DIY Install: Humminbird XPLORE 9 on Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro (No Drilling!)

It’s time to find the best fish finder for kayak bass fishing, giving me the ability to “see” into the underwater world and position my kayak in the best fishing spots. But first, to get you up to speed, earlier this summer I started with an Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro as my new fishing platform for 2025. Now, I’m rigging the boat out to create the ultimate bass fishing platform.

Why I Chose the Humminbird XPLORE 9 for My Kayak Setup

I have owned, rigged and modified several fiberglass bass boats in my time as an angler. Over the years, I have formed a pretty strong bias for Humminbird depth finders. I know lots of other brands make great products, but for me, it’s kind of the same as my position on computers. I’m an Apple guy. And I know I've used this analogy before, but bear with me.

Humminbird XPLORE -Ease of Use

Before Apple talk turns some of you away, let me explain. If you’re someone who is into coding and/or have a full understanding of the technical side of computing and want to tinker or modify, that’s awesome. But for me, my computer and my depth finder are simply tools. I don’t need to be able to hack into them and change things. I just want them to work and include a crystal clear, super intuitive, user interface. Humminbird, like Apple, has always fit that description for me. I'm always excited to see what new electronic tools these brands have to offer. The Humminbird XPLORE 9 seems like it’s the easiest user interface ever which is the perfect fit for me.

Humminbird XPLORE -Light and Compact

The XPLORE unit is slim and sleek and considerably lighter than my previous fish finders. I’m installing the smallest of the three sizes offered, but it’s still a 9-inch display. In the kayaking experience, I’ve come to realize space is at a premium and bigger isn’t always better. This screen is plenty big and bright to read easily, even for my old eyes. And at just four-and-a-quarter pounds it’s way less than half the weight of the Helix 10 I run on my other Old Town.

Humminbird XPLORE -Everything I Need

The Humminbird XPLORE has everything I need, and more—MEGA Side Imaging+, MEGA Down Imaging+, Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar and internal GPS with Humminbird Basemap, 13,000 LakeMaster and CoastalMaster maps, plus Bluetooth and Ethernet networking for compatibility with the One-Boat Network™ family of products from Humminbird and Minn Kota including MEGA LIVE 2 forward-facing sonar.

Key Features of the Humminbird XPLORE for Kayak Anglers

XPLORE Works Fast

The XPLORE™ Series depth finders include a smarter, faster and easier-to-use interface powered by a quad-core processor. It gives you quick access to everything through a super responsive touchscreen. You’ll notice the difference compared to older units.

Detailed Maps are Built Into XPLORE

Go directly to the spot you’re looking for, no matter where you fish. XPLORE includes mapping tools and maps for 170 million acres of fishing territory. It includes 13,00 freshwater lakes in the U.S. and Canada from LakeMaster, U.S. coastal waters and boat lanes from CoastMaster, plus SmartStrike searches and analyzes all of the data available, like season, time of day, temperature and the species you’re targeting and highlights areas of the map where you’re most likely to catch those fish.

Or, create your own maps using the AutoChart feature and store them on your XPLORE unit.

MEGA Side and Down Imaging+

MEGA Side and Down Imaging+ allow you to view everything below and out to 200-feet away on either side of your boat in 3D-like detail. Even though you never even came close to that rock pile, 100-feet off your port side, you know exactly where it is and can put a map waypoint on it to fish it anytime you like.

MEGA Live 2 and MEGA 360

XPLORE was engineered with the all-new MEGA Live 2 in mind. Humminbird’s newest iteration of forward-facing sonar with reduced noise, improved bait tracking and image stability will blow your mind.

Watch My Full Kayak Installation Video Below

DIY Kayak Fish Finder Install: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Installation of the Humminbird XPLORE on my Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro was easy and straightforward. And thanks to the new, clever design of the Sportsman 120 PDL Pro kayak, it doesn’t even require drilling to route the wires. Anyone with even moderate level DIY skills should be able to get this done in under one hour. And, I created a video showing every step of the process I went through to mount this on my kayak.

In a nutshell, here are the steps.

1. I attached the XPLORE unit to a YakAttack LockNLoad mount which easily attaches to the rail on the edge of the kayak.
2. Then I mounted the transducer on the kayak’s ready-made, transducer plate, located on the bottom of the boat, just under the pedal drive unit. I ran the transducer cable up through a scupper hole which is conveniently located just in front of the transducer mount. Then I used the pre-made port Old Town built into this new kayak to run that transducer cable into the front storage compartment. From there I routed the cable through the kayak and out of another handy, pre-made port on the side of the kayak, just under the spot where I mounted the XPLORE unit.
3. Next, I used the pre-installed strap buckles in the floor of the stern of the kayak to strap down a battery box which holds a Newport 12V, 50AH, Lithium battery to power the electronics. Once again, there’s a ready-made port in the stern, through which I fed the power cable. Then I routed the power cable to the side of the kayak and out through the same port where the transducer cable runs.
4. I plugged both cables into the back of the XPLORE unit and it worked perfectly on the first try.

Again, I created a video showing the entire process. If that might be helpful to you, you can find the video link within this story.

Kayak Mounting Solution for the XPLORE Display

In order to keep the big screen in place, I used a LockNLoad Mount from YakAttack . This track mount system feels incredibly strong, and provides infinite viewing angles. It even allows me to angle the unit back out over the water to keep everything within easy reach, but eliminate crowding in the kayak.

How I Powered My Fish Finder With a Lightweight Lithium Battery

To power this rig, I installed a 12V, 50AH, Newport Lithium LiFePO4 Battery . It’s just a fraction of the weight of traditional marine batteries (just 11.4-pounds), but still provides all day (heck, call it two day) power. Plus, it’s Bluetooth compatible so you can easily keep an eye on charge level, voltage, AH capacity, temperature, and the number of times the battery has been charged. Pretty slick.

Is All This New Gear Worth It for Kayak Fishing?

I know it seems like the pace of technology is moving forward at a rate that makes some people uncomfortable. And all the gear I’ve installed is definitely a considerable step up. For me, I’m thrilled.

The fact that the Humminbird XPLORE is physically smaller and lighter, that it includes all of those maps, and that the touch screen is bright, clear and incredibly responsive, only means my kayak fishing experience just got even better.

The Newport Lithium battery is even lighter than my old lithium battery and is packed with way more features.

And I had already fallen in love with the Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro the first time I got in it. But now that I’ve experienced how easy they’ve made rigging it out, I’m blown away.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fishing as DIY Install: Humminbird XPLORE 9 on Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro (No Drilling!) .