new fishfinder xducer question?

oldfielder · #1 08-30-2007, 09:38 AM

I mounted my transom mount in a bed of clear boatlife right next to the keel stringer and the resolution is excellent. Granted I only fish in H2O up to about 80-100 feet, but the fish marks and bait detail on my digital raymarine have been spot on when I've been diamond jigging. I rely on the finder for a lot of my fishing. It was an experiment, but I'm happy with it and it saved me a lot of cash on the ducer and another hole in the hull.
I'm sure I'm not quite at the level of the thru-hull guys, but you might be pleasantly surprised if you shoot one through the hull of a seacraft.

pair of jacks · #2 08-30-2007, 12:06 PM

You're using a regular transom mount transducer as a shoot thru hull and its working ?

oldfielder · #3 08-30-2007, 04:26 PM

Yeah-I got a great deal on my f-finder from BOE about a year and a half ago, but it came with a transom mount-I didn't feel like running it out the back so I messed around with it in the bilge-it is mounted about 5-6 feet from the stern right next to the centerline-I just got back from fishing and was marking bluefish and bait like crazy-the screen looks almost identical to the way the screen looks in simulator mode, so I think it must be getting a pretty good signal through that solid seacraft glass

pair of jacks · #4 08-31-2007, 06:28 PM

Amazing- I've never heard of anyone doing that.

EagleOCNJ · #5 09-02-2007, 04:15 AM

That is very interesting. I have a new furuno 582L and need to buy a xducer so I guess Ill buy a shoot thru the hull.

oldfielder · #6 09-03-2007, 09:23 AM

Worth a try-
I can't compare it to a thru-hull, which I'm sure would give me more res. on structure, because I haven't seen the same finder with one. If I get a chance to see one I will report back.

Hooper · #7 09-08-2007, 07:47 AM

I have a 582 also and bought a M260 Airmar shoot thru and it is awesome, you would love the combo

Bushwacker · #8 09-03-2007, 05:12 PM

In mid-late 70/s I had an ancient Apelco/Raytheon flasher/recorder type on my Seafari with the sender mounted in block glued to inside of hull with silicone, about 1' fwd of transom. Worked fine as long as there was water in block between sender and hull. Have heard of the same thing being done using large PVC pipe filled with glycerin. It probably did lose some depth capability as it would not read much over 100' and it was supposed to be good for 60 fathoms. But it was fine for locating the reefs I was looking for, and more reliable than current transom mount that wants to kick up after a high speed run! Have had a tough time getting it tight enough to stop that.

Ikan Besar · #9 09-06-2007, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Amazing- I've never heard of anyone doing that.

Apparently it's not as uncommon as one might think. After countless problems with Airmar shoot-thru transducers, a friend who is a member of this site recommended simply putting the transom 'ducer in the bilge. Long story short: it works perfectly! Mine isn't even bolted down to anything, just sitting there happily in the bilge reading away. I do lose bottom at 1,000' or so but it's just a Garmin 320C and I don't hear that many people reading 2500' with that model anyhow. Truth be told, I rarely fish much deeper than 600' so it's somewhat of a moot point.