this can be valuable info. I prefer the suction cup with a 6" piece of pipe strapping to stick the transducer below the water line. It's very easy to rotate the transducer out of the water if needed and if you forget it will rotate on its own with pressure. Pros and cons to many options but a sonar will definitely help you locate fish.
 
kpdoyle
member (45)member
  
01/11/2018 08:24AM  
I appreciate all the feedback. I would love to bring my ice fishing flasher, but I think I am going to go with something like this below (cheaper, lighter, but certainly lacks in resolution comparatively).

I am going to be renting my canoe so sadly I don't think permanently bonding my transducer to the floor is an option (but great idea for when I buy my own canoe).

I was thinking a doughnut shaped non-permeable object to temporarily bond to the floor of the canoe would be a good idea. That way you would essentially create a little pool for the transducer to sit in. I just haven't found the right materials to pull this off... oh well, I have until late May to figure something out! :)

 
PikeChase
member (50)member
  
01/11/2018 08:35AM  
timatkn: "There is always a little water on the floor of my canoe, I just let the transducer sit on the floor and have no issues. Unless I knock it over, but then I just set it back up.


Make sure you aren’t over foam otherwise it won’t shoot through the hull.


T"


+1 This is what I've done for several years and had no issues. If there's not enough water just splash with the paddle.
 
01/11/2018 09:22AM  
kpdoyle: "I appreciate all the feedback. I would love to bring my ice fishing flasher, but I think I am going to go with something like this below (cheaper, lighter, but certainly lacks in resolution comparatively).


I am going to be renting my canoe so sadly I don't think permanently bonding my transducer to the floor is an option (but great idea for when I buy my own canoe).


I was thinking a doughnut shaped non-permeable object to temporarily bond to the floor of the canoe would be a good idea. That way you would essentially create a little pool for the transducer to sit in. I just haven't found the right materials to pull this off... oh well, I have until late May to figure something out! :)


"


Many on here have used plumbers putty just as you describe.
 
schweady
distinguished member(8071)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/11/2018 12:21PM  
Short answer: timatkn said it best.

What canoe are you using? In the Souris River canoes we've used, it's easy to set the 'ducer in a small puddle of water and shoot straight down between the ribs. In most Wenonahs, we've encountered a football-shaped foam on most of the horizontal floor space that makes it a little more challenging to find a spot that it will read through. But I have never felt the need to use any putty or glue or anything (we rent, anyway). If you encounter foam in all of the good horizontal spaces, you can put just a bit of water in a ziploc bag (no air bubbles) and rest the 'ducer on that. Sure, you will not get the water temp (except for the rather warm water inside the canoe), but an occasional dunking will give you an idea without having to bring suction cup and bracket, etc. 'Keep it simple' is our latest mantra.
 
kpdoyle
member (45)member
  
01/11/2018 01:25PM  
I am always impressed with the wealth of knowledge on this message board. Thanks again for all the input.
 
BnD
distinguished member(810)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/11/2018 01:35PM  
If you own your canoe this is what we do. Silicone one of these to the canoe floor with a complete silicone seal. When we are using the depth finder we dip a handful of water inside the foam then stick our transducer in (no air between the transducer and canoe) and we're on. My depth finder system looks like this you can see the transducer cable going behind the stern seat down to the foam mounting pad. This set up allows me to remove the transducer and cable when not in use with nothing outside the canoe and no water, cups, etc in the bottom of my canoe. Works for us. That's our GPS in the middle of the thwart.
 
Spookmeister
distinguished member (205)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/11/2018 02:07PM  
AmarilloJim: "
kpdoyle: "I appreciate all the feedback. I would love to bring my ice fishing flasher, but I think I am going to go with something like this below (cheaper, lighter, but certainly lacks in resolution comparatively).



I am going to be renting my canoe so sadly I don't think permanently bonding my transducer to the floor is an option (but great idea for when I buy my own canoe).



I was thinking a doughnut shaped non-permeable object to temporarily bond to the floor of the canoe would be a good idea. That way you would essentially create a little pool for the transducer to sit in. I just haven't found the right materials to pull this off... oh well, I have until late May to figure something out! :)



"



Many on here have used plumbers putty just as you describe."


AmarilloJim: Do you use the small depthfinder you have pictured? If so, how do you like it? Am considering picking up one like that to save weight on a solo trip.
 
01/11/2018 05:15PM  
kpdoyle: "Hey everyone, I am thinking about spending a few bucks and getting a portable fishing finder this year for our BWCA trip. I have heard that you can put the transducer IN the canoe as long as it is positioned in water on the floor of the canoe. Does anyone have some tricks as to how to properly pull this off? Should I just place the transducer on a soaking wet hand towel?

I appreciate the input!"


Depends a lot on the canoe type. My Souris river I can read thru the floor. My prism I have a problem.
 
SouthernExposure
distinguished member (455)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/11/2018 07:09PM  
Shooting directly through the floor of almost any canoe material is not a problem.

Here are several alternatives for the transducer issue.

Transducer mountings
 
01/11/2018 07:44PM  
Someof is location Like a Prism I think yoy have a double layer or a hollow area in between making it difficult to shoot thru it. If I am willing to move it around in the canoe I am sure I could find a spot. Also I have a rubber suction cup attached to the transducer so I can attached to the side of the cane if I want. yes it may make a little splashing noise while paddling but works fine.

Lot of smart people on board here with great ideas.
 
microp
  
01/11/2018 09:10PM  
Yes, I've done the same thing with my old portable LCD Humminbird that uses AA batteries...bring a tube of silicone sealant and just spread a big glob of it under the rear seat and press down the transducer...works fine...make sure you clean it off before presenting your canoe to the outfitter...it should scrape off...some of them freak if there is even a scratch...don't tell them what you did...good luck..
 
zski
distinguished member (331)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/12/2018 12:12PM  
I've used silicone every time thus far but MP mentioned that plumbers putty works well. He has never steered me wrong so i'm planning to switch to plumbers putty for easier cleanup.
 
01/12/2018 05:45PM  
I have used a piece of 4" pvc pipe 4" long, pressed into a "donut bead of plumbers putty or silicone. Fill with water and drop in transducer. Worked for me .
 
mastertangler
distinguished member(4432)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/13/2018 07:45AM  
old_salt: "I glue puck to floor under bow seat using a thin layer of silicone caulk, pressing in a circular motion to work any air bubbles out. I don’t mess with water. Works great. My canoe is Kevlar."


I have probably already thanked Old Salt for steering me in this direction but I will do it again.

This method is hassle free. I used to have a suction cup mount but it impedes our progress ( a big deal if you tend to troll fast ) and it was always coming loose. Pain in the keister.......the only advantage was being able to read water temp, no small consideration in the shoulder seasons. Even so I would probably use an alternative method and despise having the transducer out of the boat.

My mount is permanent. I run the cable up enderneath the gunnels and secured via electric wire mounts. My only advice is to not mount over skid plates as that takes more power to shoot through. This permanent mount is always secure, always ready to use. No storing of the cable and transducer.......nice if you decide to run a line while traveling during a day.

Silicone is tough and easy to work with and alleviates any need for adding water which I view as an unnessary complication.
 
01/13/2018 11:09AM  
I use the glued in Foam cutout method like BnD. Plumbers putty also works well.

I have had no problems with shooting thru the hull in my Bell Magic.

I can’t seem to find the sweet spot location for shooting thru the hull in my Wenonah 1992 MN II. Not sure why? There must be some double layers of foam between the ribs in the bow of the canoe. Ummm. Pinetree said he was having issues with his Wenonah Prism as well.

I am thinking of calling Wenonah and ask about construction materials and their location in their MN II. Pinetree I will ask Wenonah about your Prism.

Anyone on this Forum have any success shooting thru the hull in a Wenonah MN II ?
 
01/13/2018 11:35AM  
Thanks.
 
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