Thermocline

[StuMan]

Thermocline?? I know it's not set up yet. But I'm a rookie 1st timer and was wondering how I will know it is?? Will my fish finder (lowrance elite 5) show it if so what am I looking for? Any and all info appreciated!! Am I only comparing surface temps? Let me have it guys! thx!

[lakebound88]

A down temp is your best bet to accurate thermoclines. Some units may show what appears to be noise. When our t-clines show up they can be 25-75 foot. Always changing. The best temperature for targeting these fish is 55 roughly. Everyone has their own sweet spot. Me, I like 55.5 and run fast through it! Sometimes when the lake "flips" you will find that cooler water on the surface rather than at the ball. This happens a couple times a year, on a severe front or even just when the temps start cooling towards fall. You can usually notice it with water clatity too.

Nick

[Sk8man]

As far as what you MAY see on a fish finder....there are a lot of variables involved. The actual sensitivity of your unit and transducer are the first hurdle. Units vary in their ability to pick up the thermocline (or other things for that matter). Then there is the sensitivity point you have chosen on your unit. More important factors may relate to water conditions at the time. Increased water clarity combined with a very well defined temperature stratification in the water column increase your chances of seeing it on your screen (usually looks like bands of tiny dots or pixels on your screen sometimes as though you are picking up your downrigger weight even). Often phytoplankton and zooplankton get "trapped" within the band of higher density water and this may enhance what you see on your screen and also probably accounts for the fish being there....because the baitfish feed on it. On Seneca it can start up in early June in some years  but is more pronounced in late June to early July.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Sk8man

[lakebound88]

Ok, I will delete my post. He used bigger words! LOL!

[Sk8man]

:smile: I think between us we covered most of it Nick...

Edited May 22, 2013 by Sk8man

[RYE]

 I might like to add water temp. preferences, don't allow yourself to become stuck on any specific temperature(s). Some of my best days have come from 47-49 degrees but not always the case. Find the concentrations of bait and hooks and fish to them, above, through, and below. Speed n direction is of equal importance as temp. You'll get'em.....

[ERABBIT]

Nick is dead on with the temp reading , using small words I agree with both guys as to when it will show up on your depth finder and that was your question...... in my small words it would look like your tracking your downrigger ball or a long strung out bait pod that is as Nick said 25' to 75' thick (now going OFF-TOPIC )BUT with a temp probe you can find the "Thermocline?? " this time of year also it may be VERY thin ( a few feet ) but is setting up now. I would not be surprised that the north end of Seneca is there now. It very fragile this time of year and the wind can change it from day , or move it from one side of the lake to the other and have pockets all over in between ……………..now this is just my opinion based on the use of a subtroll 900 for 8 years and a X4 for two.

[Sk8man]

Sorry if I sounded too technical or something...wasn't trying to show off or anything just trying to be as specific as I could to explain it....I think with Rye and Erabbits info combined with what Nick and I said it gives a fairly good picture of what is involved....and that's the important thing....

[ERABBIT]

Sorry if I sounded too technical or something...wasn't trying to show off or anything just trying to be as specific as I could to explain it....I think with Rye and Erabbits info combined with what Nick and I said it gives a fairly good picture of what is involved....and that's the important thing....

It's all good info.......  ....... it's tuff thing to define and you did a great job , I just had to go with Nick and bust ya a little !!!!!!  

[Nessmuk]

Is it really important to know where an exact temperature water is as opposed to knowing where the bait fish and trout are?    I'm new to this and can't afford a thermometer on my DR ball. I have been wondering how to locate the thermocline/fish.   Then it struck  me that maybe it is better in my case to just locate the baitfish/fish on the fishfinder and work from that info.   I'm new to all this so the more I learn the more questions I come up with.

[lakebound88]

I just lack big words! Haha! I once used a very big word, it was my last name....

[ERABBIT]

Is it really important to know where an exact temperature water is as opposed to knowing where the bait fish and trout are?    I'm new to this and can't afford a thermometer on my DR ball. I have been wondering how to locate the thermocline/fish.   Then it struck  me that maybe it is better in my case to just locate the baitfish/fish on the fishfinder and work from that info.   I'm new to all this so the more I learn the more questions I come up with.

Probe is just another tool , fishing as you just said is the best way for sure with or without a probe always fish the marks !!!!!!

[Sk8man]

Got to hand it to you guys....got me pretty good !   Hey Jack.... when using only a depth finder you are correct in the way to go about it. The main reason Seth Green rigs were developed was to try to cover the column of water so that it included the thermocline layer and that was much before any of the fancy gizmos. If you find bait  nearly always the fish will be somewhere near by so you just circle around and criss-cross until you hit pay dirt. Sometimes the fish are outside your depth finders cone angle and you won't spot anything but the bait.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Sk8man

[on the lam]

Down temp is overrated compared to down speed. Fish the active fish which may or may not be in the thermocline.

Its a goid starting point but don't get married to it.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[StuMan]

Thanks guys! Great info very helpful! Big words and all! Good luck to all in derby this weekend.

[Adm Byrd]

Retired state employees with a college degree need to have some where to use their big words, especially when they are worried about having their fishing ass handed to them this weekend by us small word fishermen. If you see him out there this weekend give him plenty of space and keep your landing nets out of sight.

Good luck guys.

[Sk8man]

Oh crap ! He finally woke up out of hibernation (yup another big word Bob) but it fits! I'll let you turkeys on the Adm Byrd boat get rid of all those little "snakes" to make way for our usual big fish... I guess I should get that 150 quart cooler out of the cellar this year....tired of bending the fish up to make them fit the other one....don't worry I'll take pics of our fish so you 'll be able to see what REAL derby fish look like.... and they won't be INFLATABLE fish like the one you're holding up in your pic. How's that for trash talking Nick ?

Edited May 23, 2013 by Sk8man

[Pickerelkiller]

I just got on this forum a couple days ago and love it already!!! Very informative. Thermocline is the biggest drop in temperature throughout the water column. Say your in 120ft of water. If its 65 degrees on the surface and 62 degrees down 75' then all of a sudden it drops to 55 degrees at 80ft. Then 49 degrees at 90 ft, that's your thermocline. Generally salmonoids like it around 49 degrees. And then the rainbows are generally higher in the water column at 55 degrees.

[Pickerelkiller]

That's just a starting point, like other fellas said they can b anywhere!

[overthelimit]

For what its worth, I can usually pick it up on my older Lowrance. It shows up as a thin line, almost like your down rigger ball tracking. As I really only fish the lake a few times and usually for browns, I concentrate more on finding bait where that thermocline meets the bottom. I also have a little temp reader that I'll send down before I start fishing to check the temp.