Depth Finder

[DarrellS]

Anyone install a transducer on a wood boat yet. I am thinking of putting one on my Freedom. Not sure how to install transducer so that it will shooy thru the fiberglass/wood.

[4x4kayak2112]

i dont think it can shoot thru wood, the wood has air inside it.......

[gerald]

i dont think it can shoot thru wood, the wood has air inside it.......

This is incorrect. The transducer works through wood very well. I have stuck them on with a suction cup, epoxy, goop, and got the kind that you hang over the side. Most have been done with epoxy. The depth finders are quite neat for learning bottom structure, etc.. Once you learn an area you don't really need it any more. I use them quite heavy for 3 years or so. Now I never do. Still have one in the shed...

[TexasZeke]

part of it would depend on your transducer. The one I have has a rounded bottom making it hard to glue straight to the bottom. Oh, the glue, I used 100% silicone. Anyway what I did was take a large pool noodle and cut a cross section about 2"-3" long. Then traced the shape of the transducer on the noodle and cut it out. This way the noodle is nice and flat to glue to the boat. Once the silicone sets fill the cavity about half way full with silicone and press the transducer down into it trying not to get any air bubbles in it. Let it all set and your ready to go. If you have one of the flat bottom puck type I would just glue it straight to the hull without the noodle. I've also used Goop for this too and it worked good, but was harder to clean off the transducer when I moved it to a different boat.

As long as you don't get any air bubbles in the glue you shouldn't have any trouble.

kevin

[DarrellS]

Thanks, I am gonna put one in my stripper. Want to see what the bottom of the Brazos does.

[gerald]

Epoxy works well on round bottom boats as well. You simply have to embed the transducer in the epoxy. As Zeke says, as long as you don't get air bubbles in the epoxy you're good to go.

[preacher]

I have three Cuda 168's and one Cuda 300 in my boats. They do okay in deep water but go crazy in shallow water (6 feet and under). I have been trying to contact their rep (at Lowrance) for some time now to see what the problem is but she takes more time off than I do (which is a lot). They does the same thing in plastic and wood boats. I'm thinking it may be the low end depth finder causing the problem. I also have a Humingbird side scan that clamps on the side and there is no problem there but I don't like the thing hanging over the side . . . and getting in the way.

[gerald]

Yes...most of the low end fish finders (I prefer the term depth/structure finder) don't work well in shallow water. I can't remember the exact brand of the one I have in the shed but it doesn't work reliably in water under 3'. This is stated in the instructions/information that I got with the unit.

[bowgarguide]

Back in my younger days when I was fishing bass tournament,we did a lot of playing with the flashers and graphs, we finally worked out a system that worked.
It was just like preacher described, doesnt work well shooting thru the hull but will work great
in the water mounted outside the boat. In glass boats there is a section in the rear that is solid glass
we would mount a plastic pipe water tight,silicone the transducer down in a few spots ,non on the bottom of the puck. then when you were ready to use it filled the pipe with water. worked great on fiberglass boats Even doing that wooden and aluminum boats just didnt work right shooting thru the hull. They will work but not like they are capable of.
Ron

[4x4kayak2112]

i dont think it can shoot thru wood, the wood has air inside it.......

This is incorrect.

So they can......i was told that it wouldnt....but i guess so

[Jerry Hamon]

Gues I'll find out Tuesday. I installed mine today.

[Phishtech]

Darrell, if you don't want to use epoxy, Marine Goop is super for mounting transducers, and you can take it off if you need to.

[Jerry Hamon]

I installed mine (Cuda 168) with Marine Goop and it works great.
I was reading depth and structure down to 2.6 feet.