New rig, Setup suggestions

Got a new rig. Looking for suggestions on fish finders and basic setups

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Actual pic 2

What kind of fishing are you planning on doing?

deep water shallow water rivers and streams?

I do suggest that all kayakers get a flag to help with visibility especially if you are gonna be on big water or where lakes get narrow.

I also recommend an anchor trolley system if you are going to be using a drift sock or fishing streams. really helps with positioning your kayak.

Are you planning on rigging up a fish finder?

I also recommend not leaving your kayak on your car on hot days. My first yak got soft in the sun and took me a while to get the shape back. (had to use an air compressor)

take this with a grain of salt. all of these are just my opinion. I have been kayak fishing for only a couple years and have a had a lot of fun so far.

do you already have a fish finder that you are hoping to use?

I started out with a Lowrance Elite 4X unit mounted on a scotty transducer arm (available to purchase if you want) . this was good set up to begin with, but if I had to do it again I would have skipped the transducer arm and mounded the transducer inside the hull of the kayak. this will cause you to loose the ability to see the water temp but it works just fine other wise.

On my new Kayak it has a removable center pod where I was able to mount my new Helix 7 unit.

RCRward, any chance you could share photos of your fishfinder install? I am very interested.

Hey Mamona,

I added a few photos to a previous topic "How do you mount your transducer" the photos are on the second page

this link might not work.

https://www.lakesimcoeoutdoors.com/forums/i...pic=43222&st=15

For my thru hull transducer I used a piece of pool noodle cut in half and then cut out to the shape of the the transducer. I used marine goop to stick the noodle in place. Once it dried, I almost filled the hole I cut for the transducer with marine goop and then pushed the transducer into it. Make sure there are no air bubbles or it can mess with your readings. Once that dried I covered the whole thing with another piece of noodle to seal it in. I put mine almost under my seat to make sure it was out of the way.

can't tell if this is first ever kayak, or just new one so i will assume that is first ever. this might be informative for others as well

i have same thing like most others:
1. anchor trolley, opted for yakattack hd, mounted on left side (i'm right handed). for actual anchor i have a 5lb (or 3lb?) fitness weight on a 2$ rope from dollar store. holds well enough unless really windy and sandy bottom. you can also buy an anchor for something like $35 if you don;t have a weight lying around or just want something better.
2. garmin striker 4 fish finder, my feelfree moken 2 has a removable center console and i am attaching the transducer to the console. but you can:
- mount it inside although you lose water temp feature and makes it more difficult if you use same sonar in winter as well. there are few guides on youtube
- macgyver something and hook it to the boat somewhere far enough to not interfere with the paddles but close enough that you can lower in water / lift up when getting to shore, e.g. are you considering to add some additional track mounts? perfect occasion to play with a 3d printer
3. phone holder: i have a ball mount phone holder screwed into the console, just below fish finder. if you do not have a fancy sonar, you'll likely still want to have navionics & gps handy. most of the phones can take some splashing these days so you just use your own phone if you do not have a spare.
4. my yak already has 2 rod holders just behind the seat, on each side, but i chose to add another on the track mount for trolling. a bit weirder setup: mount is on the front left side and the rod goes towards the right, thus crossing the yak and extending on the other side. the rod will be in front of you so you can see any bites and also i found it easier to remove the rod
5. get a kayak cart. if you're by yourself, even 5m is a long distance if you don't want to drag it on asphalt or rocks. you have choices: from c-tug, to cheap aluminum carts, to scupper carts, to diy. i got an aluminum one for under $100. not perfect but it does the job. if you get one with inflatable wheels has the advantage that if it falls of kayak, it will float. also the disadvantage that you cannot go too far in the water with it to easily put the kayak on it because, that's right, it will float
6. don't cheap out on paddles. if your kayak was purchased from costco, it likely came with paddles but i think they are a bit short for an sot (i was looking at same kayak last spring) and not that good overall. i would consider using them only for as long as you learn how to paddle and can get an idea on what suits you better (size, weight, paddle shape, etc). there is another post about paddles in this forum) so i won't detail in here.
7. get a a good PFD. depending on the seat, you'll probably be better off with a mesh back so you can sit comfortable, or an inflatable one. again, there is another post about PFDs in this forum, lots of good choices; i got Onyx MoveVent from amazon, and yes, it is certified by canada transprot as well.


Some other stuff, maybe not as popular with everyone else:

imo milk crates (custom or bought) are overrated; i have a milk crate which i never use. i realized that i prefer to get only the lures / bait for the species i intend to target so i keep baggage at a minimum. either backpack or small shoulder bag is set around the seat, behind me, so i can reach it easy if i need to take something out, although i usually keep the most used stuff under the chair or in front of me.

if you are looking to keep what you catch, cheap & effective way i found to keep the fish while still fishing is to get a mesh laundry bag and tie it to the side of the yak, like from footpeg. not fancy but minimum size & weight when not in use and you'll keep the fish alive as much as possible.

i am looking to mount some sort of magnetic plate to keep most used lures exposed, in the sun so i have them handy but also to get dry before storing back in the box. this spring i found a lot of rusty lures & hooks. i have yet to find something that will work properly for my rig though, still searching.

if i recall correctly your yak is not particularly lite, so one way to load it on top of car is something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC6F_JmzseU although depends a lot on what car you use, how tall / strong you are, etc

if you find that you start getting too many scratches for your taste, or even think there is a risk of cuts / holes, the one thing i've read that you can use on kayaks is gator patch. i am looking to apply it myself but the 9x16 piece (most cost effective) is out of stock on amazon for a while now.


i hope this helps.

And mine:

https://www.lakesimcoeoutdoors.com/forums/i...ndpost&p=388311

Man you guys are all amazing. I really apricate all the suggestions and help.