Help Me Outfit My Bass Fishing Kayak

[JbroBass]

I just bought a NuCanoe Unlimited Kayak for bass fishing, and I want to carefully choose how I outfit it. This boat is 12'6" long and 41" wide and weighs 84 pounds, so it's not exactly a nimble kayak. But I do plan to eventually trailer it and also to mostly use it under power.

 

 

 

So far, I've purchased the Motorguide Xi3 GPS Kayak electric motor (the one that spot/anchor locks) with a 12v 100 Ah lithium battery, which I'm told should power me all day. The outfitter is installing the wiring and quick disconnect components so that the battery will be in the back of the boat just in front of the deck plate in the photo below. Other than the motor, battery, and associated plates and wiring required, I haven't purchased anything else.

 

Where to Mount Electronics Package?

 

The next decision I want to make is where to mount the electronics package. The boat comes with a scupper hole transducer port in the middle of the boat directly in front of the seat. This can also be seen in the photo below. There is a cutout under the boat that is supposed to be large enough for side/front imaging transducers.  The manufacturer is supposed to soon release a transducer mount that will allow for the transducer to be dropped down when in use (for side/front imaging) and retracted when not in use.

 

 

 

One choice is to use this scupper hole transducer port for the transducer, and then mount a YakAttack CellBlok to the 15" track in the front middle of the boat, with the battery inside the CellBlock, and the electronics display unit on top. This will allow me to easily remove everything except for the transducer. (I'm assuming I can just unplug the transducer cord from the electronics unit, while leaving the transducer in the retracted position at the bottom of the boat.)

 

The other choice is to also use a CellBlock, but mount it on one of the tracks on either the left or right front gunwale, and also mount the transducer mount arm on top of the CellBlock. This is the method that the outfitter is recommending. Their main reason for this is that I can easily remove the entire unit (display unit, battery, and transducer arm) for transport and charging and also reduces the chance of theft. They also feel like this keeps all the cords nicely out of the way. 

 

However, I'm wondering if having the CellBlock with the electronics and transducer arm up on the gunwale won't interfere with fishing, and occasionally, paddling? It seems like having the electronics mounted dead front center might be a better choice, as this will keep the gunwales clear. I'm not sure yet if I intend to fish often while standing, or to fish mostly from a seated position. It seems like the unit up on the gunwale would definitely interfere more with fishing while seated than while standing, but I have no experience to draw on.

 

I would love to hear from some experienced kayak fisherman regarding this choice. 

 

 

 

Sorry for the duplicate image. Not sure how I did that and cannot find the edit post button. 

[flyfisher]

It is totally a preference thing as far as transducer location.  I hated having an arm and got rid of it and my last kayak I purchased I made sure had a central electronics pod for mounting everything.  

 

That transducer scupper seems really close to the seat but where the scupper is doesn't mean that is where the electronics needs to be.  I prefer electronics centrally mounted.  It keeps them out of the way and I primarily fly fish and it still works just fine.  

 

Ultimately you have enough tracks and locations to figure out what you like and want based on your fishing style.

 

[OldManLure]

I helped a buddy outfit his kayak which had very similar placement of tracks.  Utilizing two of the more forward tracks (the 10” tracks shown on your pic), we used aluminum angle stock (purchased at Lowe’s) and  fabricated a frame that mounted to the track on each side.  The legs were about 10” which elevated the cross piece from deck of the yak.  We purchased a field ammo box from DSG for his battery which fit below the crosspiece of the frame.  It was on the crosspiece that we mounted the display unit (the crosspiece also works great for hanging lures, small tools, scale, etc).   The last step was to trim and file corners to get rid of all sharp edges.   I think total cost was about $25, and we spent maybe 90 minutes on it.  While we put it together using stainless screws, washers and nuts, he had a buddy who was later going to braze the joints.  

This was 2 summers ago and he is still using it.

[JbroBass]

@flyfisher What did you hate about having a transducer arm? Was it strictly related to fly casting? Or did other things about having the arm bother you?

 

The transducer scupper is fairly close to the seat, but as you mentioned, that doesn't really matter. If I do use that transducer scupper, my unit will be straight in front of me but further away than the scupper hole. (Everything will be mounted somewhere on the 15" topload track in the front center, close enough to reach it but hopefully not right in my lap. 

 

@OldManLure Thank you for the ideas. I'm terrible making things with my hands, so will be seeking a commercial solution. But there are many good commercial options available. The primary decision I'm trying to make is to mount in front of me, or mount on the side. And whether to utilize the transducer scupper hole, or mount the transducer over the side with an arm.

 

It might be tough to know for sure until I get experience in the boat, but I do want to try and make the best decision I can now to try to avoid spending a bunch of money trying things two or three different ways. I guess some of that may be inevitable though. 

[OldManLure]

Have you seen this?

https://www.nucanoe.com/product/dashboard-xl/

[JbroBass]

Yes, I have seen the NuCanoe dashboard, but I'm trying to avoid it until I decide if I'm going to use a stand-up casting bar, because it interferes with the ability to collapse the bar forward and out of the way when it's not in use. 

 

I'm probably going to use the YakAttack cellblock, either on the gunwale as shown in the picture below, with the battery inside and the display unit and transducer arm attached to it. Or on the center track with the battery inside, the display unit attached, and the transducer through the center transducer scupper hole.

 

 

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I would suggest fishing out of it at least a few times before you start mounting anything on it. Everyone has their preferences and you're liable to mount something on your kayak and wish it wasn't where you put it. 

[Koz]

I have a pedal drive, so I can't mount anything in the middle. But I have the CellBlok, the Switchblade  transducer arm attached to the CellBlok, the Hook2 fishfinder mount attached to the CellBlok, and my Hook2 5.  My fishfinder mount is adjustable enough that I can almost lie it down to lessen the height of my entire package.

 

You can separate the CellBlok and the fishfinder mount instead of stacking them, but remember you will probably have to angle your fishfinder upwards to see it clearly. That may increase your screen glare or position the screen in more direct sunlight.

 

I went with the transducer arm because the hull of my kayak is pontoon style and I have the TripleShot transducer with side scan that needs to be clear of the hull. That being said, the way I have it set up, it's easy to tear down. I just remove the CellBlok from the rail and everything else is attached to that. And after 4 - 6 hours out on the water I want the tear down and clean up as easy as possible.

 

As @Bluebasser86 mentioned, you're going to want to try it out in different placements and if I might suggest - different conditions. It's a lot different trying to read the screen on days when the water is really choppy or on bright, sunny days compared to when the water is calm and you have overcast skies.

 

I moved mine up and down both the left and right rails until I finally decided to keep it snug to my seat on the left side. But if I ever want to switch back to the right side all I have to do is turn the Switchblade arm so it faces the other side.

[flyfisher]

I didn't like where it was and it seemed like wherever I moved it, it was in the way of something, paddle stroke, landing fish etc... I also noticed much more disturbance when paddling, especially with side imaging than I have mounted in the center and it always seemed to catch grass even when I didn't see any lol

[schplurg]

Just want to second the idea of going out and trying the yak a few times before buying anything. You could even stack, strap or mount some stuff on it that simulates a fish finder. See if that gets in the way.

 

I like to keep my FF low so it's out of my way. If you mount it on a track you can always slide it forward or back as well.

 

Figure out how you're going to store your gear. My first time out I had a back pack. Kind of a pain and it got wet. Then I bought a milk crate and customized it. Part of the fun is figuring out what you need and experimenting. Have fun with it!

 

You need a spot for food and water too.

 

Random thoughts: I keep some paracord in my yak for tying to docks and such, and any tools I may need to tighten things on it. I have a headlight, some tape, bandages, maybe an extra Clif bar or similar. I have a pole with a bright yellow flag on it, it fits in a rod holder for now. Has a light on top too - made it myself.

 

And strap everything down that you don't want to lose. One of those mini portable water filters would be nice on longer trips, think I'm gonna grab one

[Koz]

38 minutes ago, schplurg said:

You need a spot for food and water too.

 

I bought this Flambeau Tuff Krate Premium. I can store a ton of Plano boxes and a Tupperware type container for plastics in the bottom. In the top I store a small Plano with some key baits, extra sun gloves and gaiter, pliers, and a scale. There's also room for a few bottles of water and snacks. 

 

I also have two extra rod holders attached to it. You can attach 2-4 more additional rod holders as well.

 

 

[JbroBass]

@Koz I was considering the YakAttack Black Pac, but that Tuff Krate looks good and is less than half the cost. How strong are the hinges which hold the top section to the bottom section? Just from looking at the picture, it seems that those hinges could be key to how well the box works. 

[Koz]

5 hours ago, JbroBass said:

@Koz I was considering the YakAttack Black Pac, but that Tuff Krate looks good and is less than half the cost. How strong are the hinges which hold the top section to the bottom section? Just from looking at the picture, it seems that those hinges could be key to how well the box works. 

The hinges actually snap into place when you put it together. They hold the lids down just fine. Now you might think that having a snap on hinge is not such a good idea, and at first I thought that as well.

 

But what it means is that if the hinge is accidentally hit with enough force, say when loading, unloading, or transporting, the hinge could pop off. In my mind that's a lot better than having it snap and break.

 

The one thing you will need is a bungee or string to tie to the lids so that when you open them they don't flop all the way open, It was a big mistake for Flambeau not to include that.

 

I like this crate setup a lot, but the one thing I don't like is that it does not have some sort of tool caddy on the outside. Then again, once I start fishing I keep my tools up front so I don't have to turn around and grab them while fishing.

 

I definitely like it a lot more than my old, standard milk crate because it holds a lot more and I can close things up. The multi compartment setup is great and saves me from having to add additional storage. It also allows me to keep items sorted, whether it be a frequently used Plana, tools, food, drink, etc. I'm sure some people use the top for soft plastics.

 

Since my kayak does not have any in hull storage, the two compartment setup was a big deal for me. 

[CountryboyinDC]

Just a note about the Cell Block - I have it and for my purposes it's the most practical solution that I've come across.  The whole graph/battery/transducer comes off and can be used on another boat (I don't really).  It allows me to mount a transducer (Lowerance 3 in 1) that wouldn't fit in the transducer scupper of my pedal drive kayak (Old Town Predator PDL, the one this gets mounted on).  It has some drawbacks. In my paddle kayak ( Jackson Coosa HD), it causes the kayak to list a bit.  It gets in the way of my forward paddle stroke, even with the seat slid way back.  A 41" wide kayak would probably take 50 lbs on the gunwale to make it list significantly, and you may have some track rail with yours that allows it to be mounted out of the way of your forward paddle stroke.  In the end, it'll be you who decides how to go about it, depending on what's important to you.

[schplurg]

I would make sure that the battery that fits in a CellBlock is big enough for what you need. Looks like it holds 7 - 9 amp hours.

 

If you use AGM batteries you can only use half of that before needing to recharge. If you have to power a light or cameras then you may need more power, or if you plan to fish more than one day. Maybe a lithium would fit with more amp hours.

 

Just a thought. Also can you mount the battery next to the power block part of a CellBlock rather than on top? That would lower the whole thing a good 4-5 inches I'd guess.

[JbroBass]

I plan on getting a 10 Ah lithium battery. In poking around researching, there seem to be several that fit inside the CellBlock. 

[CountryboyinDC]

I use the Nocqua 10 AH.  It fits fine with the padded case it comes with.

[Darth-Baiter]

I would do a Hail-Mary first before I use a transducer arm. I would try doing that silicon install inside the hull (google it) and see if it worked.  The goal is a big bubble less homogeneous glob of silicon to nestle the transducer in so it may shoot readings thru the hull. 

[Choporoz]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I would do a Hail-Mary first before I use a transducer arm. I would try doing that silicon install inside the hull (google it) and see if it worked.  The goal is a big bubble less homogeneous glob of silicon to nestle the transducer in so it may shoot readings thru the hull. 

Throug-hull works great for traditional and downscan.....not sidescan,  however 

[JbroBass]

I do have the option of the scupper transducer port as well, once NuCanoe releases the retractable gizmo, which is supposed to be soon. For some reason the outfitter I'm working with doesn't think that's a good option, and strongly recommends the CellBlock on the gunwale with the battery inside and the display unit and transducer arm mounted on top. And this is what he uses on his personal boat, which is also a NuCanoe Unlimited.

 

I still may try the scupper transducer port anyway, as the idea of a centrally mounted system is more appealing to me than the gunwale mount. My only worry is damaging the transducer by accidently forgetting to retract it before beaching. And also a little bit of concern that it could be damaged when beaching even if it is retracted.

[Darth-Baiter]

2 minutes ago, JbroBass said:

I do have the option of the scupper transducer port as well, once NuCanoe releases the retractable gizmo, which is supposed to be soon. For some reason the outfitter I'm working with doesn't think that's a good option, and strongly recommends the CellBlock on the gunwale with the battery inside and the display unit and transducer arm mounted on top. And this is what he uses on his personal boat, which is also a NuCanoe Unlimited.

 

I still may try the scupper transducer port anyway, as the idea of a centrally mounted system is more appealing to me than the gunwale mount. My only worry is damaging the transducer by accidently forgetting to retract it before beaching. And also a little bit of concern that it could be damaged when beaching even if it is retracted.

All valid points.  My friend uses a Nucano frontier 10 or something.  He doesn’t even have a FF yet installed.  ( I gave him my Garmin)

 

me and my Hobie; I am so much faster setting up and breaking down.  I like a mounted transducer simply so I didn’t have to mess with it ever again. I just plug in lake side and I’m off.  There is enough stuff to move and strap down as it is. 
something  to think about.   You got a great boat bud.  I love his frontier.  The seat seems too heavy tho. It’s like a real chair!  
 

best of luck.  Outfitting my kayak was pretty fun. 

[Koz]

23 hours ago, JbroBass said:

I plan on getting a 10 Ah lithium battery. In poking around researching, there seem to be several that fit inside the CellBlock. 

This is the lithium battery I purchased. Only 7A, but all I use it for is my Lowrance. Battery life is excellent, and the weight is minimal.

 

This was an important feature with the CellBlok because there are three mounting holes on each end of the CellBlock (inner, middle, outer) and when I lock it down to the rails I use the innermost hole so that the unit is actually hanging over the outside of my kayak, giving me more room in the cockpit.

 

Because the battery is so light my kayak does not list to that side even with the CellBlok hanging outside the edge of the kayak.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PG5I8EE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[JbroBass]

@Koz How many hours do you get with that 7 Ah battery? I will probably also use it only for the fishfinder, so your results should be roughly transferable to me. I hope to fish between 6 to 10 hours at a time, max. 

[Swift One]

On 10/18/2021 at 4:40 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

I would suggest fishing out of it at least a few times before you start mounting anything on it. Everyone has their preferences and you're liable to mount something on your kayak and wish it wasn't where you put it. 

This Right Here^^^^^^^.  Me and my fishing buddy have our kayaks set up completely different.  We fish for the same species and together all the time.  Another thing to consider is that you may need/ want to modify your set up based on the species of fish you are going after, how you are fishing for that species, and the type of environment you are fishing in.  My kayak is set up different when fishing lakes vs rivers/ ditches.

[Koz]

13 hours ago, JbroBass said:

@Koz How many hours do you get with that 7 Ah battery? I will probably also use it only for the fishfinder, so your results should be roughly transferable to me. I hope to fish between 6 to 10 hours at a time, max. 

I honestly have no idea. I've gone out there for 3-6 hours at a clip for a few weekends in a row and the battery stayed charged. Then I'll bring it home and charge it overnight.

 

This is the charger that I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W46BX31/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I'm sure there's better stuff out there. But I have zero complaints with what I purchased.