Fishfinder for Kayak

[Hookmanski]

I’m looking at buying a fishfinder for my kayak but don’t know much about them at all, I’ve never really had the opportunity to use them. I have a 10ft sit on top so looking for something on the cheaper side. It has accessible storage inside I could hide wires in. I also don’t know much about powering one. Would I need a full on battery like you would use for a trolling motor? Any tips are appreciated!

[NJSquatch]

There are portable units that contain the battery, wiring, charger and finder in a carrying case. This could be a nice option rather than buying all the accessories individually required with a mounted unit. That way you can use it in other boats or take it ice fishing! My brother in law has the garmin and likes it.

If you go with a mounted unit some things to consider.

Depending on the unit you might need to get a mounting system (ie Ram Mount).

How are you mounting the transducer? Thru hull or with an arm over the side? Thru hull restricts water temp readings and might affect sonar in certain situations but plenty of guys have success with that setup. I opted for an over the side option. I bought the scotty transducer arm and universal fish finder mount.

For a battery all you need is a small sealed 12v battery (example) and a way to keep it from sliding around in the hull (velcro or battery box).

You will also need to get a battery charger. I use the battery tender jr.

wiring is very straight forward. you will need some female and butt connectors and crimp or solder to the units power wire and install an inline fuse to protect the unit.

as far as units definitely get one that has GPS so you can mark waypoints. you can find some deals on used units on eBay. i use a 10 year old grayscale humminbird 363 and it suits my needs in the yak.

definitely do your research. Tons of info on the web. Good luck

[Hookmanski]

Thanks for the reply Squatch. If i went with a portable unit, would I need a mount for the transducer? Or would i just plop the float off the side of the kayak when I want to use it? I'm currently looking at this one: https://www.cabelas.com/product/boat...9.uts?slotId=8

^i don't think this model has GPS but I can always put pins on google maps to mark spots

[NJSquatch]

check out the detailed review below. it comes with a suction cup to mount the transducer that you will want to position on the side of the yak so it shoots straight down. no GPS on this unit. it is the most basic unit you can buy.

http://fishfindersadvisor.com/piranhamax-4-pt/

GPS is really nice to have directly on the unit so you are not fumbling with your phone

check out the garmin striker 4..same price point,little smaller screen, suction cup mount, and a kayak hull mount PLUS has GPS

http://fishfindersadvisor.com/striker-4-portable/

i would recommend stopping in a retailer to see which screen size you prefer

[Hookmanski]

Awesome. Going to do some research, but the Garmin Striker 4 is looking pretty close to what I want. Thanks again squatch!

[Ken Lyons]

You can find spots out in the middle of a lake and you can go nuts trying to find them again without GPS.