View Full Version : vexilar used on trolling motor
beetle
04-20-2001, 10:01 PM
Has anyone ever used their ice fishing vexilar in the summer by mounting a puck ducer to the trolling motor? How did it do for you? And would the standard 19 degree cone be sufficient?
Thanks
Herb
Rigger
04-21-2001, 01:15 AM
Works good until you turn the trolling motor on
at that time it is nothing but interference.
Rigger.
Mattman
04-21-2001, 02:59 AM
Works just fine for me for the last four years. Got a puck transducer and and a hose clamp. Used some zip ties to secure the cord in a few key spots and thats it. The 19 will be fine.
beetle
04-21-2001, 04:14 AM
Can you get rid of the interference with the (ir) button that comes with the newer units?
Herb
Mattman
04-21-2001, 04:49 AM
???????? Never had interference. Hopefully someone else can answer that for you.
Rigger
04-21-2001, 05:04 AM
I guess I never thought about using the I.F. If there is
a way to get rid of the interference when the motor is
on I sure would like to know how. I run a 24V 74lb.
Minnkota. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Rigger
BradB
04-21-2001, 05:37 AM
It worked great for me last year. I put my FL8 on my Minn Kota auto pilot and didn't have any trouble. Both the trolling motor and the FL8 were wired to the same battery. I made sure the batery itself was well grounded and I didn't see interference.
However, I didn't like it that much. The color display was hard to read in the sunlight. I took it off over the winter and put a Garmin 240 on the bow instead.
Brad
beetle
04-21-2001, 09:37 AM
Let me go into a little more detail on how I want to use this unit.
Just got it this past ice season and think it's a wonderfull tool for fishing. What I want to use it for now is more or less the same as in winter. I do a lot of crappie fishing in underwater brushpiles and would like to use the vex to watch the fish come to the jig just as I did this winter. But will have to use the trolling motor just to hold the boat in position over the brush. Also means using a short rod as it will have to be just over the edge of the boat and under the transducer. Since the flasher is (real time) sonar, I think it would work better than an lcr.
Thanks again
Herb
GeneS
04-21-2001, 10:15 AM
This unit works very well in both ways.We have used it on our 777 motor guide and you can tell when a walleye's going to hit the lindy rig when trolling.And last year my son took it up north and had to use the iceducer off the edge of the boat because we didn't have a mount.They where drifting using bottom bouncers and he banged a 6# which he said he saw take the hook.
Walleyeman
04-21-2001, 01:25 PM
Regarding interference: After just installing a Vex on the bow of my boat with a Minnkota 65 PD I also experienced interference. What I did was go out to a lake and turn both pieces of equipment on. Now tweak the position of the transducer cable around the base of the TM where most of the electronics are. By positioning the cable in different ways I was able to eliminate most all of the interference.
By positioning the cable I don't mean rerouting it but only pulling a little farther or in a different way from the TM electonics. I hope this helps.
Mattman
04-21-2001, 01:44 PM
Get a sun shield to increase visibility. I took an old can from crushed tomatoes (my wife was making lasagne) or something. Cut the other end out with the can opener and paint it flat black. Makes a WORLD of difference!
beetle
04-21-2001, 02:05 PM
Hey,
You've all been a lot of help! Thanks bunches.
Herb
Made a neat bracket for my vexilar to use on a 36 thrust minikota. Took medium sized soda bottle that was close to the same diameter as the motor of my electric motor. Cut the bottom off drilled a 3/8 hole through the threaded end and hosed clamped through that hole and around the ice fishing transducer. Then took siccors and cut a slot for the bottom fin to slid in and on the opposit side of the bottle cut a slot for the top fin.. Then cut a hole in 1 1/2 diameter the same as the shaft and slid the assembly one the motor and with a big hose clamp, clamped it in place. This holds the transducer verticle in front of the trolling motor therefore no interference. Neat and easily removed...jk
eyewinder
04-23-2001, 10:08 AM
A 1 lb. coffee can with both ends cut out fits perfectly for a sunshield. Don't throw away the plastic lid -- you can snap it on an use the can to put bait in if the situation demands it.
I've used my Vex on my trolling motor the past several years, but it can be difficult to read in direct sunlight (even with the sunshield).