transducer placement on a pontoon..Please help!!!

[fishnfool59]

Hey guys, I have searched and searched the internet when I should have been here asking the question. I have a new to me 03 sweetwater pontoon boat and I am ready to mount the transducer for the depth finder. It has a mount on the left toon but there is also a keel on the bottom of the toon. There is not enough room on the bracket to get away from the keel turbulence. Do I need to go lower than the keel or do I mount it higher up like an inch or two on the bracket. Thanks in advance!!!

[dan z]

You can mount it higher up but it will hinder some performance on the locator. If your using it just as a depth finder it will work fine. This is what I know so its all have to say. Good luck

[delcecchi]

What kind of motor? How fast does this pontoon go?

If it doesn't go too fast, the keel issue is irrelevant. If it goes fast enough that the keel makes bubbles or the transducer is out of the water, then that is different.

[fishnfool59]

Thanks guys, we took it out for our maiden voyage last weekend,it does not have a speedometer but its got a merc 60 bigfoot on it. The previous owner said it would do 25 but I don't think so! I did have a full load with 5 adults and 5 kids though. I was letting my granddaugther drive while I watched the motor playing with the trim and if I remember right, the bracket was underwater so the transducer will be underwater. I was worried about the keel of the toon if I mounted so that it was just barely below it and off to one side a bit and I mean just 1/2 in or so or if I needed to do something different.

[BoxMN]

Fishinfool, i have 22' toon with Bigfoot 60. It goes 21.x fastest, about 20 with a load.

Don't worry about the transducer, the toons don't get out of the water Put it as low as you can go. Personally, I use the xducer mounting boards on everything, and I cut a piece to fit my "bracket" on the toon. This way, if it snags on something or somebody smacks it, etc. it will pull away from plastic rather than alum. Then you just screw it back in and you are ready to go again.

Good luck, and have fun! Don't forget to change plugs on the 4 stroke every year, or 100 hours. They seem to burn down faster than the two strokes, I noticed in my first year of a 4 stroke. But my motor has been flawless last year and so far this year with a bit over 100 hours total.

[fishnfool59]

Thanks BoxMN, that makes me feel better! I bought a HB 587ci to put on it, and I wanted to get the best placement as possible. Thanks for the idea of the mounting boards, I put them on my V hull but I never thought about cutting one for the Pontoon. We will have fun! The granddaughters loved it and they can't wait for the water to warm up! Thanks!! The merc is a 2 stroke though, I wish it was a 4 stroke. I think that the motor is actually 1999. It kept dying at idle speed so along with the installation of the HB, its going to get a needed tune up.

[ottertailguy]

Here is my poonton with 3 transducers and they all work. The longer one is the side imaging and is mounted below the other two. Just mount your to one side so if you want to add another later.

[fishnfool59]

Ottertailguy, Thanks for the pics! I see that in pic #2 that the transducers are above the keel a little bit and this is what I was worried about. You said they work fine and I am assuming at all speeds?

[ottertailguy]

Yes, they do but for a pontoon that only goes about 20 mph it isn't going to be an issue. Plus at full speed does anyone really need to know the depth on the fish finder. I usually just look at gps mapping when I go from spot to spot and then look at the depth on the fish finder when I get close.

[fishnfool59]

Thanks guys for your input! Its not like we are going to be running around a full speed very often so I see your point! I am not always going to be on the boat at times, that is why I was wanting to get the best placement so that I don't get told that the depth finder cuts out!! lol Heck, they may not even turn it on!! Thanks again!