Fish Finder For Kayak

[Firstoutfisher]

Are there specific fish finders that work better for Kayaks? Just got a new fishing kayak and want to outfit it with a finder and I am unsure of what I should be looking for. Obviously I need to find some way to mount the transducer. Aside from that what should I look out for?

[Jmilburn76]

Any of them should work, I had a Raymarine dragonfly and upgraded to a Humminbird Helix 5 with DI. The bird has everything except side imaging. For me GPS with mapping was a must have.

[ThatFishingGuy]

I have a Deeper Pro+ that has a kayak mount you can buy online, and it doesn't need extra batteries or a transducer. As long as you have your phone on you, you're set

[HookInMouth]

I don't think it matters, they're all similar from what I hear (I have a Garmin UHD 73SV on my Bonafide SS127). As far as mounting, what kind of kayak are you using? I used the POD on the SS127 to mount mine. 

[J Francho]

13 hours ago, Firstoutfisher said:

Are there specific fish finders that work better for Kayaks?

It really is a difference in how you mount the system, not which system you choose.  I prefer YakAttack and RAM rail mount options over anything else I've tried.

 

[Choporoz]

Alternatively,  I have one kayak with a transducer pod that works well.  I added a BerleyPro transducer mod/cover to allow sidescan to mount below the hull, while still using the kayak pod area.  I have two kayaks with transducer mounted inside the hull using duct putty.  Both methods work quite well.

[Bankc]

There are two main differences in a kayak fish finder vs. one for a bass boat, in my opinion.  One is size.  In a bass boat, you'll usually have some distance between you and the screen and plenty of room onboard.  So bigger screens are usually better.  For a kayak, a smaller screen is usually preferred, as it's less likely to get in the way, and you'll be sitting pretty close to it.  Resolution still matters though.  But you likely won't need a huge screen to be able to tell what's going on.  And a smaller screen usually drains less power, which means you can get by with a smaller battery.  So you save money, save space, and save weight.  

 

The second is transducer size.  A lot of the fish finders with side scan have longer transducers.  Many kayaks have a large port in a scupper hole to fit a transducer to keep them out of the way.  A handy option.  But the larger transducers with side scan won't usually fit in these.  And side scan isn't as important on a kayak, in my opinion, because they only work while you're moving at a decent speed (2-3 mph), which in a kayak, you usually aren't moving too fast while fishing.  It still comes in handy though, like for scouting places to fish, which you'll do less of in a kayak vs. a bass boat because of how much more difficult it is to cover large swaths of water.  So you tend to make the best use of what you have access to versus trying to find the best place on the lake.  I have a side scan transducer on mine, and I do use it.  So they are still useful and I like them.  But I have to hang the transducer over the side to make it work, and that presents some minor issues.  Nothing too bad though.  I use a Scotty 141 and 0368 to hold the transducer and fish finder screen in one unit.  

 

Otherwise, the usual things apply.  Do you want GPS?  Maps?  Down scan?  Just figure out your budget and what features you most value, and you should be able to narrow it down to a few options.  

[michaelb]

I have been kayak fishing for a long time but don't have a fish finder. How deep are you going to be such that having a fish finder will really matter finding and locating structure? I find the space on the front of my boat to be precious, and fish finders are bulky and do get in the way. If you are standing, you have room below you, but if you have to sit and fish, at least for me, anything that gets in the way of working the rod side to side is in the way (I do have a rod holder up front, but I have the option to remove that or move it).

 

My other issue is running a 12v battery and having to deal with that onboard. There are some portable lithium options if you want to spend the money. I have a hummingbird 5 si I could mount on my kayak if I could get over these issues (of space and battery). Plus drilling into the boat if I want to store the battery inside. Running the transducer over the side is not that big of a deal using the various mounts shown here, but it is another thing in the way and so I have wondered about mounting that off the back of the boat or far to the rear (but that means running cable or drilling holes).

 

There is the option for a FF that runs on AA batteries, including hawkeye. I don't have one and not saying that these are that useful, and would mainly show depth which is the most important thing, but wonder if something smaller and simpler like this would work for me. I have looked at the deeper and the other iPhone connected options, but running my phone and seeing that screen on the kayak also has been hard to get right (I do run marine charts on my iPhone and do mount that on the boat).

 

https://hawkeyeelectronics.com/collections/fishtrax-series

[Bankc]

15 minutes ago, michaelb said:

I have been kayak fishing for a long time but don't have a fish finder. How deep are you going to be such that having a fish finder will really matter finding and locating structure? I find the space on the front of my boat to be precious, and fish finders are bulky and do get in the way. If you are standing, you have room below you, but if you have to sit and fish, at least for me, anything that gets in the way of working the rod side to side is in the way (I do have a rod holder up front, but I have the option to remove that or move it).

 

My other issue is running a 12v battery and having to deal with that onboard. There are some portable lithium options if you want to spend the money. I have a hummingbird 5 si I could mount on my kayak if I could get over these issues (of space and battery). Plus drilling into the boat if I want to store the battery inside. Running the transducer over the side is not that big of a deal using the various mounts shown here, but it is another thing in the way and so I have wondered about mounting that off the back of the boat or far to the rear (but that means running cable or drilling holes).

 

There is the option for a FF that runs on AA batteries, including hawkeye. I don't have one and not saying that these are that useful, and would mainly show depth which is the most important thing, but wonder if something smaller and simpler like this would work for me. I have looked at the deeper and the other iPhone connected options, but running my phone and seeing that screen on the kayak also has been hard to get right (I do run marine charts on my iPhone and do mount that on the boat).

 

https://hawkeyeelectronics.com/collections/fishtrax-series

If I'm not bringing my trolling motor, I'll use a 12v 7Ah SLA battery with mine.  It's about 6" long and weighs less than 5lbs.  It'll run my fish finder as long as I need since it's a smaller one that doesn't drain much power.  It cost me less than $15. 

[Choporoz]

@michaelb, I appreciate your contribution and respect your opinion,  but I find that I differ on most every point.  I absolutely benefit from each major function on my 7 inch Garmin; especially downscan, sidescan and GPS.  The ability to find and mark offshore brushpiles alone makes it worth every penny.  A 10 Amp SLA battery cost less than $30, weighs about 7 pounds and lasts me over 12 hours.  And as for cutting up your yak....it is a bit frightening the first time....but it gets easier- get that drill and hole saw and throw caution to the wind.   I only sit to fish and while I do knock the screen with a rod once in a while, like when fishing a jerkbait....but it is the exception and I never wish it wasn't there.

[Fishingmickey]

1 hour ago, Bankc said:

There are two main differences in a kayak fish finder vs. one for a bass boat, in my opinion.  One is size.  In a bass boat, you'll usually have some distance between you and the screen and plenty of room onboard.  So bigger screens are usually better.  For a kayak, a smaller screen is usually preferred, as it's less likely to get in the way, and you'll be sitting pretty close to it.  Resolution still matters though.  But you likely won't need a huge screen to be able to tell what's going on.  And a smaller screen usually drains less power, which means you can get by with a smaller battery.  So you save money, save space, and save weight.  

 

The second is transducer size.  A lot of the fish finders with side scan have longer transducers.  Many kayaks have a large port in a scupper hole to fit a transducer to keep them out of the way.  A handy option.  But the larger transducers with side scan won't usually fit in these.  And side scan isn't as important on a kayak, in my opinion, because they only work while you're moving at a decent speed (2-3 mph), which in a kayak, you usually aren't moving too fast while fishing.  It still comes in handy though, like for scouting places to fish, which you'll do less of in a kayak vs. a bass boat because of how much more difficult it is to cover large swaths of water.  So you tend to make the best use of what you have access to versus trying to find the best place on the lake.  I have a side scan transducer on mine, and I do use it.  So they are still useful and I like them.  But I have to hang the transducer over the side to make it work, and that presents some minor issues.  Nothing too bad though.  I use a Scotty 141 and 0368 to hold the transducer and fish finder screen in one unit.  

 

Otherwise, the usual things apply.  Do you want GPS?  Maps?  Down scan?  Just figure out your budget and what features you most value, and you should be able to narrow it down to a few options.  

Sorry Bankc,

     I'd have to disagree with you on the bolded statement about side scan. I've been kayak tournament fishing for 7 years now and side scan is a prefect tool for scouting and finding things like brush pile and rock pile and irregularities in the bottom like creek channels and "drains". When your paddling or pedaling your kayak (normally about 2-3 mph) with side scan on your can see so much more and interpret it better with side scan. 

     I run a Garmin ultra 93sv w/live scope. It does require more battery power but the trade off's are worth it IMHO.

 

Best regards,

Fishingmickey

[Darth-Baiter]

They all work in a kayak.  You just have to pay attention to available space.  I go one step further and make sure I have space to crawl back aboard should I fall off in deep water.  It’s a real possibility. I’d hate to drown because all the crap I have strapped to my kayak prevented re-entry. 
sorry. But it needed mentioning 

[Bass Junke]

1 hour ago, michaelb said:

I have been kayak fishing for a long time but don't have a fish finder. How deep are you going to be such that having a fish finder will really matter finding and locating structure? I find the space on the front of my boat to be precious, and fish finders are bulky and do get in the way. If you are standing, you have room below you, but if you have to sit and fish, at least for me, anything that gets in the way of working the rod side to side is in the way (I do have a rod holder up front, but I have the option to remove that or move it).

 

My other issue is running a 12v battery and having to deal with that onboard. There are some portable lithium options if you want to spend the money. I have a hummingbird 5 si I could mount on my kayak if I could get over these issues (of space and battery). Plus drilling into the boat if I want to store the battery inside. Running the transducer over the side is not that big of a deal using the various mounts shown here, but it is another thing in the way and so I have wondered about mounting that off the back of the boat or far to the rear (but that means running cable or drilling holes).

 

There is the option for a FF that runs on AA batteries, including hawkeye. I don't have one and not saying that these are that useful, and would mainly show depth which is the most important thing, but wonder if something smaller and simpler like this would work for me. I have looked at the deeper and the other iPhone connected options, but running my phone and seeing that screen on the kayak also has been hard to get right (I do run marine charts on my iPhone and do mount that on the boat).

 

https://hawkeyeelectronics.com/collections/fishtrax-series

Drilling holes in your kayak? Not really a concern, I drilled at least 30 holes in my kayak for various mods. No holes below the water line. 

2 weeks ago I was on vacation and fishing almost every day. I was leaving my kayak in the yard. One night it got poured on. Kayak received a nice bath, no water in the hull. 

I have hosed my kayak down before and kind of hit all my light switches with water. The extra force of the hose did let some water into the hull, a few drops that's it, I bought a sponge. If you are concerned, buy a sponge, that is probably all you will need. 

[michaelb]

I have had a fish finder on a kayak before; I have two fish finders right now, one old and one new that I could rig up for my kayak. I mostly fish waters I know very well, focusing on shore features; I look down and see the weed edge or the rocks and fish that spot. When I am out in open water or new water, I understand the benefit of having a fish finder. My hummingbird has SI and I think that is cool, but I haven't really found it helping me locate places to fish. SI requires moving steady in a straight direction, so I wonder how jagged that display image would be paddling in wind and waves.  I mostly would want to know depth (and I can drop my anchor and guess pretty accurately the depth too); GPS and nautical maps would be good (my FF has those too).

 

Anyway, the OP has a new kayak. I know we want to rig them out with all the new toys, but my recommendation is to fish with it first. Maybe you will be like me and take 2 or 3 years to decide if you really want more stuff in your way:

 

 

 

[Smalls]

9 hours ago, Bankc said:

  And side scan isn't as important on a kayak, in my opinion, because they only work while you're moving at a decent speed (2-3 mph), which

I use SI more than anything on my kayak. I also get decent imaging all the way down to .7mph. 

 

You should absolutely buy the biggest screen you can afford. I've only ever seen one person complain that their graph was too big. He returned his 15" and got a 12, said it was perfect. 

 

 

[J Francho]

I'd agree with the SI statement. I also use DI side by side with chirp a lot too. The whole SI not working in a kayak is a myth. 

[Firstoutfisher]

l will probably run my yak without a fish finder for a while. I know I definitely want one in the future and figured I should start looking now. To make matters even more complicated my yak is an inflatable. A bote lono aero with apex pedal drive to be specific. So that means If I want to deflate it whatever mounting I use has to be easily removable. It also means I won't be able to drill or cut the kayak. As far as I know there are no accessories that will easily mount to it so I will probably have to do some custom work to get a transducer mount. 

[Smalls]

9 minutes ago, Firstoutfisher said:

As far as I know there are no accessories that will easily mount to it

https://www.railblaza.com/blog/inflatable-boat-accessories-mounts-from-railblaza/

 

I heard these work well.

[gim]

22 minutes ago, J Francho said:

The whole SI not working in a kayak is a myth.

While I do not kayak fish, my Lowrance unit manual indicates that 5 mph is the optimum speed to use side imaging at. Maybe another brand like Humminbirds or Garmin work at a slower speed.

[Smalls]

17 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Lowrance unit manual indicates that 5 mph is the optimum speed to use side imaging at

Optimal? Probably.  But like I mentioned, my Lowrance gets decent imaging well below that speed.

 

And realistically, 2-3mph isn't hard to achieve in a kayak, especially while you're cruising between spots.

[Koz]

I have a Lowrance Hook2 5 with the tripleshot transducer (sonar, down scan, side scan) on my kayak. This is my first year getting a lot of use out of a kayak and my first foray into a fish finder. So here are some thoughts:

 

1) Where are you going to put the battery? I don't have any hatches in my kayak, so I opted for the Yak Attack CellBlok that mounts on my rail and then the fish finder mount is on top of that. I can bend the mounting arm down, but even then it leaves a high profile that can be another obstacle when casting or bringing in a fish. My pedal drive is the other obstacle. 

 

If you use a rail mount for your battery, you're going to want a lighter battery. I have a lightweight Dakota Lithium 12V 7A battery that works fine as it only has to power my fish finder.

 

Because I have side scan with my transducer, I also use the Yak Attack Switchblade transducer arm that is also mounted to my CellBlok. I may experiment and put the CellBlok behind my seat and then put the transducer arm and the mount separately on the rails. But what I am getting at is plan it out, and I wouldn't make anything permanent until you experiment with placement for a while.

 

2) I bought a reconditioned Hook2 5 directly from the Lowrance site and saved a ton of money. It looked brand new and it works great. So for your first fish finder you don't necessarily have to go cheap to see if you like it, and you don't have to blow a ton of cash and then find out you don't like it.

 

3) A fish finder is not a magic bullet. Admittedly I do not spend enough time using it to map and analyze areas. I get distracted by actually fishing. I'm tempted to go out on the water without any fishing gear and force myself to explore, analyze, marl, and map more areas on my home lake. I need to make better use of my side scan and down scan capabilities.

 

As others have stated, yes, the side scan works on a kayak. But again, your better using it to analyze areas first and then go back and fish them. Don't expect it to be of much use while you're sitting there drifting and fishing.

[J Francho]

The beauty of kayak fishing is when ever you're moving, your at scanning speed, so you might as well have the capability, and there's always time to progress in your interpretation abilities. No matter how short a trip I'm making, there's usually at least 45-60 minutes of paddling time. Make it productive. 

[Jmilburn76]

If you are looking for a small and lightweight battery the Nocqua is about as small as you can get at 3"x3"x3"  Mine has been running my fish finder issue free now for a few years.

 

https://nocqua.com/product/12v-battery/

[Standard]

12 hours ago, Smalls said:

Optimal? Probably.  But like I mentioned, my Lowrance gets decent imaging well below that speed.

 

And realistically, 2-3mph isn't hard to achieve in a kayak, especially while you're cruising between spots.

 

Same with my Garmin 73SV.  SI works as soon as I start moving.  With a pedal drive, I can easily cruise at 2mph or so and it's a very clear image.  I have the scroll speed set on auto, the unit does a good job.

[Bankc]

To be fair, I was saying that side scan isn't AS important.  I wasn't saying that it didn't work or it wasn't useful.  Like I said, I have and use side scan on my fish finder in my kayak.  I was just suggesting that in a kayak, you typically have a lot less of the lake available to you to fish, so you don't often have the luxury of being as picky about your spots as you would in a full sized bass boat, where it's no big deal to cover 10, 20, 30 miles of shoreline in a day.  In a kayak, you tend to pick apart the spots available to you much more thoroughly, and might spend more time on spots that are less inviting than you would if you had access to more of the lake.  

 

So I use it.  But if I needed to save money or wanted a more elegant transducer mounting solution, I could go without it, and I don't think it would effect the way I fish much, if I'm being honest with myself.  In a power boat, it's a must-have.  In a kayak, it's a welcomed luxury.  That's my point.