spider's T140

 Upgrades made possible by the wisdom and education gained from the folks on this site. Thanks

Nice!     Very clean and simple

How do you like fishing with a FF for a change?

 Ill let you know tommorrow.  Ill also be testing out the vanity mount

Terry:

That came out GREAT!

Nice.  What's the foam pool noodle with the cutout used for....a rod rest or gps holder?

the cut out pool noodle is the vanity mount.
 you set your camera on a 10 second delay, then place it in the mount, pick up your fish for the photo op and wait for the flash.
 Havnt had a chance to test it with a fish, yet.

the cut out pool noodle is the vanity mount.
 you set your camera on a 10 second delay, then place it in the mount, pick up your fish for the photo op and wait for the flash.

Ahhh... so that's what you meant by a "vanity mount".  I thought you were going to mount a mirror there.

The only thing I see missing is the blood! Looks great!

CHEERS!

 the blood is under all those layers of sunscreen.

H20 Spider:

I bought my Tarpon 140 almost two years ago now. Besides 2 flush mounted and two Scotty rod holders, I haven't done any drilling. A Humminbird 17 is in my very near future (this weekend) and I was curious about how you mounted yours. Is the plastic extension between the deck and your FF mount something you bought? And if so, where?
It appears to be the ideal distance from the seat. Any hints, advice on how to get the job done right, once- the first time??
Nothin scarier than a beer in one hand and a Makita cordless in the other.

Alex
  This was my first FF mounting experience, and I know that beer(s)/makita feeling. The plastic extension, I think you are referring too, is a RAM ball mount. I went this route because I had fears of anything mounted on the deck would not survive 2 trips.  I do a lot of trips where we are stacking, smashing, and strapping alot of kayaks on one vehicle and unprotected parts wouldnt survive. The RAM mount allows me to remove the top ball of the mount, then fold down the arm into the foot well to protect it. These mounts are super mainstream and can be found on any kayak/fishing gear website.  Check out the NCKA rigging postings along with "how to" sections on the outfitter sites for ideas. I used a small pelican box to protect my power source (went the rechargable AA route) and used the foam transducer holder instead of gooping it right to the hull.
If I could give you one hint, it would be to lay out everything and know the sequence of the things  that need to be done, like wires going through your rubber plugs before you attach them to the power source.
All this should be done prior to your second beer.

I will certainly hold off on beer until the project is done- then have a celebratory beer.

Thanks for the info on the RAM ball mount. I recognize it now. Do wires from your FF run inside the mount? I am another basher and loader and unloader of equipment. This method sounds promising.

I was not aware that rechargeable AA batteries were an option. This leads me to more questions?
How long do they hold a charge on the water? In your opinion, what are the merits/demerits of using rehcargeable AA's over a 12volt?
I might find the answers to some of these questions in the 'how to' section also.

 Well I dont have much of a opinion yet, after only one day on the water using the FF.
 I went with the rechargable AA route because Im paranoid about weight. The other option I considered was a 12v motorcycle batt.  Its also small,light, and can fit in a otter box or a bigger pelican.
I may still use the 12v batt for a spotlight project.
My wires dont go in the ram system but it wouldnt be hard to do.
I got all my info from this site and its all easy to find.
good luck

Nice layout, one thing you might think about doing is replacing the thin bungie holding your tackle box with surgical tubing.  Its a magnet for hooks.  Here's picture of the layout on my 160i.  I used to have a rod holder where I have a paddle rest now but it was too far away for me to grab quickly.  I have reverted to the ChuckE method of resting the rod under/over my legs.  I've been parking my fish in the well in front of the foot pegs so I've been keeping that area clear of gear.  I just got a handheld gps so I'll probably mount that next to the FF (modified cutting board).  I also went with a small 12v battery from a UPS system (thanks EBay) sealed in a plastic food box.

Gary

  Thanks for the good idea. Ill make the swap out today.   The "hook magnet" issue was a big factor for me with the forward bungee system. That was cut off after only a few trips.  It was always snagging on over hanging branches and getting hooked when I would set my rod down to repostion the kayak.