i think i may be the black sheep with this, but after years of tournament fishing and light line angling it is just imbeded in my head. i just try to rig everything i possibly can, below the gunnels. on our tournament SKA boat we didn't even have bow rails, on my current lake and bay tournament boat, the platforms dont have so much as a toe-catcher, and in the kayaks, i feel the same way. i've had too many instances where a trophy or or money fish made a wild run under the bow or down the waterline, and anything in the way can catch a rod, or even worse, part a line. in this mindset, i prefer to mount the electronics below the gunnel line (or at least as low as i can). in the PA 14, the Lowrance Elite-5 DSI is mounted on a 1" Ram mount system, that ends up thru-bolted on the port side deck. Thru the center deck hatch there is ample room to locate and tighten the SS ny-lock nuts. in this position, it is close enough to be within reach for any adjustments, but is still low enough not to be in the way of rods, fishing line or the bag of the landing net. I prefer the Ram mount also, because it can be quickly adjusted where the Lowrance Elite-5 can be faced nearly face-down, and is then nearly completely out of sight, out of trouble and out of the way. This PA is a 2010 model, so the DSI transducer is epoxied to the hull just aft of the sail fitting, inside the forward hatch.
it may not be the most popular way, but for our needs, it's a sure thing.
cheers. drew
_________________ Cathedra Mea, Regulae Meae.
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