Share Your Innovations - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dsafety · 01-17-2010, 06:25 PM

By popular demand, this device which was introduced in another post is being added to this thread.

Enjoy

Bob

Permanent Wet Transducer Installation

Today's project was to come up with a way to permanently install a new Fish Finder Transducer using the wet method. I would like to take credit for this idea but truth be told, I found a post from a guy in Australia who came up with this idea a year or two ago. I have modified the original installation a bit.

You will need a 3" piece of drain pipe or a 3" adapter, some sort of cap that will screw or clamp to the top of the adapter, some goop, a few stainless screws and a fish finder with transducer. I used a rubber cap a threaded 3" adapter. You could also use a threaded cap but I thought the rubber cap would provide a better water seal.

The first step is to attach the "well" to the hull of the kayak. I shaved the bottom of the adapter a bit to make it fit the contour of the hull and gooped it to the plastic making sure there would be no leaks once the well was filled with water.

Next came mounting the transducer to the cap. I sliced an X in the rubber that would expand large enough to allow the transducer plug to fit through. You could also drill a hole but that would mean a larger waterproof patch later. In the middle of the X I drilled a hole large enough for the cable to slide through without distorting the rubber.

Using the transom mount that came with the transducer, I attached the transducer to the inside of the cap making sure that everything would fit inside the well when the cap was installed. I marked the top of the cap to show the direction the front of the transducer was pointing and gooped the area where the cable passed through to make it water tight.

After the goop cured, I filled the well with water, slid the cap with transducer over the top and tightened the hose clamp. The completed installation is below.

If all goes according to plan, I should be able to fill the well with water once and forget about it. No more constantly checking the foam ring to make sure the water has not spilled, dried up or drained away. Since I store and transport my kayak upside down It is very important that this thing does not leak. We will see.

I have not yet tested this installation on the water but hope to go to La Jolla on New Years Day. If you see me out there, please feel free to paddle on over and check this installation out.

I have a couple concerns beyond whether this thing will remain water tight. Will the fact that there is about an inch of water between the transducer and the hull have any effect? Since the temperature sensor is inside the well, it will probably not give a very accurate reading. The water in the well will have to stabilize with the ocean water. That could take some time. It will almost certainly not be able to detect subtle changes in the water temperature as I peddle from one place to another. All things considered, this is not a very big deal.

See you out there.

Bob

UPDATE: I have tested this setup a couple times and it works perfectly. It has been stored upsided down for a couple weeks now and no leaks have appeared. The issue with the temperature not responding immediately is real. It typically takes about a half hour for the reading to stabilize with the ocean water. As for performance, the fish finder works perfectly, much better than my previous installation although I am sure that part of the improvement is due to the fact that my new FF has better resolution than the old one.

MrPatrick · 01-17-2010, 09:32 PM

When I use a drop-shot rig in the bay I like to use a two oz. torpedo sinker. I used to take it off of the snap swivel every time a location change was called for. It would be removed to prevent it from swinging and damaging the rod or getting tangled with other rods. Now I use a washer from a garden hose that is zip tied to the threaded area of the reelseat. The sinker slides in and out very easy and the washer is not in the way
A drinking water bottle with a loop on it and a wide mouth make a great holder for keyes and a cellphone. Put the loop through one of your seat straps and it will be withen easy reach. The water bottle can be used to rinse sand off of your yak when you come in.
Last, put your kayak dolly on the trunk of your and secure it down with the wheels up so that you can roll your yak up to the roof racks rather than lifting it.

dsafety · 01-18-2010, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarcastic

When I use a drop-shot rig in the bay I like to use a two oz. torpedo sinker. I used to take it off of the snap swivel every time a location change was called for. It would be removed to prevent it from swinging and damaging the rod or getting tangled with other rods. Now I use a washer from a garden hose that is zip tied to the threaded area of the reelseat. The sinker slides in and out very easy and the washer is not in the way
A drinking water bottle with a loop on it and a wide mouth make a great holder for keyes and a cellphone. Put the loop through one of your seat straps and it will be withen easy reach. The water bottle can be used to rinse sand off of your yak when you come in.
Last, put your kayak dolly on the trunk of your and secure it down with the wheels up so that you can roll your yak up to the roof racks rather than lifting it.

Your ideas sound interesting. How about photos of the sinker holder and trunk/wheel rig.

Bob

senojmj · 01-20-2010, 02:33 PM

Not sure if this is an innovation, but my take on adding a downrigger to a crate. I already had a downrigger from my fishing boat (which is used less and less). I didn't want a permanent installation until I see how much I actually use it. I had some leftover cutting boards which bolted on either side of the crate with mounting base on the outside. I was lucky enough to find a crate with a metal ring around the top, so it pretty strong.
downrigger1.jpg
downrigger2.jpg
Next I needed a way to lock the crate down. I used some U-bolts and pvc and have go into the rod holders behind the seat. They are angled in and do a nice job keeping it down. The one end is not glued shut so I can take it off when I want to.
downrigger3.jpg
downrigger4.jpg
I really enjoy seeing all the different ideas on this forum. Thanks.

GregAndrew · 01-20-2010, 03:44 PM

I would love to hear how the downrigger affects the handling of your yak. I was considering the same thing for trout fishing up in Idaho, and was concerned about the drag. Do you peddle or paddle?

DESTROYER · 01-20-2010, 04:05 PM

Andy- That is SICK

senojmj · 01-21-2010, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

I would love to hear how the downrigger affects the handling of your yak. I was considering the same thing for trout fishing up in Idaho, and was concerned about the drag. Do you peddle or paddle?

I tried to do some homework, and found that most people are replacing the existing line with a braided line with a smaller diameter and using a 2-3 lb. weight. I also shortened the boom on mine as well. I paddle, so we will see how it goes. That is why I decided to mount it on the crate, if i find it doesn't work well. Like you, I am gunning for some lake trout that run deep in Northern Utah, especially at Bear Lake.

Ed · 01-21-2010, 07:41 AM

Simple solution to keep gear in the bow from sliding around. Goop, padeyes and bungee. Held up for over a year.

01-17-2010, 06:25 PM	#1
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	By popular demand, this device which was introduced in another post is being added to this thread. Enjoy Bob Permanent Wet Transducer Installation Today's project was to come up with a way to permanently install a new Fish Finder Transducer using the wet method. I would like to take credit for this idea but truth be told, I found a post from a guy in Australia who came up with this idea a year or two ago. I have modified the original installation a bit. You will need a 3" piece of drain pipe or a 3" adapter, some sort of cap that will screw or clamp to the top of the adapter, some goop, a few stainless screws and a fish finder with transducer. I used a rubber cap a threaded 3" adapter. You could also use a threaded cap but I thought the rubber cap would provide a better water seal. The first step is to attach the "well" to the hull of the kayak. I shaved the bottom of the adapter a bit to make it fit the contour of the hull and gooped it to the plastic making sure there would be no leaks once the well was filled with water. Next came mounting the transducer to the cap. I sliced an X in the rubber that would expand large enough to allow the transducer plug to fit through. You could also drill a hole but that would mean a larger waterproof patch later. In the middle of the X I drilled a hole large enough for the cable to slide through without distorting the rubber. Using the transom mount that came with the transducer, I attached the transducer to the inside of the cap making sure that everything would fit inside the well when the cap was installed. I marked the top of the cap to show the direction the front of the transducer was pointing and gooped the area where the cable passed through to make it water tight. After the goop cured, I filled the well with water, slid the cap with transducer over the top and tightened the hose clamp. The completed installation is below. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to fill the well with water once and forget about it. No more constantly checking the foam ring to make sure the water has not spilled, dried up or drained away. Since I store and transport my kayak upside down It is very important that this thing does not leak. We will see. I have not yet tested this installation on the water but hope to go to La Jolla on New Years Day. If you see me out there, please feel free to paddle on over and check this installation out. I have a couple concerns beyond whether this thing will remain water tight. Will the fact that there is about an inch of water between the transducer and the hull have any effect? Since the temperature sensor is inside the well, it will probably not give a very accurate reading. The water in the well will have to stabilize with the ocean water. That could take some time. It will almost certainly not be able to detect subtle changes in the water temperature as I peddle from one place to another. All things considered, this is not a very big deal. See you out there. Bob UPDATE: I have tested this setup a couple times and it works perfectly. It has been stored upsided down for a couple weeks now and no leaks have appeared. The issue with the temperature not responding immediately is real. It typically takes about a half hour for the reading to stabilize with the ocean water. As for performance, the fish finder works perfectly, much better than my previous installation although I am sure that part of the improvement is due to the fact that my new FF has better resolution than the old one. Last edited by dsafety; 01-18-2010 at 06:07 AM.

01-17-2010, 09:32 PM	#2
MrPatrick Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Waiting to launch Posts: 1,381	drop shot loop When I use a drop-shot rig in the bay I like to use a two oz. torpedo sinker. I used to take it off of the snap swivel every time a location change was called for. It would be removed to prevent it from swinging and damaging the rod or getting tangled with other rods. Now I use a washer from a garden hose that is zip tied to the threaded area of the reelseat. The sinker slides in and out very easy and the washer is not in the way A drinking water bottle with a loop on it and a wide mouth make a great holder for keyes and a cellphone. Put the loop through one of your seat straps and it will be withen easy reach. The water bottle can be used to rinse sand off of your yak when you come in. Last, put your kayak dolly on the trunk of your and secure it down with the wheels up so that you can roll your yak up to the roof racks rather than lifting it.

01-20-2010, 02:33 PM	#4
senojmj Paddle, Fish, Repeat Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 26	Downrigger crate Not sure if this is an innovation, but my take on adding a downrigger to a crate. I already had a downrigger from my fishing boat (which is used less and less). I didn't want a permanent installation until I see how much I actually use it. I had some leftover cutting boards which bolted on either side of the crate with mounting base on the outside. I was lucky enough to find a crate with a metal ring around the top, so it pretty strong. downrigger1.jpg downrigger2.jpg Next I needed a way to lock the crate down. I used some U-bolts and pvc and have go into the rod holders behind the seat. They are angled in and do a nice job keeping it down. The one end is not glued shut so I can take it off when I want to. downrigger3.jpg downrigger4.jpg I really enjoy seeing all the different ideas on this forum. Thanks. __________________ Paddle, Fish, Repeat.

01-21-2010, 07:41 AM	#8
Ed Fringe Head Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Drippin Chicken Water Ranch Posts: 140	In Hatch Gear Holder Simple solution to keep gear in the bow from sliding around. Goop, padeyes and bungee. Held up for over a year.

01-20-2010, 03:44 PM	#5
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	I would love to hear how the downrigger affects the handling of your yak. I was considering the same thing for trout fishing up in Idaho, and was concerned about the drag. Do you peddle or paddle?

01-20-2010, 04:05 PM	#6
DESTROYER Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: "The Table" Posts: 976	Andy- That is SICK