Backcountry Boating Electronics

As a boating electronics nerd and an occasional backcountry enthusiast, I figured I would pay this topic a visit. I have access to a simple boat and motor stashed in the bush so backcountry fishing is something I would like to do more often.

Us anglers love having tons of equipment even if it feels a bit redundant. We equip our boats with the newest tech and turn them into literal floating computer labs. However that is somewhat antithetical to backcountry fishing. Backcountry fishing requires that you pack as lightly as possible to reduce weight and save space. I love how the backcountry is very quiet and has quality fishing but it definitely comes at the price of having to put effort into reaching those places.

That being said, electronics are extremely useful in fishing. I would still recommend having them even in the backcountry. However compromises will have to be made. I will discuss in this post how you can bring and setup electronics in the backcountry. I will mostly talk about fishing from tinner boats, kayak anglers tend to have totally different setups that probably necessitate their own post.

Unit Selection

The immediate requirement with a backcountry unit is size as you’ll likely carry it in a backpack. Or if you’re doing a fly-in, a suitcase. Ideally a 5 or 7 inch display is good. Typically 5″ units are the starting point charts and GPS. Smaller units may be lighter and have lower power requirements but they tend to lack features that larger units have. Larger units are easy on the eyes but they are bulky and have high power requirements.

Having 2D sonar is pretty helpful for understanding depth. A backcountry lake is often not charted and you’re likely going to need a way to identify structure. GPS capability allows you to make trails so you know the safe way back if the lake is filled with reefs. Knowing your speed can help with certain fishing techniques if you’re trolling or drifting. Being able to make your own contour maps on the fly is useful to collect data.

I personally use an HDS Carbon 7. It’s actually the bow unit of my main boat (I should upgrade it to a larger size eventually) and my snowmobile GPS unit. It might be a little on the overkill side but it can do 2D sonar, GPS and charting. Though a basic unit like a Hook Reveal 5 satisfies all those requirements. As you’re only bringing in one unit there is no need for networking capability. It is a little expensive to buy a unit just for the backcountry so I like to ensure that it can be used in other situations as well.

Transducer Selection and Mounting

For the backcountry, you should have a dedicated transducer as it is a huge hassle to remove and reinstall the transducer from a different boat. For this reason, I opt for the simplest 2D transducer possible. Having down and side imaging would be very nice but those transducers are very expensive considering the amount of usage they will get. Plus they may be a bit too bulky for the backcountry.

To mount a transducer on a backcountry boat, I take a piece of wood about a foot long. Then I screw the transducer at one end. Using a C-clamp, attach it to the transom of the boat. It won’t necessarily be a perfect mount but it will at least be able to take readings at low speeds. It can be fully installed in a matter of minutes.

There are suction cup mounts out there. I’ve used one without issues. However it can be dangerous to rely on them as if it comes off it can damage the transducer. You need a transom that is completely smooth to use the suction cup so it’s most likely unreliable, especially if you don’t know the boat that you will be using.

Power

First of all you will need a separate power cable. You may have one on your primary boat but it’s likely a huge hassle to remove. I highly recommend that you keep an extra power cable for your graphs around the house. It can be used to do software updates or setting configurations in the comfort of your own home. Use this power cable for your backcountry trips.

Now you will need a battery. Check your unit’s amp draw to see what kind of battery you need. I highly recommend a lithium iron phosphate battery due to more effective amp hours and lighter weight compared to lead acid batteries. If you’re an ice angler, you should definitely have some lying around. if you’re staying multiple days without a charger, you may need to bring in a couple batteries.

Mounting

If you do a lot of ice fishing, you may have a shuttle and case for your unit already. This can be a convenient way to carry your unit into the bush and to keep the unit in place on the boat. I no longer own one so this was not an option for me and I was not going to buy one just for a few backcountry trips.

What I do is use a RAM handlebar mount clamp. Surprisingly it works really well to clamp to edge of the boat. You’re typically not going very fast so it holds really well. Plus it’s really compact to carry in a backpack. It allows the unit to not take up any space in the tiny boat.

As with many things I own, I like to make sure it can serve other purposes when not in use. This handlebar clamp can be used as a trolling motor stabilizer on my main boat. It can also be used on my snowmobile in the winter to mount the very same unit as a GPS device.

Final Words

Just because you’re in the wilderness doesn’t mean you have to be a complete minimalist. With proper preparation, you can give yourself a small edge in the electronics area. We may go into the backcountry to enjoy the scenery and solitude but getting onto fish makes it even better.