Water Temps

:confused: With only 5 to 6 weeks to go before things could get interesting with the spring spawn here's my question. We're talking Buggs Island with the question. When taking water temps and looking for 63 degree water, where do you take the actual readings? On flats say 5 to 8 foot of water and taking temps at 6'/4'or 2'??? Or do you take them over 15' of water and let's say at 2'. :rolleyes: I never paid much attention to water temps in the past but thought I'd try using them as a guide this year.;)

AC

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Originally Posted by Andy Clayton

:confused: With only 5 to 6 weeks to go before things could get interesting with the spring spawn here's my question. We're talking Buggs Island with the question. When taking water temps and looking for 63 degree water, where do you take the actual readings? On flats say 5 to 8 foot of water and taking temps at 6'/4'or 2'??? Or do you take them over 15' of water and let's say at 2'. :rolleyes: I never paid much attention to water temps in the past but thought I'd try using them as a guide this year.;)

AC

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That is a good question. I've always assumed that they were taken on the surface or just below. That would be a good question for the main board.

My temperature sensors are built in to my transducers, so my readings are either 6" (aft transducer) or 12" (trolling motor mounted transducer). If you have a portable temp sensor, I would check temps throughout the water column to see what depth is the warmest and target areas with cover or structure at that depth.

In general I believe that when people talk water temps they mean surface read from thier fish finder units. I would say for the most part not to many of us carry any other type of thermometer.

most of the people are talking about the surface temp,but we have a gauge that goes to 20ft so we can check it all.

My guess would be that the actual spawn does not occur in each particular spawn area until the water temp is 62/64 at the bottom whether 2' or 8' of water. I would also guess that during the early spawn, those trying to spawn when the water is first trying to get into the 63 degree range are chased off the beds very easily from a mild cold front. I would conclude from my guesswork that we should be taking water temps at or near the bottom of the spawn areas. If we find the temps slightly below the 62/64 degree range but no fish I would suspect we should pull off the bedding areas and try looking for suspended fish over deeper water but holding within the water column in their comfort range. I would guess trying somewhere in the mid 50's range might be the trick. What do you all say.:eek:

AC

its all really relative. has the 64 water you found just climbed to 64 or has there been a cooling spell? whats the moon phase? is the water level rising rapidly or falling? i've found from my own experience that there are too many variables to keep up with. so i just check shallow, then deep, then all the places in between with different speeds. works for me better than a thermometer...

now you are talking.theres nothing better than working your way from the shore to the middle.

:D FishDoc what you say sounds good for someone who lives nearby the lake and has time to search out what pattern and what is occurring at a particular daily period on the lake. What you have descripted is a "Genenal Pattern" for search purpose. Shallow to deep. First to warm to "where are they". The question I asked was the relationship of water temps to the "General Pattern" and how it might benifit all of us to understand.;) Dave is the only one who has stated he checks the temps down to 20' plus. I feel that the understanding of water temps at all levels throught-out the water column during the spawn will help some improve their catch. There are some who might just benifit from some good input.

AC

all i'm saying is don't put too much faith in water temps. you'll do better to understand a general search pattern which i use on my home lake and on waters i have never fished before. you will find the rite temps with no fish and you will find fish that are not in the rite temp. we will never understand why they are here today and gone tomorrow. thats one of the things keeps me comin back!!!lol

i have seen crappie in feb when the water temps were 46 degrees in a foot of water and then in march when the water temps were 58 degrees they would be in 14 ft of water.the most thing i look for in the spring pre-spawn and spawn is water color,clear water will be cooler than stan water and clay banks and rock points will be warmer faster than sand and gray stone banks,there are alot of things in the spring that can make the temp 1 or 2 degrees warmer.

Everything I have ever read from fisheries biologists, etc., has said 55-56 to be the magic number. And I'm sure that varies from author to author. I fished the same ares hard last spring and was catching fish at 46 but all dinks the better ones started coming at 50 and my best day numbers and size including a few brutes was 53 degrees. I have the gut feeling that that may have been completely different in other coves, creeks, sun exposure, bottom strata, etc.. on the same body of water. I think it is all relative-I was shore fishing in 0-2-1/2' of water and feel like I have a feeling for the spawn in that
particular cove but have had several boats and know that the creek channel and mouth of that cove had a whole different agenda going on before, during, and after the fish came to shore. I am talking about Diascund Res. I just know that when the water gets in the mid 40s I have a little jonboat now and will start looking at the likely staging locations. And when that cove reads 53 I will be there standing on shore with the same clothes I wore there last time and trying to duplicate everything to a T!!!!!!!!
Jeff

In general I just try to get out a lot and fish as much area as I can. Any day on the water good or bad is better than sitting home wondering what could have been. I like being out more than almost anything and with a general shallow-deep aproach if God graces me with a few fish to catch It's all worth it.

I got the information below from the B'n'M website (http://www.bnmpoles.com/newsletter/121205/121205.html) today:

"Locate the Thermocline:

During the cold months, many lakes turn over, which means the coldest water will flip to the top with the warmest water on the bottom. Because crappie seek a comfort zone, often they will search for that warmer, deeper water. But usually the slabs prefer some type of cover to hide in and hold on so they can attack baitfish. To pattern wintertime crappie, B'n'M anglers must look for cover along the thermocline where crappie can hole-up. In many lakes and rivers, you may locate this cover on the edges of old creek and river channels and along stump rows where you find warmer water close to the bottom."

Sounds good. A lot of imput.:rolleyes: Let's see, 53 degrees catch the big ones. ;) 58 degrees catch a whole lot. 63 degrees bring plenty of ice both big ones and plenty of them. :eek: I guess the old "Shallow to Deep" search pattern is the way to go. I would thing a little "Lady Luck" being at the right place at the right time when they are "Hungry" is the best bet. Be there in Feburary.:eek:

AC

i think the only part luck plays in fishin is when you get to go!!!after that it requires skill and knowledge to be consistently sucessful...to be at the rite place, at the rite time, fishin the rite way...

I have always heard you should have been here yesterday - or - you are about a week to early

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Originally Posted by crap-king

I have always heard you should have been here yesterday - or - you are about a week to early

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Story of my life.

I like what JD says just get out and fish. Don't care what gets on my line just as long as its a fish. Beats a good day at work hands down.


dave
in currituck

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Originally Posted by tahoe 50

I like what JD says just get out and fish. Don't care what gets on my line just as long as its a fish. Beats a good day at work hands down.


dave
in currituck

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Well that's one person that likes what I say. :D ;)