vexilar fl18 summer/boat use

[adipose]

After much thougt and research ive decided on one method of using the fl18 from the boat.

After speaking with the Vex guys via tel....they tell me that the vex from the boat will be difficult to find my lure due to the boat moving with the waves since the transducer will be mounted on the floor.
I wanted to be able to fish/jig for walleye in a stationary position like we mostly do from the boat.....anchored in one spot.

I thought ...the only way this is going to work is to have the ducer just hang below the water from a float just like ice fishing so what i am going to do is use a flat piece of rigid insulation and fashion the ducer cord through the middle of the insulation so that when the waves rock the rigid insulation, the ducer will still maintain its straight down position.

Then...in order to be able to be looking at my screen while jigging straight down from the side of the boat, i will keep my vex portable for the area of the boat i will be jigging from. I guess setting the unit on the boat seat will be my only option unless i use some type of clamp to have the head unit sit on the edge of the boat.

I just want to be able to use my vex for more than just a depth finder. What are your thoughts on this people??

[Woodsman]

My guess that the float you will use will actually bounce around more than the boat would when in a windy/wavy situation.
Current may also be a problem in finding your lure.
If you have a option of different transducer beam angles start with the widest first & narrow down if conditions allow.

Rick

[Skipper]

Without the solid base of ice, finding your lure is a loosing proposition. There is allot more stuff in the water too, so your gain will need to be set higher. A flasher in the boat is a great choice, you just need to learn what it is telling you. It tells you a different story out of a boat than it does on the ice, but the story is worth listening to.

I know a few tournament bass guys with the fancy dan bass boats. All of them have a flasher mounted in the bow. There has to be some reason for it.

[Gillfisher]

A buddy of mine used/uses his in the boat, he keeps the normal ice fishing float on it and hangs it over the side. It is hard to jig below it like you do ice fishing because you are typically using long rods, wave action, boat movement and as mentioned above all the stuff in the water. But it still works great to show bottom type and fish. I had a puck transducer mounted on my bow mount trolling motor for my FL-18 and it worked great for showing fish and while open water trolling it showed what depth the walleye were suspending at. You may be able to use it like you do when ice fishing when the conditions are just right and you may want to take an ice rod along as well.

[bee]

Mine is always in use on the boat. I have a bow mount trolling motor and xducer. Works best in calm water. Also a short rod 4 1/2  5 ft is best. For the person in back I have a swing out piece of wood. I hang a length of shop vac. tube from it and the xduce is lower down inside it to the bottom of tube. The tube keeps the xduce from moveing around. Jigging is just like on the ice.