Mounting a transducer..To drill or not to drill?

brushpile · #1 06-05-2006, 01:51 PM

I have a fish finder on the bow of my boat with the transducer mounted on the trolling motor. Nice for staying on top of a crappie brushpile, but pretty useless for finding new areas to fish.

I am going to put either an Eagle 480 or a Lowrance x 135 on the dash and wanted to know about mounting the transducer back on the transom area of the boat.

It's an aluminum boat and I wanted to see if I should drill into the boat and if so, what do you use to keep the holes from leaking (silicone??)...

I believe I've also seen where someone glues a cutting board to the transom area and mounts the hardware on that to keep from drilling into the hull below water level?

Any advice or ideas would be appreciated..

ShilohRed · #2 06-05-2006, 02:23 PM

I used a 3/4" piece of plastic board on the back of mine. I can move stuff around and theres no holes below the water line. Mine is bolted down with 2 screws at the top of the board.
But a thick cutting board will work just as well. And sure keep the screws out of the hull. Never could keep them from leaking .
Pete

gofish · #3 06-05-2006, 02:41 PM

I drilled holes in my transom when I mounted my transducer. One lesson that I learned....measure twice, drill once. I replaced my Humminbird with a Lowrance and of course, the mounting holes for the transducer did not line up. More holes. I used a piece of rubber from a bicycle inner tube as a washer to prevent leaking. These washers need to be replaced from time to time but work fairly well at keeping water out. I also put silicone in/around the old holes.

Mr.T · #4 06-05-2006, 03:05 PM

If you drill, just coat the screws with silicone before you put them in, then cover the heads completely with more silicone and you're done.

Cabelas sells a nylon board about 3/4" thick just for this purpose, but you still have to mount the board to the transom somehow. I installed mine with two big screws and a bead of silicone around the perimeter and in the screw holes and on top of the screws. No worries.

Lil Hooker · #5 06-05-2006, 03:16 PM

My buddy with an aluminum boat just welded a small plate and screwed the transducer to that instead