Dorado V2 Pro Build - Tyler Ashcroft

We are continuing our Pro Build series, today focusing on the Dorado V2 with a forward-facing sonar build from Tyler Ashcroft out of Cheney, Washington. We are really excited to let you all see what Tyler has done with his Dorado!

Welcome, Tyler! Thanks for letting us look at your kayak today!

No problem! Over the past three years, I have slowly been upgrading and adding features to this kayak to make my on-the-water experience the smoothest and hassle-free possible while putting fish in the kayak consistently. The Dorado V2 is one of the larger kayaks on the market and can produce some of the most insane kayak builds out there with careful planning. I have enjoyed the journey from my initial Moken 10.5 to the Dorado V1, and finally to my current build, featuring the Dorado V2.

First off let’s start with the key component of your build. Forward-facing sonar. How did you make that technology work so well on a kayak?

Yeah, for sure! This aspect of my Dorado is my most significant upgrade and ultimately takes this kayak to the next level. Forward-facing sonar has completely changed the sport of bass fishing and the ability to find, pinpoint, and catch more bass in any body of water. However, this technology is still relatively rare amongst kayak anglers compared to fishing from bass boats.

Currently, I am running Lowrance’s Active Target with a 7” Lowrance HDS screen. Before the upgrade to the Dorado V2, I installed this graph and the active target transducer to the Dorado V1. However, I made two key mistakes when mounting these two pieces. First, I mounted the 7” screen to the rails using a YakAttack Fish Finder Mount with LockNLoad Mounting System. This basic LockNLoad mount was not sturdy enough to secure the Lowrance screen to the rails without a significant amount of wobble. Second, when mounting the forward-facing sonar, I attached a Railblaza HEXX Live Pole to a Hobie H-Rail to the side of my seat similar to the spot many people would mount a trolling motor. Like the fish finder mount, this mounting system didn’t have enough support to keep the transducer from wobbling while in use. These two problems were my #1 priority when conducting my V2 build.

First, I used the same YakAttack mount to my screen but upgraded the base of the mount to the YakAttack HD Mount Track Base which has two points of contact on the rails rather than just the one on the previous base. I used this similar approach with the Active Target Transducer which I mounted to the rails using the original Railblaza HEXX Live Pole to use two points of contact tightened onto the rails. These small adjustments are what made these two important components secure and working well.

Forward-facing sonar requires a lot of power. Where did you put the Active Target module and the cables?

Great question. The Active Target module fits perfectly inside the hatch in front of the Overdrive where it can stay dry and out of the way. Next, I used two pairs of XL YakAttack thru hull wiring kits- one for the cords to the screen and one for the forward-facing transducer cable. This may seem like a pointless upgrade but having the cables to both units off of the deck is a game changer and makes for a very clean-looking kayak.

What about a battery? Where did you place that?

In my opinion, one of the best upgrades Feelfree Kayaks made was the upgraded battery box behind the seat in the Dorado V2. This kayak is built with through hull wires that grant you power inside the front hatch, with your battery safely in the battery box behind the seat. I simply connected the red and black wires built into the kayak with the corresponding red and black wires on my Lowrance unit with a waterproof butt splice that you can find at most hardware stores.

One last thing about the Lowrance unit. Do you use only forward-facing sonar?

Unfortunately, forward-facing sonar doesn’t solve all my problems. I have a Lowrance side scan transducer mounted on the transducer mount underneath the hatch and a couple of inches in front of the pedal drive. I use this primarily for water temperature and what the bottom of the lake looks like to my right and left.

That’s great. You have put a lot of time into making that innovative technology work to your advantage on a smaller vessel like a kayak. Would you care to share a few more details about the rest of your kayak?

I use a Flambeau Kayak Premium Crate. I like this box because it has two separate sections which makes organizing gear a much easier process. The box can only carry four rods at a time but since the Dorado V2 has 4 flush mounted rod holders I still can bring up to 8 rods with me on the water.

I also have a Go Pro HERO 10 mounted on a YakAttack Boomstick Pro. I use this primarily for filming videos and as a great camera setup for getting quality pictures of my most memorable catches.

My last two attachments are the Rotogrip Paddle Holder and the AR Tube Rod Holder. I use the paddle holder to keep my net secure and the rod holder is nice for trolling or a place to put my rod while handling a fish.

One more question for you. Is there anything you would like to add to make this build even better?

As crazy as it may seem, yes there is one more thing that I would like to add to this kayak build. And that is the new 48V MotorDrive Kayak Motor. Feelfree released this in the Summer of 2024, and it would be a small but epic add-on to the kayak.

Thanks so much for the time and info on your build! We sure appreciate it! You can catch Tyler out on the water this fall in the Pacific Northwest on oh his YouTube channel, @thenotoriousash

Written by Tyler Ashcroft, Feelfree US Pro Staff

Edited by Bobby Ulrich, Feelfree US Pro Staff