FISHING
KAYAK FISHING
ADDING ELECTRONICS TO KAYAKS
TIPS AND ADVICE FOR BRINGING FISH-FINDING CAPABILITY TO A SMALL CRAFT
By Matt Ball
photo by chris FunK
YakAttack, RAM Mounts and RAILBLAZA all offer mounting
brackets for most popular fish-finder units on the market.
YakAttack also makes an all-in-one unit called the CellBlok
that might be just the ticket for some kayak anglers. It
mounts on a gear track and provides a location to install a
sonar unit and transducer arm, plus it holds a battery and all
the cables in one removable package.
transducer mounting
t
echnology such as GPS mapping and sonar are being
utilized on more kayaks to bolster offshore capabilities.
As a result, it’s not uncommon to see bass boats and
kayaks finding and fishing the same open-water ledges,
weedbeds, and other cover and structure.
If you’re interested in adding a fish finder to your kayak,
here are a few things to consider.
types of electronics
The types of electronics units an angler can run on a
kayak are really limitless, but space, method of propulsion
and mounting options must be considered when deciding
what is best for you.
StructureScan is becoming more and more popular with
kayak anglers due to the increased use of pedal drives and
electric motors. It can still be used while paddling, but it’s not
nearly as convenient because side-scanning sonar requires a
minimum speed and consistent propulsion to get an effec-
tive reading.
Screen size and available real estate in your kayak are
other considerations. There needs to be enough room to
paddle or pedal without the screen interfering, but the
screen needs to be large enough to return good images.
mounting options
42
Accessory-mounting tracks (known as gear tracks) built
into kayaks are more popular than ever and make it easy to
mount a fish finder. If your kayak doesn’t come with tracks,
you should probably consider installing them. They’re very
handy, though there are other electronics-mounting options
available, too.
There are many mounts on the market that are compati-
ble with the most common track systems, allowing expen-
sive electronics to be repositioned or easily removed for
transport, security or just getting them out of the way when
not needed.
There are inherent challenges to effectively mounting a
transducer on a kayak. For a removable option, the YakAttack
SwitchBlade is a good choice. It has an articulated arm that
deploys over the side of the kayak, making it possible to
mount any size transducer to any kayak with a gear track. This
is a great option for anglers wanting to run StructureScan as
well as for anglers who might not want to permanently mount
a transducer and run wires on their kayak.
Many kayak manufacturers, including Jackson Kayak, now
mold a recess for a transducer into the hull of the kayak.
Others, such as Bonafide, Wilderness Systems and Feelfree,
offer removable pods for mounting the entire unit. You could
also mount the transducer inside the kayak and shoot through
the hull, but this setup doesn’t allow for StructureScan, and it
skews temperature readings significantly.
Battery
There are a lot of battery options for kayak anglers.
Lithium batteries save weight and offer higher performance
than lead acid batteries, but they cost much more. I still
believe the tradeoff is worth it.
You need to size your battery for your specific electronics
unit. How long you plan to be on the water before recharging
will dictate the amp hour (AH) requirements for the battery.
By checking your fish finder’s draw you can do a simple cal-
culation to determine how big your battery needs to be. The
larger units will require more capable batteries for all-day
use. If you have questions, you’ll want to consult with the
electronics and/or battery manufacturer.
As an example, I run a Lowrance Elite-9 Ti on my kayak. It’s
listed to draw about 0.9 amps per hour. I paired it with a
NOCQUA 10AH lithium battery and can safely get eight hours
of operation with the screen brightness up and a lot of
StructureScan use.
Dakota Lithium Battery is another good source for power.
It makes a nice waterproof battery box for the kayak that
incorporates features such as USB charging ports for your
cellphone and cameras.
All in all, adding a fish finder to your kayak is a good invest-
ment that can dramatically increase your success on open
water.
Matt ball is the 2016 Kayak bass Fishing national champion and
one of the top-ranked kayak anglers in the country. he spends the
year traveling the tournament trail and serving as an ambassador
to the sport.
fLWfisHing.com i spring 2019