New Pro Angler - Now time to rig it

[Sandman]

My little "swim" :sterb038: from the Pelican last week could not have come at a better time. I've been anticipating my income tax return so I would be able to get a Pro Angler. It came - and thanks to the extra motivation from an unexpected flip - I got my PA.

Now time to rig it. I'm just gonna start small right now and add the fish finder I got from PP VII. Anyone have any suggestions on how to install it? My main dilemma is whether to mount the transducer inside the hull, put it through a scupper while fishing, or finding a way to mount it to the outside of the yak. That and how to power the thing. Any suggestions welcome and appreciated.

Oh yeah, and I think I am going to leave the handrails off so I will have a little more ease if I have to paddle the thing. Do any of you guys with a PA get much use out of the hand rails - do you think I will be ok by leaving them off?

[marshdaddy]

My little "swim" :sterb038: from the Pelican last week could not have come at a better time. I've been anticipating my income tax return so I would be able to get a Pro Angler. It came - and thanks to the extra motivation from an unexpected flip - I got my PA.

Now time to rig it. I'm just gonna start small right now and add the fish finder I got from PP VII. Anyone have any suggestions on how to install it? My main dilemma is whether to mount the transducer inside the hull, put it through a scupper while fishing, or finding a way to mount it to the outside of the yak. That and how to power the thing. Any suggestions welcome and appreciated.

Oh yeah, and I think I am going to leave the handrails off so I will have a little more ease if I have to paddle the thing. Do any of you guys with a PA get much use out of the hand rails - do you think I will be ok by leaving them off?

You are going to get many answers. Here's mine.
Mount the transducer inside the hull. Choose a spot inside that will be in the water as much as possible. Not too close to the bow. Any 12 volt power source will do. I use a battery found at Academy used to power deer feeders. Inexpensive and will last all day.

[Yak-a-Lou]

CONGRATS on becoming a HobieMiester!!!

+1 on MD's suggested mounting and battery. About 1/3rd of the way back from the bow in a place where it won't get knocked around by other stuff you might store inside your hull. I've always used the GOOP method so far. Haven't found a reason not to use the GOOP method so far.

[Hobie1Kenobie]

Congrats Sandman!

And PA owners out there, if you have pics of your rigged yaks that might be beneficial to us "Johnny come latelys". I just got mine as well and have done next to nothing to it.

[Sandman]

Cool, in the hull it will go. What exaclty is the Goop method? I have Goop. Do I just apply a heavy layer of Goop to glue the transducer to the hull?

[marshdaddy]

Cool, in the hull it will go. What exaclty is the Goop method? I have Goop. Do I just apply a heavy layer of Goop to glue the transducer to the hull?
Yeah. Wiggle the transducer down after you apply a gob of Goop. Ooz the Goop out slow so you won't have air bubbles in it. Place a heavy object on top of the transducer ( I use a hammer). Let it sit for about a day.

[pedalmedic]

I have foam. if you you tube the hummingbird kayak transducer mounting, I stole the idea. I cut the foam for the ducer and gooped it down, then gooped the ducer in the cutout. Provides stability and helps, i think, to get the signal. ya want to try, let me know. Careful of the goop. bubbles in it are bad.
Congrats!

[thrash]

:spin:JEALOUS:spin:

[RedFinn]

Way to go sandman, from the outhouse to the penthouse in one step Congrats !!!! no way your going to flip out of that , or unless yoy drink like me :)

[Branch_Office]

Congrats Sandman... I started my savings fund for a PA also. Be sure and keep us posted on how you "trick it out".

[RedFinn]

Sandman OLdman aka Larry I fish with has one, he is a rigged to do master , all the good stuff, great guy buy the stuff you want and I'm sure he would set you up !!!

[Sandman]

Lol, yeah, I kinda went from one extreme to the other. I figured it was hard enough to justify buying this to my wife ... I probably won't get that chance when I would have wanted to upgrade. And it only took a couple bottles of wine to convince her. :lol:

I couldn't even drink in my other one, RedFinn - as you know, what goes in must come out and without the ability to stand, that made drinking a beer more trouble than it was worth.

In other news, fishfinder install is finished - well, except for the battery; I'll have to pick that up from Academy before the weekend. I ended up mounting the FF on the left mouting plate and running the wires through the top in-hull rod holder, out of a small hole I drilled in it and then I used the foam and Goop method. Thanks for all the suggestions! I didn't know where to start!

[Sandman]

Sandman OLdman aka Larry I fish with has one, he is a rigged to do master , all the good stuff, great guy buy the stuff you want and I'm sure he would set you up !!!

Sounds good. Now that the FF is installed, I'll be adding a couple of rod holers, which should be easy. I'll have to look him up next time I have a tricky install.

[yak-aholic]

for any other kayak rigging techniques, check YouTube. You can usually do a search for just about anything on there and find it.

For example, I did a search for "kayak fish finder" and this is what came up.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=kayak%20fish%20finder

[Yak-a-Lou]

Sounds good. Now that the FF is installed, I'll be adding a couple of rod holers, which should be easy. I'll have to look him up next time I have a tricky install.

I'm a big fan of mounting rod holders on my crate. It keeps my reels high and dry and requires less drill on the hull. If you screw up a crate, who cares? If you screw up your boat... OUCH!

Also discovered that the right size PVC makes good extensions for the built in rod holders if you wrap a piece of foam around the PVC and glue it on with GOOP. Works great. Can't recall the dimensions off the top of my head but it's thin walled PVC. The foam comes from Wally World or the craft store. I used GOOP to affix a piece about 4" wide to the PVC and the fit nice and snug in the built in holders.

Hit back if you want to know more and I'll put a tape measure on the PVC.

[Sandman]

I'm a big fan of mounting rod holders on my crate. It keeps my reels high and dry and requires less drill on the hull. If you screw up a crate, who cares? If you screw up your boat... OUCH!

I definitely plan to mount some on my crate too. I had three mounted on a crate in my lil' Pelican. What I was thinking about was putting a swiveling rod holder on each of the replaceable mounting plates on the PA. That way I should be able to troll at the Causeway and I'll be able to see if something takes the line since it is in front of me.

I might still like to try the extender idea though. I'll measure mine unless you still have your measurements handy.

[Yak-a-Lou]

It appears to be 1 1/2" i.d. Don't know what schedule it is but it's thin. I have extra pieces if you pass near here. Lemme know.

The ones I made are about 16" tall.
The top of the foam is about 6 1/2" from the bottom of the PVC. See pic.

[Psycho Joe]

Hey Sandman, what are you planning to do with that Pelican??

[Sandman]

Hey Sandman, what are you planning to do with that Pelican??

Gonna hang on to it for now. My brother has been wanting to try it out.

[yak-aholic]

I don't know if I would attempt to put any vertical rod holders on a Pro Angler. JMO I still find myself occasionally making contact with my rods on my back cast when I get a little excited. I would think the rod storage under the gunnels would be sufficient.

[Sandman]

I don't know if I would attempt to put any vertical rod holders on a Pro Angler. JMO I still find myself occasionally making contact with my rods on my back cast when I get a little excited. I would think the rod storage under the gunnels would be sufficient.

I tried them, but it seems they are more designed for low profile baitcaster reels. My spinning reels don't really fit too well. Might still be able to stager them or put a couple on each side. No telling what I will want to do when I get it out on the water and get a feel for it.

[Yak-a-Lou]

I tried them, but it seems they are more designed for low profile baitcaster reels. My spinning reels don't really fit too well. Might still be able to stager them or put a couple on each side. No telling what I will want to do when I get it out on the water and get a feel for it.

That's why, as a righty, I mount rod holders that angle away from me to port/aft, out of the way of my back cast. I've never figured out how folks tolerate those vertical pvc rod holders on their crates. I'd be hitting them with a back cast way too often.

[yak-aholic]

My solution to the vertical rod holders is to either cast side arm, or sit "side-saddle" so I don't have to worry about them. I only really have a problem when I get a little excited IE... see a red tailing or crashing bait. Which is the worst time to have a catastrophe like that happen.

[Yak-a-Lou]

Riding side-saddle = lose two man points.
:joker:

[Razoryak]

Congrats Sandman on the PA! You're going to love it!

[pedalmedic]

Riding side-saddle = lose two man points.
:joker:
I think he has been in the negatives for man points for awhile.

[ijuswannafish]

I think he has been in the negatives for man points for awhile.

I am glad someone else sees this and not just me.:hide:

[Sandman]

WooooHooo! Bout to go try out the new PA - with very little sleep. I might be able to catch a couple hours.