Buying a fish finder is only half the job, it still needs to actually stay attached to your boat or kayak. Real mounting hardware is its own small category with its own real brands (RAM Mounts, Scotty), and picking the wrong type wastes money on hardware that doesn't fit your hull or your fishing style. This guide covers the display-mount hardware itself; if you're specifically choosing a transducer and how it attaches to the hull, our transducer guide covers that separately.
The market for mounts is genuinely split into two categories
A major US tackle retailer's own site lists Fish Finder/Electronic/Graph Mounts and Transducer Mounts & Accessories as two separate product categories, not one combined listing. That split matters because they solve different problems: one holds the display where you can see it, the other holds the transducer where it can actually read the water. This page focuses on the first.
Ball-and-socket mounts: the most common real system
RAM Mounts builds its entire Fish Finder Mounts category around a modular ball-and-socket arm system, Twist-Lock suction cup bases, ball bases, and socket arms that mix and match, plus named product lines like Tough-Mag (magnetic), X-Grip, and Quick-Grip/Quick-Grip Pro. The appeal is real flexibility: the same arm system adjusts to whatever angle actually works for your setup, and swapping a base doesn't mean replacing the whole mount.
Track, post, and adapter mounts
Scotty's Electronics Mounts line covers a wider range of physical attachment methods: Ball Mounting Systems, Track Mounts (for boats with an existing accessory rail), Post Mounts, Glue-On/Stick-On Mounts, and adapters for connecting different systems together. Track mounts only work if your boat already has (or you install) a compatible rail, worth checking before assuming a track mount is the easy option.
Boat mounts vs. kayak mounts: not interchangeable
RAM Mounts treats boat and kayak mounting as genuinely separate categories, with a dedicated Kayak Mounts line that includes kayak fishing rod holders alongside the fish finder mounting hardware. Scotty makes the same distinction from the other direction, specifically recommending its adhesive glue-on/stick-on mounts for kayaks and inflatables, surfaces where drilling a bolt-through mount isn't practical. If you're mounting on a kayak, start there rather than assuming a boat-oriented mount will simply scale down.
| Mount type | Best for | Real considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Ball-and-socket electronics mount (RAM Mounts) | Boats, adjustable positioning, modular components | Built around interchangeable bases and arms, so the base needs to match your mounting surface |
| Track / post mount (Scotty) | Boats with an existing accessory track or a flat deck surface | Track mounts need a compatible rail already installed |
| Glue-on / stick-on mount (Scotty) | Kayaks and inflatables where drilling isn't practical | Adhesive bond strength depends on surface prep and material |
| Dedicated kayak mount (RAM Mounts) | Kayaks needing a fish finder display and/or rod holder combo | Non-invasive, no drilling required for the suction-cup/ball-base versions |
A note on smaller accessory brands
Some brands sell mounting-adjacent gear without making fish finders themselves, SeeLite, for example, appears in a major tackle retailer's catalog primarily for boat LED lighting and transducer mounting hardware rather than sonar units. We'll name a brand like this honestly when its product actually fits a real accessory need, rather than pretending it doesn't exist just because it isn't a sonar manufacturer.
FAQ
What mount types exist and which fits my boat/kayak?
The two real categories are ball-and-socket electronics mounts (RAM Mounts) and the broader Scotty lineup covering ball, track, post and adhesive mounts. Kayaks generally call for non-invasive suction-cup or adhesive mounts rather than the bolt-through options common on boats.
Transom mount vs. trolling motor mount, what's the real difference?
Those two terms specifically describe transducer placement, not the display mount covered on this page, see our transducer guide for that distinction, which we cover separately with its own sourcing.
Do I need a different mount for a kayak than a boat?
Generally yes. RAM Mounts and Scotty both treat kayak mounting as its own category, favoring suction-cup, ball-base, or adhesive systems that don't require drilling into the hull, rather than the boat-oriented bolt-through and track systems.
Sources
- [S001] RAM Mounts : official site, (accessed 2026-08-28)
- [S002] Scotty : official site, (accessed 2026-08-28)
- [S003] Tackle Warehouse : Fish Finders category, (accessed 2026-08-28)