Fish Finder--Placement for sensor

[Bnoon120]

Does anyone have an opinion on where to place the sensor for a fish finder for it to be most effective.. until my new remodel I had it attached on the back corner of my boat but I suppose I could never really tell exactly where it was look aside from down.. and every time I would move locations I would have to push it back to face downward as the water force would push it up... I guess Im looking for the most effective placement for an accurate view of whats around. I am going to place the LCD screen in the front of the boat and historically Ive been a back of the boat fisher ( thats where my engine trolling motor and fish finder screen use to be ) but with everything in the front now should I move the sensor to the front?? Leave it in the back? If its in the back does it still see whats coming infront of me? Maybe writing this I am answering my own questions but with a lack of knowledge Im just looking for a more established opinion? Let me know what you guys do. Thanks!!!

-Brad

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

I think you had the location right. Sounds like you need to tighten something up. The transducer should flip up if you hit something, but the force of the water while underway shouldn't move it.

 

[redbug]

you want the transducer placed where it will remain under water while running
the outside edge may be air under it causing you to lose the bottom.
As far as reading what is around you a simple example is to take a flashlight
if you shine it at the ground at you knees you will se a tight cone on the ground
then raise the light to your chest and notice the cone is larger
that is how the Depth finder works the front edge of cone would be what is coming toward you
Wilson Frazier has a set of DVD's out that can really help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl73G6KyNe4

 

[Bnoon120]

I appreciate the feedback it was useful, I suppose the best option is where I had it originally and to just position myself for optimal area of coverage.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

Probably 12 to 18 inches from the corner, with no strakes in front of it. To close to the corner and aerated water may interfere with the sonar.

 

[Bnoon120]

How would i be able to tell if i was having interference? I dont believe I was last year but I only had my fish finder on for a trip or two at the end of last bass season here in PA. I also was running a pretty cheap fish finder last year, I upgraded this year yet haven't used the new one yet. My bass season starts early March and I won't have the vessel out til then..

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

Post some pictures and let the guys on here take a look at where you have it mounted.

 

[surfman]

Most fish finders come with pretty good instructions on how and where to mount the transducer, if you follow them correctly you should have no problems. Like said above if the water is tilting the transducer up then the nut needs to be tightened.

 

[TNtroller]

Most 2d xducers have a seam of some type running the length of the xducer on the side. That seam or where the top/bottom pieces meet should be close to even with the bottom of the hull as a startin point, but mounted away from any strakes on the bottom. I've found it's hard to keep bottom lock when xducers are mounted on the outside of the hull, some have good luck, but its a common thing to loose bottom on plane. If you fish new waters a lot, then it may be more important to have bottom lock, but I seldom fish new waters, so I know where the hazards are and more cautious, go slower as well.

 

[Bnoon120]

thats good advice, i normally fish familiar areas but my fishing buddy, aka my little brother, just moved a few hours north and weve been finding alot of new waters over the past two years. I'm thinking the back corner of my hull is going to be ideal and ill just have to be careful as youve said when im out on unfamiliar lakes.

 

[TNtroller]

search around the webz for free maps, whether they are navionics, etc., of the new waters you are trying or want to try. Navionics has some free ones, just gotta look for 'em, and they can be helpful in finding the "hazards" of new water.

 

[Bnoon120]

Has anyone attached a transducer to the bottom of their fish finder? Benefits? Complications? Interference?

 

[redbug]

Bnoon120 » Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:16 am[/url]"]Has anyone attached a transducer to the bottom of their fish finder? Benefits? Complications? Interference?

you lost me on this one ???? your transducer is the sensor I thought you were talking about placing on the back of the boat and having it more toward the center of the boat is the way to go you will get less turbulence there

 

[Bnoon120]

Haha, I was, my father sent me a link today that people are attaching the transducer to their fish finders. I felt like not only with the turning off the motor give you an inconsistent picture, but the turbulence would give an inaccurate reading. So I was wondering if anyone had explored that option of placement.

 

[redbug]

Bnoon120 » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:59 pm[/url]"]Haha, I was, my father sent me a link today that people are attaching the transducer to their fish finders. I felt like not only with the turning off the motor give you an inconsistent picture, but the turbulence would give an inaccurate reading. So I was wondering if anyone had explored that option of placement.

AM I missing something?? you are asking about attaching your transducer to the fish finder ????
the wire coming from the transducer plugs into the depth finder otherwise it will not work

 

[Bugpac]

Im gonna go out on a limb, and guess he is talking about putting the transducer on the "Trolling Motor" LOL...If so almost every boat in the country is like that, you wont have any problems..

 

[Bnoon120]

Oh wow, and i did it twice. Thanks remarkable.. how about the trolling motor. Maybe this will make more sense.

 

[redbug]

okay now you got it ... like BUGPAC said most bass boats have been running that set up for year with no issues
you can even get a trolling motor with an internal transducer already installed

 

[Bnoon120]

This is fantastic news!! Thanks for not tearing me apart with the faux pas. I'm going to have to make this my new placement for the sensor. Do you set it to look straight down?

 

[redbug]

yes straight down.
there are mounts that can hook onto the shaft that offset the transducer to the side of the motor as well as transducers that look more like a hockey puck that mount directly to the motor housing itself using a hose clamp