How to Install a Garmin Striker 4 Fishfinder on a Jon Boat! (No Holes Drilled)

How to Install a Fishfinder on a Jon Boat!
In today's video, Junior installs a Garmin Striker 4 fish finder on our aluminum jon boat without drilling any holes into the boat itself. This will help us to locate structure and fish during our adventures in the Florida Keys. If you're following along with your own installation, feel free to leave questions in the comments section below!
Materials Used:
(Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases)
Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer: amzn.to/3jDHI5C
Starboard: ebay.to/2IYqsZV
Plano Box: amzn.to/30HkHpT
Marine Adhesive: amzn.to/3gaLL7D
Loctite Waterproof Sealant: amzn.to/3fYEc3I
Mighty Max Battery: amzn.to/3hKfVyX
Cable Tie Mounting Base: thd.co/2vCq7mN
Cable Ties: thd.co/2LyLhbt
Female Disconnect: bit.ly/2GZO1PR
Our Jon Boat Setup
Jon Boat: Tracker 1236 Wide Jon Boat
Engine: Mercury 6hp Outboard Motor
Removable Boat Seats: amzn.to/30JSs9Z
Removable Swivel (For the seats): amzn.to/39q4oS9
Rubber Floor Mats (Can't find the exact ones, but these have good reviews): amzn.to/3hSOwdS
Casting Deck: Custom (How we built it: • How to Build a REMOVAB... )
Tackle Bags We Like:
Plano A-Series 2.0 Tackle Backpack: amzn.to/3tgBrAm
Plano Weekend Series Tackle Bag: amzn.to/39MnDpu
Music:
Easy Jam by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@user-rf8jf3mz6i]

Nice work gents! I wasn't sure I wanted to draw additional voltage from my boat battery, but since seeing your video, I've rigged my Garmin on my 18ft boat similar to your set up. No issues for the last 6 months!

[@scottdahl3975]

Nice install. Especially like the no drill transducer mount. I’ll be using that approach !!

[@aliciacruz9723]

Very smart method of installation. I love that you guys aren’t drilling a bunch of holes into the boat 👍🏻

[@Grumpyolegrunt]

It will work ok if you don’t use boat much and only go in fresh water but it will come off if you go in salt water. But still pretty cool video

[@KaylaBuell]

I have zero idea what’s happening here because obviously I’m not techy like that, butttttttt such a great and informative video for anyone looking to install one of these! Great job! 🐠🐠

[@frd1238]

I placed my transducer on plastic also! Thanks for the great idea using the Plano box. Mine arrived today! I also have a Striker 4 that was given to me by a friend! Can’t wait to use it! Thanks for the great vid!

[@Hugo-Hernandez]

Hey are you still liking your Striker 4?

[@donaldnaymon3270]

Nice job and no holes in boat. Thank you for sharing

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks for watching!

[@electrickflame353]

Pretty damn cool and I will be using your idea for my jon boat project! Thanks for sharing!

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks for watching! Good luck with your build!

[@Arientis]

I just might use this method to put on my lowrance hook revel 5 transducer on! Saved and liked!

[@Antons19891]

Great Job guys, from Australia

[@paddleandhook]

Nice work, looks slick!! I plan to copy you guys with a similar install this summer :)

[@JayEves]

Great video, I have been looking for ideas to be able to swap my fish finder to my kayak and back easily. If I buy an extra transducer and mount this will be the easiest way for sure. Thank you for uploading.

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks for watching, glad we could help! Good luck with your build!

[@wilhaines7516]

Nice job and nice video. Skip the bull, getr' done. You have done that.

[@TheBiggerDavo]

If the prop spins clockwise you're ment to install it on the starboard side. At least that what it says in the instruction manual.

[@fizwin1]

These people are just half-assing it

[@surferscollective613]

Yep....always

[@thomasflores7817]

@@fizwin1 or.. we don’t have any instructions because we got the fish finder second hand

[@jdaniels1313]

Thanks for the high quality video! Love your overall approach, including the battery setup and connections, and topside screen mounting, and appreciate the way you explain things. I'm going to use most of your approach with my Striker Vivid 4CV, including the separate battery and box, and your repositionable topside monitor. For a moment the camera angle made it look like you installed the transducer on the side of the boat instead of on the transom, but looks like it was just me getting turned around, lol. Also, thank you for the update on the glue failure. I'm using JB ClearWeld epoxy, could have used 5200, but saw a video where the ClearWeld did a great job for this application, so going with that.

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks for watching! Feel free to keep us updated with your transducer mod. We're still trying to figure out a good solution for the glue failure

[@jayg4853]

Facts !

[@themacicaworkshop5889]

Thank you, Simple and to the point,

[@johnrichmond559]

Excellent presentation

[@1minibean]

Thanks for posting - I’m looking at the same Garmin unit for my aluminum 14. Can you tell me how the position of the transducer has performed for you so far, also how low is it mounted into the water from the bottom of your boat bottom ? Thanks again - Jeff

[@rick1597]

Careful with the transducer hanging down that far. Per Garmin it should be installed level with the bottom edge of the transom

[@TheExoticmoments]

Mine says the transducer should be below by a quarter inch

[@realbusy]

extremely well explained for dummies like me....thank u so much

[@kadams0017]

Nice clean work...very informative!

[@djsnglzz]

Thanks for the great video

[@juice319]

Awesome video i like your jon boat

[@irishmike519]

Great idea! Well done!

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks!

[@BrackishWaterC]

Good work ! Like this setup

[@user-lg8vd4qw4w]

I would put some kind of covering over the top of the battery so that none of those wires touch the terminals. Otherwise you could have a circuit problem.

[@lazaroo7948]

Keep up the vids 👍👍

[@jerrycleary3206]

That’s actually a great idea.

[@jayymaxx]

Wouldn’t you want the transducer mounted on the right side of the motor to avoid being interrupted by the propeller?

[@alive4082]

That location means you see the fish after you pass them unless you run it on the front or middle

[@DrFrankensteam]

Very cool!

[@edsadventures3575]

Thanks man!

[@oscartec88]

Thank you! Doing this to my job boat

[@TheReelStrike]

Awesome! Good luck with your build!

[@oscartec88]

@@TheReelStrike thank you

[@pbassinfl2400]

Sweet video! 💪🏼

[@rico334]

Good job dude !!!!!

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks!

[@daviddeleon2240]

I like this video a lot, thanks

[@chrisdavidson8525]

Very helpful! Thank you :-)

[@thotsakanhlepkham9475]

neat work...awesome idea...

[@zsozsousa1]

let me ask you a question. If the transducer is mounted in the back and you are fishing in the front in the boat, then what ever you see on the fish finder display it's already history for you, it's not something comes at you, it's something already passed you, that's correct?

[@josecruz-peraza5286]

Yes, you are correct in that it reads what you already passed. All fish finders are installed with the transducer to the back and they are required to be installed there to my knowledge. We do fishing from all sides of our Jon boat and when we are fishing up on the front casting deck it's mostly for sight casting. Once you pass a structure with fish on your finder you can always stop the boat, anchor up, and fish the back of the boat. Its all relative to where you place your boat.

[@jtprince1026]

Nice video guys , I just got the same set up a 1236 Tracker and a 6hp 2018 Mercury. I haven't had time to run it on the water yet because if the Florida weather. I noticed the boat is rated for a 5hp and theres a 6hp on it . So have you guys had any problems with the transom or anything with it? Just wondering before go on the water with it .

[@TheReelStrike]

We don't have any problems with the transom since the 6hp motor only weighs a few more pounds than the 5hp motor. No need to worry about your setup. Tight lines and enjoy your new Jon Boat!

[@j.b.pisano8309]

@@TheReelStrike Can you tell me how you keep your motor when trailering ? Up a little or all the way or down ?

[@michaelhammond4937]

My set up

[@Tinnyfishing4983]

How long does the battery last on full charge

[@sniperdoug1969]

Very nice install clean and well thought out. A suggestion if I may. Unless your wanting to leave it totally portable to move from your drive seat to your casting deck. If not and your just always going to mount it in the same spot. Shoot a dab of silicone around the hole you made in your battery box. That way it’s totally waterproof again. Also how long does that small of a battery run your fish finder?

[@josecruz-peraza8027]

I've used the fish finder for a good 3-4 hours one trip and it did not die on me, but I have yet to test the maximum duration of the battery.

[@cleber3]

Thanks for the video. What about the blue and brown cable? where do I connect blue and brown? Thanks

[@josecruz-peraza8027]

There's no need to connect the brown and blue cable, the only ones you need to connect to the battery are the red and black

[@smcgee2010]

Very informative, I have 12ft Alumacraft. Based on your video I may try this method. At first I was gonna mount it on the trolling motor. What type of smart charger do you use to charge your battery?

[@emt786]

Can you recharge the 12 volt battery with a regular car charger?

[@sgenslay7562]

Yes

[@derseewolf9882]

The most important is, where, and how (min/max depth) to position the transducer; could you tell this also??

[@joemccleary8232]

Wow

[@jimcatx3090]

Thanks

[@easyguitarlessonsgrandpaal9126]

Okay. One question........does drilling a hole in a boat void the warranty? Just Asking.

[@dduff4013]

Does this unit save the mapped area from your fishing trip? Can it save multiple or does it go away when it is turned off?

[@surferscollective613]

Its actually smart. Ali boats last much lknger than transducers. Mine has an old one and hey guess what...the tranducer mount holes are in a comlletely different pattern than the new transducer. Sure i can fill one and drill one...but glue these days is great. If you are concerned about it being ripped off...then the force required would trash the unit anyways.

[@chacegadapee4299]

Hey man! Loved the video, quick question though. When you added the second piece of star board and secured it with screws, did the screws just go into the first piece of board? Or did they go all the way through into the boat as well?

[@TheReelStrike]

Thanks! The screws do not drill into the boat. We made this setup so that all the drilling is done on the starboard

[@chacegadapee4299]

@@TheReelStrike Sweet! Thanks!

[@smcgee2010]

Good morning Big Guy, quick question. Where did you get the velcro? Or did you cut in the circular pattern?

[@coreylundvall1649]

How long does your battery supply power b4 it takes a dump and how do u charge it? You probably could have used the red connectors yellow was way too big, you also want to use grommets every time u pass through something even if it is plastic, it's all good though u guys look kinda young good job

[@rabbinchannelkelautkita221]

great 👍

[@billping3224]

How did that silicone work out for sticking the board on? Did it hold good?

[@TheReelStrike]

It held its own for about a year and a half. A few months ago the starboard and transducer fell off while washing the boat down. We think it was because we mounted it too low on the transom, but we go over the situation in a bit more detail in our 2 Year Update video. We still like the setup, but we have to make a few adjustments to it

[@jbehzad]

My friend ,how many amps hour is your battery ? and for how long you can run your Garmin striker on that battery ? Many thanks .

[@jeremyvoegeli5644]

I used the same battery and the same garmin striker 4 for ice fishing. The battery last more then a day if all your using for is the fish finder.

[@kevintrojanowski1937]

How did this turn out? Did the board stick to the boat using the 3m sealant?

[@piecartbox]

ty

[@phillipbrackett8344]

Good video. I just bought my Garmin striker 4 plus and was going to install it when I found your video. I decided to do it your way and am ordering the king starboard from amazon. Pretty expensive, but the best I could find. I am going to use JB Weld to mount the starboard to the transom. I have a Grizzly Tracker 1654 SC and I wondered how the fish finder is performing so close to the motor. I have heard stories of trouble with the turbulence affecting the readings. Has yours fish finder done well with the transducer mounted there? Just wondering. Again, good video and thanks!

[@TheReelStrike]

Our fishfinder works well but it does get a bit choppy at the top of the readings when running fast. It's best to keep the transducer as far from the motor as possible. Your boat is larger than ours, so that shouldn't be a problem to do. Also, we only paid $7 on ebay for the starboard we used (Check the video description for the link)

[@phillipbrackett8344]

Thanks. Good tips.

[@John_D2]

Where did you find those black clips ? thanks

[@TheReelStrike]

Home Depot. Here's a link to them: thd.co/2Sh8Fz0

[@gladheateher4now]

Does it include battery? Also,,,,can the transducers be used as threw hull transducers?

[@sticknscalesbowfishing3204]

Now will this method work with a big engine going high speeds? seems doubtful

[@mostacks9588]

This is cool bro ,Im considering solar panel.How long does your battery last before recharge?

[@JC-un6qx]

Depending on the use, these batteries can last weeks or months before charging

[@osullivanjeremyp]

What length were your screws that drilled in to the quarter inch starboard for the transducer mount?

[@southerndraw92]

Hey buddy just done the exact same setup! Thanks for all the tips! But how do you charge this battery?

[@TheReelStrike]

Awesome man! We use a 12v battery smart charger

[@fizwin1]

you should never just use a standard 12v battery charger. You need a specific sealed AGM charger option, that is normally low amperage/slow charge.

[@razr8934]

Can you just mount the transducer to the bottom of your trolling motor?

[@toddreichard]

Can you get just the flat piece you mounted to the starboard? I want one piece for my mount and one for my kayak

[@Art77153]

Nice video . Where do you buy the tie strap connectors used to secure your wire to the fishfinder

[@TheReelStrike]

Home Depot, but any local hardware shop should have them

[@Art77153]

I should have said the strap connectors are secured to something fastened to the boat so no holes are driven in the boat . Where do you get them ? Sorry .

[@Art77153]

The are holding the zip ties to the boat

[@TheReelStrike]

Also from Home Depot. Here's the link: thd.co/2Sh8Fz0

[@drobinson0601]

In general, the TI units are faster in response to inputs. This is seen when quickly switching between sonar, downscan, chart, and split screens kzbin.infoUgkxeAxH15LxhjGlg5-CRYqjTGTEH0tbY4vk recommend The Hook units will show some lag on button pushes and screen switching. The big ticket item though is maps. If you install a mapping card such as Navionics or the free C-Map Genesis which has a lot of map detail, then moving around the map with the cursor or when running down the lake can lag significantly on the Hook units, but is seamless with the TI units.

[@b0neme]

and what stops someone from walking by the boat, unlatching it, and stealing it?

[@danieldieguez425]

where would be the best place to install on my john boat. I have an outboard in the back and a trolling motor on front wich is where I do most of my fishing (front)

[@Montanan]

I can't see how you are snapping the swivel mount attached to the unit to the base attached to the Scotty mount. I can't get it to go no matter what I do and you just snapped the two together so fast I couldn't see what you were doing? Help?

[@marktate4466]

What do you do with the brown and blue wire in the power cables

[@HillClimber2011]

Side question. What is and where did you get the flooring in your boat?

[@TheReelStrike]

The flooring is a set of rubber kitchen mats that have been custom cut to fit the boat. You can find a link to them in the description, but you can also find them at Home Depot!

[@dbmolloy4603]

What are the dimensions of the piece of Star Board for mounting the transducer?

[@Hugo-Hernandez]

Hey are you still liking your Striker 4?

[@rickking2903]

It should be on the right side of the boat

[@savannahshelton4185]

Does the orange and blue wire not have to be connected?

[@michaelgiles7469]

Where did you get the velcro?

[@JC-un6qx]

Those you can get on Amazon

[@larryescarenojr6313]

How does the mount hold up would this work for a aluminum bass boat ? It pushes about 25 mph loaded out I’m kinda worried it’ll fall off with drag would this work ?

[@TheReelStrike]

I wouldn't worry about the speed of the boat as long as the transducer is installed higher up on the transom than we did in this video. I would be more concerned about the strength of the adhesive that attaches the starboard to the boat. A few months ago the starboard block detached from the boat while we were cleaning it. It held up for about a year and a half, but there's always going to be a risk of it falling off if it's not drilled onto the boat itself

[@newport5504]

Hey mate I got sika flex at home would that would to? Thank you

[@josecruz-peraza5286]

Can't tell you it'll work 100% but if it is a waterproof sealant it should work. I would just recommend the marine silicone since that's what its made for.

[@wolfpackoutdoors9618]

Transducer was mounted to low it shouldn’t hang below your boat

[@j.b.pisano8309]

I'm about to get a 1542 with a 6hp Mercury. How do you keep your motor when trailering ? Do you tilt up a little or all the way or leave down ?

[@TheReelStrike]

We actually remove the motor from the boat and put it on a dolly (Which goes in the trunk of the car) during transport

[@travelingwithrick]

it stays down. Tilting it harder on the transom and can bounce free with a huge bump.

[@chenoaslone]

What’s the brown and blue wire for

[@guttagutta420]

The battery won’t die

[@smcgee2010]

How do you charge your Mighty max battery? I have a regular battery charger 6/12V, can I use it to charge the Mighty Max battery or do I need a smart charger/maintainer ?

[@TheReelStrike]

We just use a regular 12 volt battery charger!

[@adaml262]

How long does it take the adhesive to dry?

[@johnhighstreet5199]

Nice music.

[@outdooradventures6403]

Can you put a Jon Boat is saltwater or do you have to paint it and if you have to paint it what do you have to paint it with

[@TheReelStrike]

We've had our jon boat for over a year and a half. We haven't noticed any chipping or wear on the paint that it's coated in from the factory, and no new paint has been applied since we originally purchased it. As long as you wash the boat down after each saltwater use and store it properly, there shouldn't be any noticeable wear on the paint (At least from our 1 1/2 years of observation)

[@pedro87ivo]

👏👏

[@stephenfarmer2216]

Where in florida you at bro ? Im in jacksonville

[@flipmyjonboat4485]

How is the marine sealant holding up with the transducer?

[@TheReelStrike]

It worked nicely for about a year and a half, but a few months ago the starboard and transducer fell off the transom while washing the boat. We think that part of the reason this happened was because the transducer was mounted too low. Our 2 Year Update video talks about the situation in a little more detail

[@HottMessFishin]

@@TheReelStrike glad I caught this in the comments ;)

[@jakeg4991]

What charger did you get for the battery?

[@h-townfishing1382]

how's your striker 4? im looking to get one

[@sailingeden9866]

You will be doing the same amount of fishing, but now more catching.

[@dawsonfoley1094]

Where did you buy the rubber floor mats you put in the bottom of the boat?

[@TheReelStrike]

They sell the mats at Home Depot and we cut them to custom fit the jon boat

[@KaseysHomeGym]

Do you still use this fish finder setup? How is it holding up?

[@TheReelStrike]

We really only use the fish finder if we're exploring new waters and it's more of a luxury mod than a necessity. As for this mounting method, it held up very well for about a year and a half until the starboard block detached while cleaning the boat. We think this was because the transducer was mounted too low on the transom and as a result dealt with a lot of wear and tear, but we always knew that it was a possibility since the transducer is not drilled into the boat. We talk a bit more about it during our 2 Year Update video. We still really like this setup but there are still some issues to work out

[@KaseysHomeGym]

@@TheReelStrike Awesome thanks for the help

[@joeg2286]

Any good for salt water ?

[@vxnova1]

Good video, used 3m 5200 to glue them on,