The saying goes: If a motorboater has it, a kayak angler wants it. Electronics are no exception. To match our gas-powered brothers and sisters, kayak anglers want two or three fish finder displays with forward-facing, side-view and traditional sonar.
When I started rigging my Bonafide PWR129 I had a blank slate for adding multiple displays and transducers. Before drilling the first hole or cutting a single wire, I caught up with three pros who have different approaches to the ultimate electronics system.
Build the Ultimate Electronics System
Electronics for Every Fishery
“I’ve been kayak fishing for 15 years and this is the first time I’ve put graphs on my boat,” Bonafide rigging guru Justin Floyd admits. He credits the latest generation of motor-ready kayaks for breaking the camel’s back. “Kayaks are big enough to hold a livescope and two 10-inch displays,” he says.
That’s the setup Floyd has on his Bonafide PWR129. He attached the display brackets for two Garmin GLS 10 fish finders directly to a Bonafide Captain’s Bridge, a track bar across the front of his cockpit. “The Bridge provides a low-profile install that positions the display so it is easy to reach and see,” he says.
Floyd uses two displays; he monitors charts and side-view sonar on one unit and dedicates the second unit to forward-facing sonar. “Why spend all the money on forward-facing sonar and not be able to see every detail on the screen,” he reasons.
To install his forward-facing transducer, he attached a Sniper Marine Holster Mount to a gear track near his seat. “The transducer mount is tough and reliable,” he says. Durability is essential when the expensive transducer is hanging over the side of the moving boat.
Floyd’s favorite feature is connecting all his Garmin electronics, including his inReach personal locator beacon, through his sonar display, smartwatch and phone. “I was in Panama camping in the jungle with no cell service and the inReach allowed me to stay connected,” he says.
Tournament Technology
Tournament angler, social-media influencer and host of the Serious Angler podcast, Bailey Eigbrett fishes around the country but focuses on his home lakes in Upstate New York. “I’m a proficient offshore angler and electronics are a big part of my success,” he says.
His current system includes a Humminbird Helix G4N 10 for mapping, side imaging and down imaging sonar. To display forward-facing sonar, he has a huge Apex 13 in the front of his cockpit.
To find fish on the deep drops, Eigbrett searches with sonar and carefully maps the bottom contour. “I spend a lot of time scanning, without fishing,” he says. When his sonar locates a prime target, Eigbrett records the screen images to review later. Eigbrett says,“I scan the area with side imaging and then drop the forward-facing transducer when I see something interesting.”
One thing Eigbrett stresses is a sturdy mount for the display and transducer. “I’ve seen people with a big graph and a small mount lose their unit in the drink,” he says. Eigbrett mounts his Helix 10 on a Railblaza Hexx Mount attached to his Hobie H-Rail. “I replaced the quick-release knobs with bolts to secure the Hexx Mount to the H-Rail.”The Apex 13 is attached with a Boonedox Slotted Console Riser. “Matching the mount to the size of the display is a step most folks overlook,” he says.
Keep It Simple
Steve Johnson is a YouTube producer from East Tennessee with a tricked-out NuCanoe Unlimited he rigged with a Lowrance Elite FS 9 fish finder. “I mainly fish rivers, so I use the fish finder and GPS to create custom maps of the river bottom,” he says.
The custom charts allow Johnson to find depth contours that hold fish. “If I cross a shoal with an eight-foot depth drop, I’m definitely going to make a cast,” he says.
In addition to depth, water temperature and charts, Johnson uses his Lowrance display to control his boat’s electrical systems. “I can turn on navigation, electronics and deck lights through YakPower Bluetooth-enabled remote switches.”
For my Bonafide PWR129 build, I chose a single screen to display side-view and forward-facing transducers. Switching between side-view and forward-facing on one display isn’t as convenient as two displays, but saving space in the cockpit and taking advantage of the PWR129’s electronics pod for quick and easy install better suits the way I fish.
Monitoring forward-facing and side-view sonar while tracking GPS position requires two screens. | Feature photo: Bonafide Fishing
