Kayak Fish Finder Location - up close and to the side or a bit further away out in front?

[Koz]

I think that it really depends upon whether you pedal, paddle, or use a trolling motor. And if you pedal, the size of your pedal drive will have a big impact as well as how far back you sit. And if you're under 40 years old, think about the future because one day in your 40's you're going to wake up and say, "Why did companies suddenly start making their writing smaller on packages?"

 

I have a 7" Humminbird Helix DI SI on my kayak. The pedal drive on my kayak is a bit tall and bulky. Combined with my eyesight and short arms it was a no go mounting it straight ahead. Because of the side imaging I mount my transducer on a YakAttack switchblade and that is mounted to a YakAttack CellBlok. I also have a YakAttack fish finder mount attached to the CellBlok.

 

I took multiple trips mounting this combo on both the left and right side rails, moving it forward and back along the rails. What I quickly found out was that it could be a real pain fighting and landing a fish and having to navigate my rod above and around my electronics and pedal drive.

 

Eventually I settled on mounting the assembly on the left side as close to my seat as possible. I also experimented with taking the fish finder off of the CellBlok. But in the end, when I set up or break down my kayak it's much, much easier to connect/disconnect one unit than multiple units on the rail.

 

So my best advice is that before drilling to first experiment with the rails that you have. Take multiple trips with each setup, then decide.

 

 

[immortl]

Very good points.  If I'm paddling, something went wrong and fishing is probably secondary.  I plan to pedal (hobie 180 mirage drive) or use the spotlock trolling motor mounted on the bow. The shrinking package labeling hit me a few years ago.  Had to switch from contacts to digital progressives.  Looking forward to exploring eyeball lens replacements in next year or two.  If I remember correctly they told me they wanted me to be 48 or so...

 

I was looking for a starting position and have found lots of good ideas in these replies. I am left handed retrieve for both spinning and baitcasters.  I think I'm going to start with it up close on my left and try it out and see what works best for me.

[Koz]

1 hour ago, immortl said:

I think I'm going to start with it up close on my left and try it out and see what works best for me.

 

Just remember that with a sweeping hookset you might crash your rod into your fishfinder. I cast right handed and usually fish left with my setup.

 

One thing to note in my photos. When I'm out on the water I pivot the fish finder to the left so that the screen is parallel to the hull (in the photo it's perpendicular). Also, if you notice the head unit mount I can stand it up or lay it down at a number of angles to keep it as low and away as possible as well as have it pivot.

 

But again, the best thing to do is try it everywhere.

[Bankc]

I've got mine lower (it's not sitting on a box) and it's smaller (5" screen) than Koz's.  The top is probably around 4" lower than his.  But it's more or less located in the same spot.  You do have to be careful about not hitting it with hooksets and working some lures off that side of the kayak can be a challenge (like jerkbaits).  But you get used to it.  I hold my rod up higher off the water when working on the left side, so I don't accidentally bump it.  And since I use a long paddle, I don't really have issues with hitting it while paddling.  

 

That's the beauty of mounting your sonar screen on an accessory track.  It's not permanently attached, so you can play around with it to find the best location.  Eventually, you'll figure it all out.  

[Dangerfield]

@Koz @Bankc

I think it might be worth discussing, are you predominantly sitting or standing when you fish?

[Koz]

4 hours ago, Dangerfield said:

@Koz @Bankc

I think it might be worth discussing, are you predominantly sitting or standing when you fish?

I sit. My pedal drive is pretty big and because I'm short my seat is forward so I don't have a lot of deck space. The other thing is that where I usually fish, Lake Oconee, the lake is VERY narrow and there's a ton of boat traffic and wakes. At my age, while I'm fine standing all day on a boat I worry about my balance on a narrow kayak.

[Bankc]

5 hours ago, Dangerfield said:

@Koz @Bankc

I think it might be worth discussing, are you predominantly sitting or standing when you fish?

Sitting.  I'll stand maybe 25% of the time.  I do a lot of cruising the banks and I can't really control the kayak while standing.  But sometimes I'll drop the drift chute is the wind is out of the right direction and stand to pitch at cover as I drift or anchor and stand to get longer casts.  And sometimes I just need to stretch my legs and back for a while.  But most of the time I prefer to stay on the move and getting up and down gets old after a while.  So I'll just pull up to my spot, stay seated to make a few casts, and move on to the next spot.  

[Functional]

for what its worth I have a 2.25" ram holding my garmin 93sv on my boat. Its a lighter tracker 175 so it can take a good hit crossing waves and it holds the garmin rock solid. I dont see why it wouldnt hold your HB10 on a kayak just fine.  

[jlieu]

bAppreciate all the comments and feedback on this post!

 

Going through the same thing right now myself with an Old Town Sportsman PDL (unfortunately, no H-rail benefits!) and been playing around with positioning my (massive) Garmin 106sv before drilling holes for through hull kits.

 

With the steering and paddle holder on the left, I decided the fish finder need to be on the right side.  Unfortunately, when using a heavy water bottle (located on the right side), it'll make it a bit right-biased...unless I get some power poles/motor that can be positioned on the rear left side...

 

Positioning the fish finder away from me, closer to the bow was a bit sketchy because that's where I usually cast towards.  I did get used to it and it was easier to see when standing up; however, the higher chance of accidentally hitting it is always there.  It would be a nice placement if I add livescope next to it though.

 

Alternatively, when mounted on the right handle bar with a 9" RAM mount arm, the boat felt a bit more stable and less obstructive when casting yet provide flexibility in positioning.  I don't think a 6" RAM mount arm would work as well for ergonomics.  

 

With that said, I agree with some comments here and believe closer to the seat/center of the yak may be the way to go.  

 

 

[detroit1]

Good looking rig Frydog.

[immortl]

Well, I've finally taken some time to start rigging the kayak.  Yeah, I know, way into the season, should have had it done and been out fishing months ago.  Still taking care of 3 folks with medical issues.

 

As mentioned previously, I picked up the 1.5" ram ball mounts and 6" arm.  Mocked it up tonight while dealing with electrical analysis paralysis.  Stability wise, it appears like it will hold the 10" HDS Pro just fine.  If I try to get it to slip or move, the whole rail and the kayak move..   Aiming to get it out on the water in the next week or two to test placement. 

 

I've not dealt with ram mounts before.  For some reason I thought they were mostly plastic.  I now realize they've mostly rubber coated metal.  The price of them makes more sense to me now.

[Crow Horse]

On 7/8/2023 at 12:27 AM, immortl said:

 

I've not dealt with ram mounts before.  For some reason I thought they were mostly plastic.  I now realize they've mostly rubber coated metal.  The price of them makes more sense to me now.

Some of the Ram Mounts are a plastic composite and there are also aluminum Ram components. It just depends on your needs. I personally like the composites because of the weight savings as long as they are up to the task. My yak has enough Ram mounts on it to be their poster child. Good stuff but it comes at a price.

[Boomstick]

I can't believe I haven't posted. On many kayaks, it's rather difficult to mount your fish finder in the center. If you can find a way, it's absolutely worth it. I would go a 9" screen if you center mount it and a 7" on the side - but be sure to keep it close to you but not too close you can't paddle so it's easier to see and it will be more out of the way when casting as well.

 

The YakAttack mount works great for the center mount, but if you have a side mount get a Ram mount they are more adjustable.

 

Here's a first person view:

 

 

 

[Koz]

On 7/9/2023 at 5:00 PM, Boomstick said:

I can't believe I haven't posted. On many kayaks, it's rather difficult to mount your fish finder in the center. If you can find a way, it's absolutely worth it. I would go a 9" screen if you center mount it and a 7" on the side - but be sure to keep it close to you but not too close you can't paddle so it's easier to see and it will be more out of the way when casting as well.

 

The YakAttack mount works great for the center mount, but if you have a side mount get a Ram mount they are more adjustable.

 

Here's a first person view:

 

 

 

Doesn't that interfere with the rod when setting the hook, fighting a fish or landing the fish on the deck?

 

I could not center mount with me pedal kayak. I could see a center mount with a paddle kayak if it was lower, but the way I fish I'd be bashing that thing all day

[Boomstick]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:30 PM, Koz said:

Doesn't that interfere with the rod when setting the hook, fighting a fish or landing the fish on the deck?

 

I could not center mount with me pedal kayak. I could see a center mount with a paddle kayak if it was lower, but the way I fish I'd be bashing that thing all day

Not in the slightest. It's far enough back it's out of the way. It's never really gotten in the way, I even learned to skip by simply casting right over it.

What you don't see is the back of the seat. I'm pretty tall and my legs are long, so there is a lot of space there. I have to reach forward to change the settings. There is also a lot of room at my feet in the Bonafide SS127 so I have plenty of room to land a 26" bass and have some space leftover.