Transducer Mounting Options - Humminbird Helix5

[Slobber Bob]

I'm trying to figure out how I will mount a side imaging transducer on my Ocean Kayak Trident 13 for a Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp SI GPS G2 I plan on purchasing and was wondering if anybody has any experience with the following products or mounting the transducer yourself on a paddle kayak?

Has anybody used the Yakattack Switchblade Transducer Deployment Arm over the side of the kayak before? I'm wondering if you notice drag on the kayak when its in the water and you are in motion? And how easy is it to flip up onto the deck to avoid getting line wrapped around it when a fish is on and going back and forth under the kayak.

Or since Hummingbird and Ocean Kayak are both owned by Johnson Outdoors, with the Helix 5 I do have the option of swapping out the standard transom mounted SI transducer for a through hull SI transducer that mounts into the scupper hole. Humminbird told me it will work with side imaging, but it also isn't an even swap - I have to pay an additional $95 for it. If anybody has the through hull side imaging transducer (XPTH 9 HDSI 180 T), how far down under the kayak does it sit? For my current, and very basic, fish finder I have now I use a through hull transducer (not side imaging compatible with Helix 5) and the bottom of the kayak and transducer are plush so I can drag the kayak or run aground with no worries at all. However, I'm under the impression that the side imaging transducer needs to sit lower than the bottom of the kayak to be work properly? A scupper mounted transducer isn't removed very quickly so I fear when transporting my kayak or launching and landing I have a high risk of damaging the transducer if it has to be seated below the lowest part of my kayak hull.

Any and all experiences and advice are welcome. Thanks.

[bignose]

I'm not sure how much this may help in your situation:

I started using a magnetic transducer mount from Fish Finder Mounts.com. My fish finder is a Hook 5.

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You have to have access through the hull so the two sides aren't too far apart. I have mine set up on a canoe with a 1/8" thick hull for example.

The magnets work quite well (don't get you fingers in the way!) through the hull.

The external arm easily swings up when in shallow water or when going through weedy stuff.
This year's SAV growth on the Severn presented the expected problem of crap loading up on the arm and transducer when under way. This was the only time extra drag was noticeable.

I drilled a small hole through the magnet's housing and connected the halves with 18" weed whacker line, just in case the external arm got knocked loose.
The outside arm and magnet wouldn't go anywhere due to the transducer cable, but the unattached internal magnet housing could conceivable slip off.

[CHOC]

I had a Trident Ultra 4.3. Not sure which one you have. Mine had a tranducer mounting hole in front of the middle compartment. OK sells a plastic piece that holds it in place. I had that exact fishfinder too. The transducer fits pretty well after you mess with it a bit.

[CHOC]

I've used the fishfindermounts.com magnetic transducer mount as well. It's a good product. I also like how you can see your transducer and adjust it if it's not straight. I hate it when the bottom of my kayak bumps something and I'm no longer sure if the ducer is level or not.

[mjfishnut]

May want to get in touch with Yak Fish. He's a Hummingbird Pro Staffer. He might have a few suggestions

[Slobber Bob]

I'm not sure how much this may help in your situation:

I started using a magnetic transducer mount from Fish Finder Mounts.com. My fish finder is a Hook 5.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25965[/ATTACH]
The external arm easily swings up when in shallow water or when going through weedy stuff.
This year's SAV growth on the Severn presented the expected problem of crap loading up on the arm and transducer when under way. This was the only time extra drag was noticeable.

Good to hear you otherwise don't notice any drag. Thanks.

[Slobber Bob]

I had a Trident Ultra 4.3. Not sure which one you have. Mine had a tranducer mounting hole in front of the middle compartment. OK sells a plastic piece that holds it in place. I had that exact fishfinder too. The transducer fits pretty well after you mess with it a bit.

Mine is a Trident 13 so it has a scupper mount like this one pictured: scupper1_0.jpg. I don't have the compartment in the center like the Ultras have. This what you had? ultrakit1_0.jpg

I double checked with Humminbird, and although the through hull transducer option is side imaging capable, if I mount it through the scupper hole (like in the above picture w/ yellow kayak) it won't sit low enough to shoot side imaging because the bottom of the hull will be in the way on one side. Which is what I suspected but didn't get a clear answer from the person I talked to at Humminbird yesterday. To use the scupper it would have to sit under the scupper by several inches to clear the bottom of the hull on both sides. Humminbird told me the through hull transducer has to literally be drilled through the bottom of the kayak so it sits under the hull. Drilling a 1" diameter hole in the bottom of my kayak sounds crazy to me.

The transducer arm is looking like my best option the more I think about it. Although I think it would fit on my transom under the rudder attachment and it would be protected from getting banged. But that area has a curved surface and there isn't much flat surface area to connect to.

[nhunter344]

Has anybody used the Yakattack Switchblade Transducer Deployment Arm over the side of the kayak before?

I've tried the RAM version. Same thing, but slightly different construction. I didn't notice any additional drag, but I did notice that anything and everything snags up on it. Anchor lines, fishing lines, weeds...….

[croaker d]

If you have a Trident older than the 2017 model I do believe the only way you will be able to run a side scan transducer is some type of arm like the swithblade, railblaza, ram etc. However if you have a model 2017 or better they will accept alot of side imaging transducers with ease except the lowrance triple scan and that is only because of the length of that transducer.

[Slobber Bob]

Thanks, Croaker. It's a pre-2017.

I think I've settled on the switchblade route. It seems like it's going to be the only way it's going to work. The allure of have a side imaging option is too strong, so I guess I'll have to find out for myself how annoying it is or isn't to deal with.

[KeithQ]

I've tried the RAM version. Same thing, but slightly different construction. I didn't notice any additional drag, but I did notice that anything and everything snags up on it. Anchor lines, fishing lines, weeds...….

As a disclaimer, I am a newbie. But I have been researching how to rig my kayak and this YouTube video came to mind as I was reading your post. https://youtu.be/I58-fEwAAZw

[Slobber Bob]

Ha! I did come across that video already. And I wondered to myself why the heck he needed his transducer in the water when he was anchored up anyway? There is no need to run a fish finder in that situation, so just flip the transducer arm into the kayak and the anchor trolley problem is fixed.

[Slobber Bob]

So I ended up going with the switchblade transducer arm from Yakattack. I rigged it up along with the fish finder the other weekend and water tested it yesterday. I think it'll work out good and side imaging worked nicely with it.

I gave myself two mounting options with geartracks; one by the bow and one right next to my seat. Neither mounting spot interfered with my paddle stroke or caused any noticeable drag in the water even when I dug in hard to paddle. I decided not to put the transducer wire through the hull so that when I unscrew the switchblade I can take the whole thing wire and all off the kayak. The bow mount is a cleaner look with the transducer wire, while the rear mount I have to run the wire up to the bow. I just had it laying in my legwell for my test paddle, but rigged up some clips afterwards to keep the wire on the gunwale and out of the way in the future.

I think I like the rear mount better initially. It was easier to flip the transducer arm up at that location and easier to see if debris was caught on it.

Thank you to those that provided me feedback. It was very helpful.

Bonus on the day was stocking up on some lures some bass fisherman were nice enough to leave dangling from some low hanging branches
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