Fishing from a kayak brings many advantages over traditional boats. Kayaks are small, highly maneuverable, and can float in even the shallowest waters. Additionally, folding kayaks can be broken down and carried by hand or even in a backpack, enabling fishermen to easily travel overland in pursuit of the best fishing spot. However, kayaks are not known for being able to accommodate a lot of extras. The limited onboard space, not to mention the single hull and proximity to the water, mean that attaching any accessories is somewhere between difficult and impossible. However, that doesn’t mean that a fisherman will have to give up on using a fishfinder to enhance his fishing experience, only that he will need to choose a fishfinder suitable for the job.
Mounting a fishfinder permanently, or even semi-permanently, on a kayak is difficult at best. While some of the most recent kayaks do include a mounting point, most do not. Additionally, most fishfinders require an external power source, usually a 12V battery – something that doesn’t exist on a kayak. Therefore, before even considering the installation of a fishfinder, it is important to find one that is suitable for mounting on a kayak.
A number of fishfinders on the market today are perfect for kayaks and other small, human-powered watercraft. Such fishfinders are completely waterproof and designed to withstand the bumps and scrapes they will likely encounter on the water. With self-contained batteries and over-the-side or free-floating transcoders, many fishfinders require li