You say you want to fill that cooler with fish? Then stop scaring them away! We anglers scare off fish far more often than we realize, thanks to sound, vibration, and other factors we may not be taking into account. A big issue here is a failure to understand our quarry. Fish "hear" sounds and "feel" vibrations via their lateral line, which is a series of special sensory organs called neuromasts running along the fish's flanks. Inside a neuromast are tiny hairs in a jelly-like medium. And with those tiny hairs, a fish can sense movement and vibrations in the water. In other words, fish aren't quite as thick as you think, and when you stomp on the deck or slam that cooler shut, every finned critter within casting distance knows something may be amiss.
One important thing you can do to boost your catch rate is to reduce the amount of noise you make. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, your own boat may be sabotaging these efforts. Some boats alarm fish more than others. But take heart, savvy angler: once you know about these five common fish-scaring flaws, you can institute corrective measures. Here's how:
1. Engine Noise
Engines scare fish. But all engines are not equally noisy. The biggest offenders are two-stroke outboards. Particularly when in neutral, they create a real racket. You can hear the clickety-clack of metal parts hitting one another, right? That sound travels through the water, too. In shallow waters and calm conditions, when stealth becomes imperative, the best workaround is to plan your approach to hotspots so you can shut down the engine while it's still in gear, then drift into position.
One of the loudest sounds made below the waterline by most other engines — electric trolling motors included — is prop noise, directly related to prop speed. In other words, slow down. You can significantly cut the level of noise simply by backing off on the throttle. Another noise no-no you create with your power plant is the "thunk" of shifting in and out of gear. Again, this metal-on-metal sound travels well underwater, and fish don't like it. Though I haven't experimented with the new shift-dampening props (such as the SDS by Yamaha) or smoother-shifting stern drives (like the new Mercury 4.5L, which incorporates a new lighter flywheel for smoother shifting), I've observed firsthand how many species flee when boats are shifted into gear.
It's worth noting that in some cases, specifically with large inboard diesels, the deep thrumming of the motor may actually bring fish to your boat. There's more than mere anecdotal evidence to support this claim; according to marine biologist and author Daniel Bagur (Where the Fish Are, International Marine Press, 2009), certain predators are attracted to some long-wavelength vibrations. A few years back, I recorded the underwater sounds made while trolling on a 50-foot sportfish, and I sent the recordings to Bagur. He confirmed that many predators should find the type of sound created by the big diesels swinging large props attractive, as opposed to scary.
2. Chine Slap
The sound of water slapping against a hull, particularly one with reverse chines, can be so bad for fishing that a few boatbuilders actually design "quiet" chines. Of course, if your boat doesn't have specially designed chines and you can't get a bite while listening to that slap-slap-slap all day long, you're more interested in finding a solution than in what some boatbuilders may or may not do.
Positioning your boat properly is the first step. If you can keep the stern into the seas safely, you'll eliminate the problem to a large degree. But this isn't always convenient, safe, or even possible. Another measure you can take is to weight down the bow a bit. On some boats, moving a full cooler (or an extra angler) onto the bow is enough to completely submerge the offending chines. And on some others, shifting weight to one side or the other will eliminate the slap.
Another trick that works on certain boats (while adrift or at anchor) is to slide a foam pool noodle under the chine, then push it far enough back that water pressure holds it in place. Be sure to tie a piece of fishing line to the noodle and secure it to the boat so it doesn't float away if a wave rocks it free.
Read more about fishfinders, slamming hatches, and electrical discharge here.
Friday, April 24, 2015 - 12:01
Good BoatU.S. Magazine article by Lenny Rudow:
You say you want to fill that cooler with fish? Then stop scaring them away! We anglers scare off fish far more often than we realize, thanks to sound, vibration, and other factors we may not be taking into account. A big issue here is a failure to understand our quarry. Fish "hear" sounds and "feel" vibrations via their lateral line, which is a series of special sensory organs called neuromasts running along the fish's flanks. Inside a neuromast are tiny hairs in a jelly-like medium. And with those tiny hairs, a fish can sense movement and vibrations in the water. In other words, fish aren't quite as thick as you think, and when you stomp on the deck or slam that cooler shut, every finned critter within casting distance knows something may be amiss.
One important thing you can do to boost your catch rate is to reduce the amount of noise you make. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, your own boat may be sabotaging these efforts. Some boats alarm fish more than others. But take heart, savvy angler: once you know about these five common fish-scaring flaws, you can institute corrective measures. Here's how:
1. Engine Noise
Engines scare fish. But all engines are not equally noisy. The biggest offenders are two-stroke outboards. Particularly when in neutral, they create a real racket. You can hear the clickety-clack of metal parts hitting one another, right? That sound travels through the water, too. In shallow waters and calm conditions, when stealth becomes imperative, the best workaround is to plan your approach to hotspots so you can shut down the engine while it's still in gear, then drift into position.
One of the loudest sounds made below the waterline by most other engines — electric trolling motors included — is prop noise, directly related to prop speed. In other words, slow down. You can significantly cut the level of noise simply by backing off on the throttle. Another noise no-no you create with your power plant is the "thunk" of shifting in and out of gear. Again, this metal-on-metal sound travels well underwater, and fish don't like it. Though I haven't experimented with the new shift-dampening props (such as the SDS by Yamaha) or smoother-shifting stern drives (like the new Mercury 4.5L, which incorporates a new lighter flywheel for smoother shifting), I've observed firsthand how many species flee when boats are shifted into gear.
It's worth noting that in some cases, specifically with large inboard diesels, the deep thrumming of the motor may actually bring fish to your boat. There's more than mere anecdotal evidence to support this claim; according to marine biologist and author Daniel Bagur (Where the Fish Are, International Marine Press, 2009), certain predators are attracted to some long-wavelength vibrations. A few years back, I recorded the underwater sounds made while trolling on a 50-foot sportfish, and I sent the recordings to Bagur. He confirmed that many predators should find the type of sound created by the big diesels swinging large props attractive, as opposed to scary.
2. Chine Slap
The sound of water slapping against a hull, particularly one with reverse chines, can be so bad for fishing that a few boatbuilders actually design "quiet" chines. Of course, if your boat doesn't have specially designed chines and you can't get a bite while listening to that slap-slap-slap all day long, you're more interested in finding a solution than in what some boatbuilders may or may not do.
Positioning your boat properly is the first step. If you can keep the stern into the seas safely, you'll eliminate the problem to a large degree. But this isn't always convenient, safe, or even possible. Another measure you can take is to weight down the bow a bit. On some boats, moving a full cooler (or an extra angler) onto the bow is enough to completely submerge the offending chines. And on some others, shifting weight to one side or the other will eliminate the slap.
Another trick that works on certain boats (while adrift or at anchor) is to slide a foam pool noodle under the chine, then push it far enough back that water pressure holds it in place. Be sure to tie a piece of fishing line to the noodle and secure it to the boat so it doesn't float away if a wave rocks it free.
Read more about fishfinders, slamming hatches, and electrical discharge here.
You say you want to fill that cooler with fish? Then stop scaring them away! We anglers scare off fish far more often than we realize, thanks to sound, vibration, and other factors we may not be taking into account. A big issue here is a failure to understand our quarry. Fish "hear" sounds and "feel" vibrations via their lateral line, which is a series of special sensory organs called neuromasts running along the fish's flanks. Inside a neuromast are tiny hairs in a jelly-like medium. And with those tiny hairs, a fish can sense movement and vibrations in the water. In other words, fish aren't quite as thick as you think, and when you stomp on the deck or slam that cooler shut, every finned critter within casting distance knows something may be amiss.
One important thing you can do to boost your catch rate is to reduce the amount of noise you make. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, your own boat may be sabotaging these efforts. Some boats alarm fish more than others. But take heart, savvy angler: once you know about these five common fish-scaring flaws, you can institute corrective measures. Here's how:
1. Engine Noise
Engines scare fish. But all engines are not equally noisy. The biggest offenders are two-stroke outboards. Particularly when in neutral, they create a real racket. You can hear the clickety-clack of metal parts hitting one another, right? That sound travels through the water, too. In shallow waters and calm conditions, when stealth becomes imperative, the best workaround is to plan your approach to hotspots so you can shut down the engine while it's still in gear, then drift into position.
One of the loudest sounds made below the waterline by most other engines — electric trolling motors included — is prop noise, directly related to prop speed. In other words, slow down. You can significantly cut the level of noise simply by backing off on the throttle. Another noise no-no you create with your power plant is the "thunk" of shifting in and out of gear. Again, this metal-on-metal sound travels well underwater, and fish don't like it. Though I haven't experimented with the new shift-dampening props (such as the SDS by Yamaha) or smoother-shifting stern drives (like the new Mercury 4.5L, which incorporates a new lighter flywheel for smoother shifting), I've observed firsthand how many species flee when boats are shifted into gear.
It's worth noting that in some cases, specifically with large inboard diesels, the deep thrumming of the motor may actually bring fish to your boat. There's more than mere anecdotal evidence to support this claim; according to marine biologist and author Daniel Bagur (Where the Fish Are, International Marine Press, 2009), certain predators are attracted to some long-wavelength vibrations. A few years back, I recorded the underwater sounds made while trolling on a 50-foot sportfish, and I sent the recordings to Bagur. He confirmed that many predators should find the type of sound created by the big diesels swinging large props attractive, as opposed to scary.
2. Chine Slap
The sound of water slapping against a hull, particularly one with reverse chines, can be so bad for fishing that a few boatbuilders actually design "quiet" chines. Of course, if your boat doesn't have specially designed chines and you can't get a bite while listening to that slap-slap-slap all day long, you're more interested in finding a solution than in what some boatbuilders may or may not do.
Positioning your boat properly is the first step. If you can keep the stern into the seas safely, you'll eliminate the problem to a large degree. But this isn't always convenient, safe, or even possible. Another measure you can take is to weight down the bow a bit. On some boats, moving a full cooler (or an extra angler) onto the bow is enough to completely submerge the offending chines. And on some others, shifting weight to one side or the other will eliminate the slap.
Another trick that works on certain boats (while adrift or at anchor) is to slide a foam pool noodle under the chine, then push it far enough back that water pressure holds it in place. Be sure to tie a piece of fishing line to the noodle and secure it to the boat so it doesn't float away if a wave rocks it free.
Read more about fishfinders, slamming hatches, and electrical discharge here.