Author Topic: Fish Finders and Transducer Mounting (Read 895 times)

Siskiyou · « **on:** April 23, 2003, 05:40:19 PM »

I am looking at mounting a second Fish finder on my boat. Is there any problem with mounting the transducers side by side. Does there need to be separation. If so how much. I see that Humminbird is selling a model you can tie your handheld gps into. Anybody have any experience with this item?

Siskiyou

Savage · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2003, 08:21:46 AM »

Just noticed this post. I'm sure by now you have either gotten some good info on transducer mounting or found out the hard way. But here goes anyway: transducers must be mounted where their beams will not overlap to avoid interference. At least if they are to be operated at the same time. I have my rear sounder transducer mounted on the rear of the step at the transonm and the front mounted on the trolling motor. Works well for me.
Good Fishing,
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2003, 08:57:14 PM »

Savage:

Thanks for the information. I had not found an answer until your response. I just read a couple of manuals and they fail to cover the subject. At least by reading the manual for my father-in-law's fishfinder his is now doing the job.

I need to really think about what I want in a fishfinder. Saturday I was using my old one to find suspend fish and my handheld gps to mark the location. I was surprised on how far I was off without the gps to guide me back to a location. At times a couple of hundred feet. I am starting to think that a fishfinder with a built in gps would be nice. The other requirement would be dual transducers.

At this time I operate my electric motor off the stern if I am not using the kicker for trolling. When I am on open water I use the 9.9 for trolling. The electric is a little slow and the main motor is a little faster then I want.

Siskiyou

Savage · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2003, 06:07:58 AM »

Siskiyou,

Looks like our fishing styles are not the same. I primiarly fish for largemouth bass, so I don't know a lot about trolling. I do know that some of the striper fishermen use a trolling plate on their gas motors to allow them to troll at slower speeds. If you are using one of the newer GPS units you should be able to return to a waypoint within 50'. That is if you can lock on three satelites at a time. My sounders use the dual beam transducers a 16 and 48 degree combo if memory serves me correctly. Looks like the wider beam transducers should work well at marking fish for you.
Food Fishing,
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2003, 08:01:36 PM »

My current fishing is for kokanee salmon. Currently they are at about 35-40 feet. I use down riggers so that I can use light tackle. Later in the year I will be down to 50-60 feet depending on the time of day and water tempature.

I create waypoints on the gps when I spot schools of kokes on the fish finder. The other day my gps accuracy was running about 16 feet. The more I got into open water my eyeball accuracy was off 150 feet. It is amazing how far a wind will blow a boat off when fighting a fish or getting hit by big wakes.(Another plus when taking new folks out and they realize the do not know the way back, you can show them on the gps the waypoint for the ramp. Father-in-law had his sister out in the Sea of Cortz about 25 miles and she had a panic attack because she did not know her way back. She had enjoyed operating the boat all morning, but when it was time to go back she was lost. Easy to do on new, big water.)

In the evening I try and work the shoreline for bass. Picked up a nice small mouth the other evening. Kept one, tossed a number of small ones back. The problem is that my electric motor is a stern mount type and I am getting to much wieght on the stern. I just replaced my 2-stroke with a 4-stroke and gained wieght in the process.

I have thought about a trolling plate, which would get rid of the 9.9, and free up wieght for the electric motor and battery on the stern. When bass become the primary target the 9.9 stays home.

Taking a granddaughter out fishing tomarrow p.m. Hope to give her a sample of both bass fish and koke's. As soon as the West shoreline goes into deep shade we will try the bass.

Siskiyou

Savage · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2003, 04:32:08 AM »

Siskiyou,
Hope you have a good compass as a backup for your GPS! I can see where the kicker motor would be a source of comfort as a reserve engine. I bet you carry extra oil for the 9.9 so you could use the main gas supply in an emergency. Hope you and your grandaughter have a great fishing trip!
Good Fishing,
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2003, 08:42:33 AM »

Savage:

Actually I have cut back on the amount of fuel I carry now days, unless I go to the Delta with hundreds of miles of waterway ways. I then carry extra fuel/oil. The new 4-stroke is so fuel efficent that I now carry one 6.6 gallon tank full for it. When I get home I refill with two or three gallons of fuel. The old motor would have burn seven or eight gallons of fuel and I would carry three 6-gallon tanks.

In the course of a day trolling I put many hours on the 9.9. I will burn about two gallons of fuel. On an average day I will put +or- eighteen miles on the boat. This is measured by my gps from cast-off to docking. Until I started using the gps I did not realize how many miles I was putting on.

I always have a compass on board. I do not trust battery powered equipment when something as simple as a compass is around. The delta is interesting because it is flat, I do not know it very well, it is a maze of waterways. And the extend view is cut-off by dikes. I have loaded maps of that area on to the gps. I have started another post regarding merrying a gps to a fishfinder.

Siskiyou