Arc Labs has what may be the best. Call them to make sure you’re getting all the parts for your setup. I mounted mine off the helm. I use perspective when the fish are in the top water and forward when the aren’t. Some days I use both

Not inexpensive but:

1. Stows as you have described.
2. Stout. With the Hercules hand cuff (or whatever they call it) the pole handles 10 mph.
3. High quality machined parts work as they should.

I had used a pole I cobbled together for a couple years. I wish I’d have found this improvement sooner.

 

Arc Labs has what may be the best. Call them to make sure you’re getting all the parts for your setup. I mounted mine off the helm. I use perspective when the fish are in the top water and forward when the aren’t. Some days I use both

When you stow it do you find the ram ball mount is enough by itself or did you buy one of the stow holders as well?

 

If you prefer swivel and lock design, some folks have been buying old transom-mount electric trolling motors and using the shaft and tilt mechanism.

My first attempt used a bicycle stand (the kind used for clamping a bike while doing mechanical work on it) and an off-brand transducer pole. It worked, but having the base of the bike stand permanently mounted where I chose to mount it at the stern made it a pain to reach the transducer for switching orientation modes, and awkward to tilt up for running.

Version 2 uses most of the same components but replaced the solid base with a Folbe post so it can fit in any of my gazillion rod mounts in the boat. This works great for me and I find it’s actually easier and quicker to pick up the transducer and set it back down in the boat than it is to tilt it, and it’s way easier to switch transducer modes. (The pole is set so it telescopes closed when I set it back down, and the folbe post goes back in the base with the pole inside the boat instead of outside.) I have a cord tied to the pole so it telescopes out to the right distance when I pick it up and set it back in the water.

Nothing fancy, the pole was about a hundred bucks and the bike stand about sixty. I had spare folbe posts and my son printed me an adapter on his 3d printer.

 

I have used these mounts and they work fairly well. All aluminum design.

https://fishfindermounts.com/live-sonar/

 

I purchased a blown up minn kota off of marketplace for $30. Took it apart, cut off what I didn't need and bought a live scope handle to mount to the top. I have zero complaints.

 

I purchased a blown up minn kota off of marketplace for $30. Took it apart, cut off what I didn't need and bought a live scope handle to mount to the top. I have zero complaints.

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That’s what I need to do, great idea. How long is the pole and where did you get the handle. Let me know. Thanks

 

i have seen people take old non working minnkota and cut the motor off and mount the transducer that's my 2 cents

 

For those of you who have bow-mount trolling motors, any thoughts on installing the Livescope on to either the bow-mount trolling motor shaft or motor body?

I am just curious as I am in the process of installing a Livescope too but don't want too many handles and poles and making the boat cluttery.

 

That option isnt made for us PNW'ers...

Bass guys, panfish guys etc. The only time it would really be effective would be on spot lock and even then it wouldn't really be much help with the constant adjustments.

 

Perhaps it depends on what kind of fishing you are doing....

Personally, I don't like having it mounted on the bow mount because you can't consistently control where its pointed along with trolling correctly.

IF you want it pointed at a specific rod while salmon fishing (for example) its nice to be very strategic and point the sonar pole at that rod or spread of rods while you let your bow mount do its thing (like AP trolling). If its mounted on the bow mount and you have some wind and its moving in a direction that the sonar is now not pointing to what you want to see...then what use is it at that point?

Yes, it sucks dealing with a pole. Its another thing to deal with on the boat and stow it when running the main motors to power up, etc. But the benefit is, you get full control of where you are pointing and viewing. You can easily switch its modes whether you want perspective view (scout mode) or down/forward mode.

 

I don't have it on either of my boats but I am upgrading soon. I was fishing with a guide one day and we were anchored, he had his so he could move it around he noticed the fish were running closer to the bank we made a adjustment and proceeded to limit the boat. It is a powerful tool.