Just wanted to share a winter project I have been working on to get my sidescan transducer mounted to the bow of my kayak.  

 

Ultimately, I wanted a setup that would allow me to put the transducer dead center inline with my kayak while also having no obstructions to sidescan.  I also wanted it in a position that I can easily drop a bait next to it for “video game” fishing.  Last, I wanted a setup that is easy to disassemble for transportation and easy to stow and deploy while on the water.

 

After drawing out a few options, I decided to mount it to the bow and I got started building a “rotating drum” design that stows and deploys the transducer via a trolley system:

 

 

I will have the transducer permanently mounted to a short length of 3/4 in PVC.  The PVC will insert into the coupling on my mount and be held in place with a pin for easy removal.

 

I haven’t seen anyone else run a setup even remotely similar to this, so I figured this may help pave the way for anyone who has been interested in running their transducer off the bow.

Pretty clever.  I dig it.  Does it stop at 90° when deploying?  That would be convenient, my arm can get bumped, giving me janky readings.

Thanks!  It does stop at 90 degrees.  I made sure to cut it that way since I had the same gripe when I used to run a transducer arm.  That, and I was always a bit overly OCD about trying to make sure the arm was perfectly straight/level when I deployed it.  This setup gives me peace of mind in knowing the transducer drops to the exact same spot every time. I’m excited to test it on the water.

That looks like a great idea.  Garage/shop innovations are the best

 

2 hours ago, PAbasser927 said:

That, and I was always a bit overly OCD about trying to make sure the arm was perfectly straight/level when I deployed it.

 

How did you check to see if it is perfectly level when your sitting in the kayak? 

20 minutes ago, kenmitch said:

How did you check to see if it is perfectly level when your sitting in the kayak?

I marked the water line.

^ Same.

Great idea! Very innovative! And what kayak is that? I love all that open space on the deck.

Thanks!  It is a Native Ultimate 14.5.  There is almost as much space behind the seat as there is in front.  It is classified as a hybrid between kayak and canoe.

The Ultimate is a cool boat.  I have a similar Commander 140.

Nice!  I was looking at the Commanders when I got my Ultimate.  For me, the decision was going to be made by whichever one popped up on Craigslist for a good deal first.  It happened to be the Ultimate.

Awesome, I love it. 

 

Nothing has made me stop and go “wow, that is fricken genius” more than the kayak DIY world. Definitely one of those ideas. 

One of my buddies just picked up a yak and I warned him, for some of us, kayaking is just as much about DIY as it is paddling.  Every time I go out on the water I find something I can do to aid convenience.  My wife says it is my “creative outlet” where I am not otherwise an especially creative person lol

17 minutes ago, PAbasser927 said:

One of my buddies just picked up a yak and I warned him, for some of us, kayaking is just as much about DIY as it is paddling.  Every time I go out on the water I find something I can do to aid convenience.  My wife says it is my “creative outlet” where I am not otherwise an especially creative person lol

It’s always a good feeling when you come up with a clever solution to your needs on the water, too. And we usually (sometimes) save a couple bucks DIY’ing, that’s always a bonus. 

 

What did did you make the mounting bracket from?

Agreed!  It is just a 1/2in commercial cutting board I got for a few dollars on amazon.  I only have about $20 in this whole setup since I had most of the materials as leftovers from prior projects.