The transducer you describe is usually mounted with a bracket that has a bolt through a hole on the molded transducer. This connection has ridged "teeth" to adjust the angle of the transducer. The bottom of the transducer needs to be parallel to the surface of the water or tilted ever so slightly to the front. If you have run over something that kicked it up, it won't get a good reading. Will it work consistently when you just drift? Does it start to not work when you begin to move with the outboard? Post a couple of photos of the transducer so we can see how and where it is mounted. Is this boat new, or just new to you? When it stops "working" is it that the depth is wrong, or does the entire screen of the unit go blank?
It doesn't ever consistently work. Boat is a 2008. The unit was on it when we bought it. I jumped out while the boat was in the water and adjusted it to parallel. It's just as likely to work while trolling than while drifting. When it's not working, the whole screen goes blank and it reads usually either 1ft or 60ft no matter what depth we're in. I figured it was a loose cable or something but everything seems to be hooked up right. I can send pictures once I get home