Fish Finder on a Tracker 1036? Other questions

[1bad97svt]

Hello, new here, just got a Tracker 1036 a couple of days ago and i'm ready to start adding a few things to it. Can i add a fish finder or is the boat too small? I know it's a small boat but i got a great deal and its my first Jon boat. Maybe some members can share theirs with pics. I've done a lot of searching on this site before hand but nothing regarding this question. Thanks!

If i can add one, can anybody suggest one? I'd be fishing rivers mainly with the occasional pond or small lake. I have another question regarding trolling motor battery, do i keep it on a trickle charge when not in use? I guess i get thrown off with the "deep cycle" battery vs a conventional auto battery.

 

[TNtroller]

Sure you can, BUT how are you going to transport the hull, bed of the truck or trailer?

If via trailer, just mount the xducer on the transom like other boats, if in the bed of a truck, you'll need to probably use a "removable" or temporary mount for the xducer so it won't be damaged when loading, etc.

I've read where the xducer suction mounts work fine, not always but it's a trial and error effort.

 

[1bad97svt]

Sure you can, BUT how are you going to transport the hull, bed of the truck or trailer?

If via trailer, just mount the xducer on the transom like other boats, if in the bed of a truck, you'll need to probably use a "removable" or temporary mount for the xducer so it won't be damaged when loading, etc.

I've read where the xducer suction mounts work fine, not always but it's a trial and error effort.

Thanks for the input, that's a good point. I'll be getting a trailer for it soon, but until then i'll make sure to keep an eye on the transducer when in transport. I ended up going with the Garmin Striker 4 Sonar/GPS which i'll install during the week.

Good to know about the suction mounts.

 

[TNtroller]

Cabelas' used to have portable/temporary xducer mounts that clamp on the hull, they may work for your situation.

 

[bobberboy]

Cabelas' used to have portable/temporary xducer mounts that clamp on the hull, they may work for your situation.

Yes, Humminbird makes one that clamps to the boat making it removable for car-toppers, canoes, kayaks etc.

 

[1bad97svt]

Nice! I'll have to take a look at Cabela's, appreciate the info.

 

[ErnieLearns]

Put the transducer on a 1x2 piece of wood and use a c-clamp to keep it in place. Why drill holes in your boat? Also check out the Garmin Echomap series. The maps and Quickdraw features are not on the Striker series.

 

[mrdrh99]

Hey, let us know what you think of that unit. I was looking at it but ended up going with the lowrance elite 4hdi because of a stupid good deal I found when they were brining out the hook series.

And yeah at bass pro the other day, I saw a suction cup transducer mount.

 

[ErnieLearns]

Suction cups may come off so mount it on a wooden board and c-clamp it.

 

[Dallas stewart]

I use the humminbird fishing buddy. Works great for what it is. Basic depth with contours and bottom hardness. Very easy to use. No wires to run and can be positioned anywhere you want nothing permanent. With that said I'll be upgrading this year, but not because it's a poor unit.

 

[Lockndam25]

You could use a radiator hose clamp and attach to the bottom of your trolling motor for the transducer and the electric should be alligator clamps, just remember not to drop the motor on the ground

 

[1bad97svt]

Thanks for the replies, i appreciate the input from everybody. Here are a couple of pics of the transducer mounting bracket that I bought from Bass Pro. I haven't put the fish finder on it yet but i plan to this week and i'll upload pics of that too. I think it came out nice, I ended up JB welding it on. I notched grooves in the back of the plate with an angle grinder to create the mechanical bond and scored the surface of the boat with sandpaper. Silicone around the perimeter of the plate. I picked up a 12" Deep U-Clamp from harbor freight for $10 that helped with installation. I'm gonna put the motor on it tonight and then poll the audience on where to mount the transducer on the plate.

 

[killdee]

Keep updating, Im about to install 1 myself

 

[1bad97svt]

Got the motor mounted and the transducer installed. The instructions to install the transducer were pretty clear so i just followed what they said and mounted it up. I predrilled the holes in the mounting plate prior to screwing the transducer in place, I taped off the drillbit to ensure i didn't penetrate the hull. I used a level to make sure the transducer was sitting correctly after i screwed it in and adjusted it accordingly. Just waiting on the trailer to get here.

 

[lowes owner]

i did not see it mentioned on charging tm battery it is recommend that you unplug tm before you charge. good practice in case your charger screws up . you can also get circuit breaker. between battery and trolling motor