I am pretty intense when it comes to backcountry canoe angling. It has taken me years (let’s not be too dramatic; I’ve really only been canoe fishing since 2013 and only seriously since 2016) to build the canoe fishing setup that I am comfortable with. A perfect balance, for me at least, between efficacy and efficiency. It is my desire that each piece of fishing gear I bring on a fishing trip must: 1.) Help me locate fish and 2.) Help me catch those fish. Bonus points if this item allows me to do so quicker and easier than previous.
For example, I was happy to spend the extra money to upgrade from a traditional lead acid 7Ah 12v battery that weighed 5.5lbs to a Dakota Lithium 10Ah 12v which only weighs in at 2.75lbs. Not only did I save almost 3 pounds, but I also gained 3Ah extra capacity (over 40% longer life). For the expense of $100, I both increased my efficiency in travel (re: significantly less weight on my back) and my ability to locate fish (in theory, 40% longer).
Not all upgrades in gear are quite so straightforward. One I struggled with for quite a while was finding an effective way to mount a fish sonar/depth finder to a canoe. My first solution to the problem came shortly before a trip to Alpine Lake via Seagull over five years ago. Back then I was running one of the earliest versions of the Garmin Striker sonar, but the systems are essentially the same between brands.
For roughly $20, I designed a creative solution using PVC and various hardware, patching together designs I had seen on Youtube videos and the BWCA fishing forum. The arm retracted for quick travel from spot to spot and it was lightweight. Unfortunately, it really struggled when it came to security and stability. A few heavy duty zip-ties “secured” it to the thwart.
PVC pipe (round) does not mate well with a canoe’s thwart or yoke, which are flat. I couldn’t figure out how to secure the system tight enough to the thwart for it to work properly when traveling or trolling. When the transducer arm isn’t perfectly perpendicular to the water, you will be reading the lake bottom a distance behind your boat, rather than directly under your boat. This system wouldn’t work as a long-term solution.
The next attempt started with a trip to a big box store and the purchase of a fancy machined aluminum mobile/temporary transducer arm mount designed to clamp to the back of a jon boat (see image below). $50 dollars later and I still had to figure out how to get this c-clamp style mount to quickly and securely attach to the thwart or gunwhale of my canoe.
This system also needed to be much more secure than the first because it wasn’t retractable. A chunk of wood against the side of the canoe would have to suffice for an adapter/mount for the clamp. I quickly found out that when traveling, the flat bracket arm created an incredible amount of drag, twisting the whole system and dislodging the clamp from the boat and piece of wood I was using as a shim. Not only was this not secure, it was also beginning to wear away the finish of my brand new canoe.
The Perfect Solution: Made in U.S.A. RAM Mounts
I finally landed on a system of compatible components from a company called RAM mounts, which are made in the USA. You can find RAM products pretty much anywhere, but if you are not buying from a retailer in-person, you need to ensure you are buying compatible parts.
The four important pieces (plus one adapter piece) of the puzzle are as follows:
1.) Transducer Arm/mount: The part that holds the transducer level in the water to get an accurate reading of the bottom. A quick turn of the knob and this transducer can be folded up and out of the water quickly for travel. An internal aluminum rod allows user to bend to the proper shape to avoid contact and sonar interference with the side of the boat. Make sure your sonar is always positioned properly in the water so you are getting accurate readings.
RAM Transducer Mount with 18” Aluminum Rod and Socket Arm $50 (B-size ball compatibility):
RAM® Transducer Mount with 18" Aluminum Rod and Socket Arm
2.) Adapter Piece for Transducer Arm: Add-a-ball accessory. Piece that allows BOTH the transducer arm AND screen to be attached to a single socket arm so an additional socket arm and tough claw aren’t needed.
3.) Double-Socket Arm: piece that holds the entire system together: screen, transducer arm and gunwhale/thwart mount. Tension on this piece controls screen angle and positioning and connects the transducer and screen to the gunwhale or thwart.
RAM Double Socket Arm, Size Small, B-Compatibility, $15 (left image)RAM add-a-ball Accessory Ball for B-sized socket arms $10 (right image)
4.) Screen/Unit Base: RAM ball base. Adapter piece that connects socket arm with Humminbird’s screen/unit mount.
RAM ball base with 1”x2.5” 4-hole pattern (B-Size compatible ball mount and Humminbird Helix 5 compatible screen mount) $15
RAM® Ball Base with 1" x 2.5" 4-Hole Pattern – B Size
5.) Gunwhale/Thwart Clamp: RAM Tough Claw. The device that clamps the entire system to the canoe. I’ve found thwart mounts, inside the canoe as opposed to clamping directly to the gunwhale, are the most secure. This particular clamp works with round or flat thwarts, likely not compatible with square unless you size up to one of the larger claw sizes. It is important to have a secure fit here, which is where this system succeeds. If not secure, you will be at risk of losing your electronics or receiving an ineffective sonar reading.
RAM Tough Claw Small Clamp Base With Double Socket Arm (B-size compatible) $34:
RAM® Tough-Claw™ Small Clamp Base with Double Socket Arm – Medium
In my opinion, a good sonar mount comes down to one question only: “How securely does the system grab (or better yet, clamp, without damaging or requiring drilling) the thwart and/or gunwhale of the canoe?” The Ram Tough claw is the most integral piece of the system (also the clamp I trust for my RAM fishing rod mount) and in my opinion, what makes RAM mounts superior to the others I have tried. Once clamped to the gunwhale (square or flat), I have never had it slip, pry loose, or even budge, really. The rubber footings lining the inside of the clamp have also protected my Northstar canoe’s wooden thwarts from any damage.
I understand that any sonar system is going to slow a person down when traveling. It is extra weight to carry on your back, over rock and root, through forest, up and over hills and down steep descents. It is also likely that you will spend a little less time fishing, and a little more time fiddling with electronics if you bring them along.
The system I have described above (Helix 5 Sonar, 10Ah Dakota Lithium battery and Ram Canoe Mount System) weighs in at just over 6lbs and probably only occupies between 8 and 10 liters of space in my pack. It is NOT difficult for me to justify the expense or weight in my pack when it comes to fishing electronics. No one NEEDS to bring a sonar into the backcountry. For me, I have found the benefits I have gained in efficiency (increase in fish located/caught) as a backcountry canoe angler far outweigh the negatives of carrying with me a sonar unit.
The Rest of My Arsenal:
Boat: Northstar Northwind Solo, BlackLite Layup with Wood Gunwhales, Wood/Web Bench seats
Length: 15′ 6″
Weight: 32lbs
Bow/Stern Rocker: 2.5″/1.5″
Optimal Load: 170-340lbs
Max Width: 30″
Paddle: Bending Branches Java 52″ Bent Shaft, 19oz
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