Simple sonar?

[Lootas1]

Becky won't allow crabbing from Rosario so I'm using a 12 foot aluminum Gregor for pots. Now the problem is, how deep is the water? My present system is to drop the pot and play out the line and not let go until I'm sure the pot is on the bottom. This is cumbersome. When I set the pot in more than 100 feet of water, I end up dragging it through the water until I hit shallower water. So, I'm looking for a portable sonar to use with the little boat.
Problems include cost, size of screen (or size on depth display) and method of use. If I attach the sonar on the back of the boat with a suction cup I can remove it so I don't damage it on beaching but will it work? There is a handheld wireless type that you just hold in the water and get a bottom reading.
I used to have one where the sonar unit rode on a rod clamped to the transom. Kind of got in the way and was full of fishfinding screen that I don't need.
Anyone got a happy solution?

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Portable depth finder

I have a small portable depth finder that was my dads. Think he clamped the transducer to the transom. I'll check it out and report back..

Tim

[John Berg]

Take your boat back

Simple solution is to take the Rosario crabbing. You have a stable platform to fish from. Great freeboard to leen against while retrieving the pot. Especially in rough weather, Anything that gets torn up by accident can be repaired or cleaned. Use it up. We wont be here for ever. John

[westerner]

Simple solution is to take the Rosario crabbing. You have a stable platform to fish from. Great freeboard to leen against while retrieving the pot. Especially in rough weather, Anything that gets torn up by accident can be repaired or cleaned. Use it up. We wont be here for ever. John

I agree. I use my Westerner for crabbing at least twice a week and its no worse for wear as far as I can tell. I am however, considering a Scotty potpuller though, I think there's one that just attaches to the downrigger mount. Use the boat! You can't take it with You!:TwoCents1:

[Lootas1]

Downrigger mounts? Next it will be rod holders! Becky sure isn't going to allow that sort of stuff on Rosario. Maybe a big rubber blanket to go over the side to protect it from scratches from crab pots and a big plastic tub in the boat to put the crab pots in. Perhaps the answer is to buy our crab from the Lummis. Easier on the back anyway!

[Tim McCrain]

Are you guys trying to give Chuck a heart attack? Crab pots in Rosario? Oh! the horror! :shocked4:

[bham-rick]

Mark Twain

How about just using a simple Lead Line with 125 ft. of easy coiling line with marks every 20 ft. or so ? Or Get a kiddie pool that you could blow up and put on the deck to set the crab pots in :doghouse1:

[ChuckB]

Get Becky a couple of cans of paint and some brushes. Rosario was made for fishing, in spite of the way Chuck babied her. Look at Genevive!!! She gets fish blood on her decks and is no worse for the wear. Small aluminum boats and crab pots are a very wet time waiting to happen...
Boats need fish blood to feel worthy of the water they ply...
ChuckB

[Lootas1]

Figure a few craps running loose in an inflatable swim pool is an accident just waiting to happen. Don't they still have those solid plastic wading pools? Tim, I think you are right. Chuck C. might just pull out the clause in the sales agreement wherein I promised to love, cherish and honor Rosario or she reverts to her previous owner!

[bham-rick]

Few Craps ?

Figure a few craps running loose in an inflatable swim pool is an accident just waiting to happen. Don't they still have those solid plastic wading pools? Tim, I think you are right. Chuck C. might just pull out the clause in the sales agreement wherein I promised to love, cherish and honor Rosario or she reverts to her previous owner!

I thought you had that special toilet with the fur lined seat for the craps , Don't let Chuck or Becky know you are crapping on the deck ,

[Ronald64]

You guys are relentless. I love it. Devil19
I mounted the transducer on my little Klamath aluminum high enough so I could pull her up on the beach no problem. I then used a Ryobi sander case...Ryobi sanders suck, motor burned out, but they make a hell of a case...and mounted the fishfinder/depthfinder unit with a 12 volt battery inside the case. It makes a nifty little portable unit. You have to recharge the battery but it works great....and the top of the case opens up and acts as a sun/water shield. I'll take a pic if your interested. I was thinking of buying a bunch of Ryobi sanders for the cases....throw away the damn sanders...and making a bunch of the units for sale. The only simple depth readers I have seen are the dash mount ones for yachts. You may be stuck with the fish finder clutter. You can turn a lot of that stuff off on most of those units though.

Ron

[Lootas1]

Here's the sonar/fishfinder I used to use

I sold the sonar/fishfinder because it was cumbersome but it did the job. The rod clamps on the transom and adjusts, the sports box seals watertight and holds the rechargeable battery and fishfinder. The sonar clamped on the end of the rod. Could go back to that system, I guess

[Lootas1]

Okay, what happened to my upload?

Let's see if the pic shows this time.

[Dave C]

Cheap & Simple

How about something like this?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...0036450018179a

For $90 thats pretty cheap.

And since you are using an aluminum boat have you thought about "shooting through the hull"? Put the transducer in the bottom of the hull facing down, dump in a gallon of water or so and see if that won't work.

You gotta admit that's pretty simple

Good luck, Dave

[Tim McCrain]

Jerry,
This is the unit I'm hoping Santa brings me, it is portable, case is relatively small and the screen flips up out of it, the case becomes the stand. It comes with a wireless sensor you can cast out and read under wherever you cast it. Besides finding fish, I was thinking it would work pretty well for checking depth before beaching in unfamiliar waters, you could cast it out close to shore and reel it in, watching the depth readings and bottom contour as you retrieve the sensor.

Tim

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...box.jsp.form23