21 replies to this topic

[Knuguy]

Last year I tried using an L type arrangement for my transducer i.e one leg laying on the ice/snow next to the hole, the other leg sticking down the hole with some flexibility to adjust the ducer so it was level. It worked but was a bit finicky:I had to reset any time I lifted the ducer out to bring up a fish, for e.g. It also tended to move if I stepped anywhere near the horiz leg and disturbed the snow/slush. 

The big benefit of the rig in the pic is that it is self-leveling once I have set it up initially. I have seen other arrangements posted on-line  where the ducer just hangs from the cord and is supported by a foam float. I tried that sort of arr't on a bucket of water and found it quite sensitive to any slight movement of the cord.For that reason I attached the cord to a pole and added weight at the bottom----2 pipe couplings. The weight stops the rig from being top heavy but also helps it return to level. I will attach the cord to the pole with ties with the top one being below the water surface so the cable is not dragging the pole off vertical.

If I get curious, or maybe just bored, out there I can push the ducer down the hole and shine the beam off to the side a bit!

I attached a bulls eye level to the ducer with some 2 sided sponge tape.

BTW, if you are wondering what those blue thingeys are----the are broccoli elastics used to fill the gap between the OD of the pole and the ID of the noodle. 

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[fishfreek]

You should try this . U-channel extruded aluminum

[Liger]

I have somthing very simmiler to yours fishfreek,

[allan]

Looks good. I will be fascinated to see it in action Knuguy! It will be different not seeing you kneeling over the hole aligning your transducer...more fish this upcoming season??? For Xmas,  my wife has bought me one of those Lowrance bags to hold my existing ff , the batteries and it comes with an ice tranducer. So i can mercifully stop my fiddling to do  what you seem to have done. will have to see how it works. 

[GoWithTheFloat]

I tried converting my elite 4 ducer in a similar fashion last year. Was a pain in the arse and never worked that great. I ended up buying the ice ducer and love it.

[troutddicted]

Knuguy, that looks like it will work pretty well as long as the weight don't suck it down.  Does the float hold it up?  Maybe some more floatation.  Perfected that wont let any fish go undetected

[Knuguy]

You should try thisImageUploadedByTapatalk1419012558.120243.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1419012571.556894.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1419012584.174502.jpg. U-channel extruded aluminum

 

It's good you posted that because it gives any readers of this thread another idea to try.

 

The jig I used last year was a bit like the one you posted in that it rested on the ice. Mine was an L shape, your is a T. I found it a PITA because it would settle/move around in the slush and go off level. The one I posted above is self-leveling which, I understand, is the main advantage quoted for the proper 'iceducers' sold by the retailers. I tried it on a bucket of water and it works quite well. I don't expect it's performance will be much different on the ice.

 

GWTF---my rationale for my homemade jig last year was that Basspro was too far from Wasaga to justify the drive. Now that Cabela's is open that excuse is removed, but I just like the challenge of tinkering around and getting my own ideas to work.(Saving $$ is an incentive----call me a cheapskate if you like!

 

allan---Now that you'll have the sonar set-up you will have 1 fewer excuse for not catching fish. One down, only 57 more to go!!  

 

TD--No problem with the foam. It's enough to keep it afloat. If I add more weight I'll just add more foam. I might add more weight at the bottom because the more weight, the quicker it returns to level.

[allan]

My only fear Knuguy is that this season i"ll have some guy coming over to my hole frequently thru the day asking questions like " How deep are we?", or "Seeing any fish down there?" and finally "I cant get my damned home made thing to work"....ha ha

[troutddicted]

[Knuguy]

Oh, that's just allan. Don't pay him no never mind!! He has no incentive to jerry rig anything! He's like fish ready for the deep fryer----just rolling in dough!!!

[allan]

Mastercard.......

[salmotrutta]

Jerry rigged a roof rack onto my "new to me" car over past few days. Unlike all of my previous vehicles, this one did not come with side bars. The OE sidebars come screwed into threaded inserts that are embedded in the roof. I could have added in some threaded inserts, or directly screwed the side bars in, or riveted them in, but none of those solutions would have held up to the weight I'd like it to be able to hold.

 

2-3 days of frustration but I finally finished at 4am last night. Gotta say the thing is da-mn strong. Drilling and cutting huge holes all over the top of your van can be daunting, especially on rainy days. 

 

In short, I drilled holes large enough for a bolt head to fit through, and slits through the holes long enough to allow a fender washer to slide in vertically. Using string to guide the fender washer over the bolt, I could then use a nut to screw the side bars to the bolt, with the giant washers pushing up on the sheet metal from beneath as "mini plates." Finished off with a lot of silicone for waterproofing. Never realized how much silicone stinks until I had to use a whole tube of it!

 

For those wondering if it would have been easier to remove the headliner and work from the bottom up rather than strictly from the top..I think the answer is no, at least from my stand point. 

 

If I had to do it all again, would only take 2-3 hours rather than 2-3 days. Experimenting and driving back and forth from the hardware store ate up a lot of time. 

[Knuguy]

I'm glad it worked for you. It's a thin line between a challenge and a PITA and it sounds like you were on the wrong side there for a while!

[allan]

Knuguy- you speak the truth...sometimes you are a challenge to fish with- and sometimes you are a PIT......ha ha. have to stop using this forum to get my shots in! 

[123chadder]

need a bullet style transducer,the summer type is on an angle,so when you see fish,they are usually off to the side, where they are right under you with a bullet

[Knuguy]

need a bullet style transducer,the summer type is on an angle,so when you see fish,they are usually off to the side, where they are right under you with a bullet

 

So you didn't read my post, eh?  

[chasingfish]

Nothing hit the wrong button somehow.... Wierd.

[123chadder]

So you didn't read my post, eh?  

spend the $80 on the bullet,you wont look back

[Knuguy]

Tried it out last week. Worked like a charm!! 'cept there were few fish to mark!

[ElectronICE]

The other day, I was reading this learning center on fish finders for ice fishing. Can anybody tell me if the info provided is good. Can't seem to decide on which one to buy? Any suggestions?