Finding Temp

[JeffM]

It appears finding the right water temp is critical. What types of devices are used to find the good water? I saw some sensors on the Cabelas website but they only seem to have 50' of cable which doesn't seem to be enough. Is this a necessary piece of equipment or a waste of money. I feel like I am just guessing depths and where to fish. Any advice on finding the right water would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Mortigan]

Search "thermocline". Lots of previous threads on that topic. Also look up Fishhawk TD, getting some recent discussion...

[jekyll]

One of the most important pieces of equipment is a down speed and temp sonsor. Look up Depth Raider, Moore Sub Troll, Cannon Speed and Temp and Fish Hawk X4. I would rather fish without a fishfinder and one rod per angler than without a Down speed and temp unit. Lots of information in the archives, use the search function.

[TyeeTanic]

I recently started a thread on this issue. I'm going to save you some time. Look at the fishhawk products, don't waste any money on anything else. You need a probe that can test the temperature while you are trolling. Fishhawk products measure the temperature and depth of water despite how much line you have out.

If you have riggers it is best to get a product that fits to the rigger - so you have an exact temp at depth reading and continously - so you can adjust the depth as you are trolling to follow a temperature.

If you don't have riggers buy the fishhawk TD - this is the way I went. Cost $140 plus taxes. Don't know where you are, I am in Ontario - found them at Radio World on Steeles and Hwy 400. This is the best money I have spent on fish gear. I now get out on the water, drop the probe while trolling (I put 1 lb weights on it to get it down) and then measure the temp. I adjust my lure depths to give me a full range of coverage in the 45 - 55F range - I put one on 45F, 50F and 55F. I place my last rod just above the 42F in case there are big kings around. I have been far more succesful with my fishing with this info. Before the fishhawk I was just guessing what to do.

So, to answer your question, with first hand experience - this is the most important parameter. But let me warn you it is not the only important parameter, these are also important:

- surface temperature - try and find areas above 65F, where the temp shoots up suddenly

- moon phase - best time is when moon overhead and moon underfoot coincides with sunrise and sunset

- cloud coverage - affects lure colors, and depths

- winds - will tell you how scatterred the fish are

- pressure - just before a dropping pressure is good fishing. In or after a rising pressure isn't really good fishing.

I am still trying to figure it all out, but am developing a knowlege quickly, and once you know how to read these parameters, the advantage is that you get your boat to the right area of water more quickly, rather than spending most of the day in the wrong water.

[jekyll]

I recently started a thread on this issue. I'm going to save you some time. Look at the fishhawk products, don't waste any money on anything else.

JeffM:

Suggest you pass on this advice and do your own research. All the current units are good products. They all do about the same thing with some different technologies but, with significantly different prices. Each system has weak points and strong points which must be considered prior to purchase and understood after the purchase. I've used them all and while, I would spend my money one way, I would be happy with most if I were to buy a boat with an installed unit.

[Paul Czarnecki]

Or.......you could ignore all that and fish the fish you see on your graph. We are fishing for fish instead of temp....right? The fish don't care about temp NEAR as much as the anglers do.

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[adam2000]

Or.......you could ignore all that and fish the fish you see on your graph. We are fishing for fish instead of temp....right? The fish don't care about temp NEAR as much as the anglers do.

[ Post made via BlackBerry ]

I like this guys thinking. Lol. Still good for your down speed though

[ Post made via Android ]

[jekyll]

For every fish I see on the gragh and then catch, I catch 4 sight unseen. A 6 or 12 degree cone doesn't help one understand the fish coming in from the sides that are in temp or those to the sides where your dipsies and boards are running. Knowing the temp helps you understand if you are seeing bass or trout, kings, lakers, steelhead or sheepshead. You can then select your depth, speed and tackle accordingly. I would take a speed and temp unit over a graph most any day. Filled a box on kings 2 weeks ago on a buddies boat without a working graph. We put the riggs in the temp zone using his Sub Troll and everything fired.

[spoonfed-1]

For every fish I see on the gragh and then catch, I catch 4 sight unseen. A 6 or 12 degree cone doesn't help one understand the fish coming in from the sides that are in temp or those to the sides where your dipsies and boards are running. Knowing the temp helps you understand if you are seeing bass or trout, kings, lakers, steelhead or sheepshead. You can then select your depth, speed and tackle accordingly. I would take a speed and temp unit over a graph most any day. Filled a box on kings 2 weeks ago on a buddies boat without a working graph. We put the riggs in the temp zone using his Sub Troll and everything fired.

Oh really.

I can't tell you how many fish I've taken out of temp.

Way out of temp.

Fish that I wouldn't have caught if I restricted myself to only fishing temp.

These fish are usually up there feeding and are active fish.

A good graph and knowing how to read it is far more valuable than a temp unit.

Pauls advice is spot on and by the way it's coming from a guy who makes his living on the water with many many years on the lake.

He's caught more fish than most guys have ever seen.

He won't give you advice based on an isolated incident or two but based on years of experience and success.

You make the call.

Good luck.

Glen

[Fishtails]

Oh really.

I can't tell you how many fish I've taken out of temp.

Way out of temp.

Fish that I wouldn't have caught if I restricted myself to only fishing temp.

These fish are usually up there feeding and are active fish.

A good graph and knowing how to read it is far more valuable than a temp unit.

Pauls advice is spot on and by the way it's coming from a guy who makes his living on the water with many many years on the lake.

He's caught more fish than most guys have ever seen.

He won't give you advice based on an isolated incident or two but based on years of experience and success.

You make the call.

Good luck.

Amen Brother When Paulie talk...Rodney listen

[Paul Czarnecki]

No comment Rod....no comment!

[ Post made via BlackBerry ]

[TyeeTanic]

Paul. I hear you and agree. I like using the temp for my initial setup in the morning and then pay attention to the graph.

The other thing is I am not as experienced with the graph as you so the extra info on temp helps me a lot, at least for now.

[ Post made via BlackBerry ]

[PaulR]

Hi Jeff

I used one of these clipped on my cannon balls:

http://www.fish307.com/vexilardeptherm.aspx

This is not a substitute for a speed & temp probe but it helps until you are ready to invest in a probe.

Paul

[Mark Komo]

Yep, I get the temp strategy, but isnt that an awful lot of water to cover to find temp? I mean how do I eliminate water that may no be holding temp. Or is it a hunt and peck type thing?

[chowder]

On Tues 7/19 we took Kings,cohos, and browns in 60-65 degree water. All these fish were out of temp except maybe the browns and the Kings were mature adults 27-30lbs(we did get a couple lakers down in the cold water but that's to be expected). Marked very few fish so I fished the bait and once the pattern was established we just worked the water where the fish were coming from. I like to get as much info about my fishing grounds as possible (down temp, structure, water clarity etc) but the most important thing to find out is where the fish are and what down speed is gonna get em to go. Here's my advice for what it's worth ,which is probably not a lot, but anyway;

1.)Get some down temp & down speed technology & play around with it

2.)When you start fishing just get the probe rigger down, raise & lower your probe rigger while you're looking at the sonar screen and see if you can establish ;a.) do you have fish and or bait on the sonar. b.) do you have temps that fish like if you don't have bait and or fish.

3.) If you have bait & fish prioritize your spread towards that zone & don't focus too hard on the temp (speed is probably gonna be more important) but keep a line or so above and below where you are marking fish too (remember you haven't gotten any yet so you really don't know where the 'active' fish are!)

4.) Stay at an avg speed (2.5 surface or so) & do a zig zag troll and see if you can get the fish to go. A zig zag tells you a lot cuz outside lines are relatively faster & inside lines are relatively slower.Change speed up and then down if you still can't get em to go and then start changing colors,etc.

[711skwerlz]

I don't have a probe. A good graph is more important. But with a good graph and the right settings you can see a thermocline when its set up. I Spent a week at the oak with my 16 fter, we fished 7 out of 9 days due to wind. Those seven days we did a min of 15 fish by 10:30 am running just 4 rods. find temp you will find bait, find bait you will find fish, once you find fish run big circles to figure out current direction. Most days a certain direction at a certain SOG would produce more. Down speed is important. If your spoons are spinning out your done, if they are falling dead your done. Zig and Zag is a good way to as mentioned. The temp is a good starting point but plenty come from out of temp especially when staging in the fall.