# Need Mounting ideas for Fish Finder Tranducer for Ice Fishing



## Denton (Jan 4, 2011)

*I just bought a Humminbird Piranhamax 160 Portable Fishfinder and intend on using it for ice fishing. *


I have searched on here and seen some pretty cool ideas. Just wanted to see what others have done. Pics would be awesome

Fixed arm, or float with pipe insulation/pool noodle??? 

Any other advice would be great also

Ps. I came across this on youtube... Thoughts




 
Also, I bought this unit brand new from poorfish for $106.99 shipped to my doorstep. Best deal I found anywhere. Here is the link if anyone is interested
http://www.poorfish.com/p-9684-humminbird-piranhamax-160-portable-fishfinder.aspx


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## LuckyChucky (Mar 28, 2005)

its a clever idea but I could see problems with it on a windy day if you were outside a shanty or whatever.You need something thatll keep that transducer steady since its not a flasher


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

I'm not following your logic about a flasher. Whether the type of display is a flasher or graph, the transducer will need to move as little as possible to have good results.

The problem with using a bottle is having to constantly mess around with the amount of water inside to get it to float correctly and keep the transducer pointed straight down.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

I made a tee out of 3/4" x 3/4" wood and mounted my transducer the the end of the tee. The top of the tee must be larger than the hole (maybe that's obvious). I also put several holes in the vertical part of the tee to allow me to adjust it for ice thickness. If you want a pic to see what I am talking about just let me know.


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## Matt V (Dec 8, 2004)

I use pipe insulation around my transducer cable and let it float. I had a fixed mount and hated it. I like to keep my LMS 522 up on a bucket off of the ice.


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## colvinch (May 7, 2008)

I used my humingbird a few years ago before I got my Vex...I mounted the transducer to an old tipup. Just screwed it to the wood at the lowest point possible and then put that in the hole and with the crossbar (t) it held in place perfectly...I like my Vex so much better


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Sorry I dont have a pic but here's what I did for mine. For easy of handling and storage I used a piece of crafting foam, 2" square by 4" long, or you could make the same thing out of scrap styrofoam. Sliced lengthwise half way thru so the cable slips snuggly into it, wrapped with duck tape and viola! the transducer hangs below the float!


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

The bottle isn't going to work well when the ice is more than 10" thick as the transducer will pick up the edge of the ice, but that's similar to a setup that I used to use. 

I used a 20" length of PVC pipe and put caps on both ends with the transducer mounted on one end. The length of PVC floated a bit and it was really easy to move around to change holes or to pull it out for a fish. Also it fit in my rod bucket fairly well for transport.


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## Zube (Mar 6, 2010)

I got a rod at Gander mtn for attaching transducer to use as a portable - has a pivoting clamp that I attach to a bucket - rod adjust up and down for depth of ice - have a little half seat that snaps on to the bucket and mounted the depth finder to that . evrything is kept with the bucket , easy to set up and take down . I think it was 29.99 .


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

heres how I have mine on my x67c. about 3 bucks of SS hardware and a stopper from a vex float. Takes up very little space in the hole and does not move with wind or water flucuation. Set the depth with the stopper and it is good to go. I set mine so that the top of the transducer is about 2-3 inchs below the bottom of the ice.

J-


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## Denton (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks everyone, keep the ideas coming. I had some stuff laying around and wanted to put something together. This will be temporary, until I find a better design, for ease of transport and such.
I am no engineer by any means, but this is what I put together. All I used is a piece of scrap wood (1x3), 2 spring clamps and nylon webbing I saved from a ratchet strap. I fiqure the strap will be nice to carry and pick up and set in ice, as I am a hole hopper. The spring clamps will allow me to adjust the depth accordingly


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## bigred14 (Feb 5, 2010)

I'm curious, any of you guys worry about dangling your transducer from the wire, I use a heavy string for mine, thru the hole that the factory arm (which NOBODY uses...lol) used to go in. Its there, I figure may as well use it, I used to use a bottle as a float, took up too much room in the hole, now I just use a rod across the hole, a piece of heavy string with a few loops in it, for adjustment, put the stick thru the loop, lower it down
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Denton (Jan 4, 2011)

jjc155 said:


> heres how I have mine on my x67c. about 3 bucks of SS hardware and a stopper from a vex float. Takes up very little space in the hole and does not move with wind or water flucuation. Set the depth with the stopper and it is good to go. I set mine so that the top of the transducer is about 2-3 inchs below the bottom of the ice.
> 
> J-


 



So do you just let your Tranducer hang?


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## 131north (Mar 2, 2010)

I used PVC pipe to create a transducer arm. I screwed the transducer to a cross fitting, and then cut different length pieces to have it come up out of the hole and make a 90 degree turn to where it snaps onto my case. Best thing about it, I think, is that it's easy to change. I can remove pieces for thinner/thicker ice, break it down quick for transport, or make adjustments to keep things level. I glued a couple pieces, but the rest are all just friction fit, which gets stronger in the presence of freezing water. Will try and take some pics tomorrow if it's sunny.


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

Denton said:


> So do you just let your Tranducer hang?


yep

J-


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

I use a cut down swim noodle as a transducer float. I originally purchased the swim noodles and cut them down as a convenient way to story my walleye spinning rigs when not in use (wrap them around the tube and stick the hooks into the foam). I almost always fish from my portable shanty, so I don't worry too much about wind and freezing in the hole.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

I found that my software transducer needs to be level or you are not looking directly down the water column. When I tried to mount my ducer using a piece of swim noodle it did not float level. This is why I use the tee. A tipup is a good example of how mine is rigged except I used wood.


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

ibthetrout said:


> I found that my software transducer needs to be level or you are not looking directly down the water column. When I tried to mount my ducer using a piece of swim noodle it did not float level. This is why I use the tee. A tipup is a good example of how mine is rigged except I used wood.


Now that you mention this I, too, had an issue with it not floating strait, so I folded a decoy anchor and added that between the foam and the transducer. That straightened it right up. It seemed the transducer wire was pulling it off until the weight was added.


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## fishbone77 (Apr 8, 2009)

Denton,

I just bought the same fish finder. The way that I rigged it up is just like sfw1960 did in his pictures. Took me about 15 to make. By the way you are going to wonder how you ever fished before you got the finder I was very happy with my purchase.


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## hunter62 (Oct 20, 2006)

ibthetrout said:


> I made a tee out of 3/4" x 3/4" wood and mounted my transducer the the end of the tee. The top of the tee must be larger than the hole (maybe that's obvious). I also put several holes in the vertical part of the tee to allow me to adjust it for ice thickness. If you want a pic to see what I am talking about just let me know.


 
I did something very similar in order to use my vexilars puck transducer for ice fishing. I ended up using a small(roughly coat hanger size) steel rod for the top of the tee and a dowel rod for the other. That way I didn't have about weight on the way out/in or it breaking if someone stepped on the tee while it was on the hole.


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