Effects of electronics?

[NHBull]

Folks,

I have been reading that a few pros shut down their electronics once on a spot.

Do you feel that sonar effects fish?

I am having a difficult time since I don't believe that boat traffic effect them on popular lakes.

Thanks in advance.

Al

[WCWV]

Interesting, I've wondered the same thing. I've turned mine off before, and didn't notice any difference. 

Looking forward to response. 

[Todd2]

I brought this up on this board a while back and it seemed most people think that is not a negative effect. I saw a guide on a local tv show say he marks the fish..cruises on by and then shuts down the motor and sonar and goes back in stealth mode. I'm undecided, I've tried both and don't see a big difference.

[Raul]

I don't believe it makes any difference. I troll when I move from A to B and catch some fish in the process, yeah you catch a fish just after passing right over it's head with all the outboard noise and commotion.

[scaleface]

It might on heavily pressured bass . A lot of Bass pros seem to think so . They need a new technology that  has the sonar beams sounding like feeding fish .

[Team9nine]

I can tell you I never shut mine off. The info gleaned more than offsets any negatives I might have experienced. Look at all the shows and pros who "video game" fish as one example. Not saying there isn't a body of water somewhere, or case where it might really make a difference, but if it exists, I have to believe it is in the minority.

[WRB]

If you can feel the pulses by putting your hand underwater under the TD the bass definately feel it. The question becomes does it warm a very wary bass of your presence? Simple answer is yes. Does the pulse shut down a active feeding bass bite, who knows for sure how a bass will react. The simple solution is turn off the sonar if you don't need it.

Hypothetical; you know the biggest bass in the lake is close by, do you risk warning it with your sonar? I don't and shut mine off, then turn it on to survey the area when I plan to leave. If I am using a drop shot or structure spoons under the boat on top of a bass school, then I keep the sonar on to watch the bass or baitfish movements. The difference is trophy bass fishing verses fishing for average size bass.

Tom

[slonezp]

I think people like to blame exterior influences rather than the deficiencies in their own program. 

[12poundbass]

Google Bobo's thumper watch the video and see what happens. It's pretty interesting. 

[Largemouth21]

18 hours ago, slonezp said:

I think people like to blame exterior influences rather than the deficiencies in their own program. 

so true! Bass act on Instinct not thought. They don't have the logical part of the brain that allows descision making. Their thought process is basically 1. See a shad 2. want a shad 3. chase the shad 4. kill the shad 5. eat the shad. it's all instinct. So no, I don't think sonar would bother them.

[scaleface]

Bullet sinkers clanging off the side of my boat  alerts bass . My cousin slamming his tackle box lid on the floor alerts bass . The backwash from my trolling motor prop alerts bass . A bass thrashing around on the bottom of the boat alerts bass . So is it    unreasonable that sonar  sounds might effect bass too ? 

[Largemouth21]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

Bullet sinkers clanging off the side of my boat  alerts bass . My cousin slamming his tackle box lid on the floor alerts bass . The backwash from my trolling motor prop alerts bass . A bass thrashing around on the bottom of the boat alerts bass . So is it    unreasonable that sonar  sounds might effect bass too ? 

I think you should read @slonezppost again. I've caught bass when people were jumping in the water and splashing around. (I was there first so I wouldn't move)

[scaleface]

2 minutes ago, Largemouth21 said:

I think you should read @slonezppost again. I've caught bass when people were jumping in the water and splashing around. (I was there first so I wouldn't move)

 

I've had unpressured bass swim between my legs . Pressured bass act a lot different than unmolested bass . When Casey Ashley won the Classic he "stated" that it was difficult keeping on the bass because they were spooked by his sonar .  

[OCdockskipper]

17 minutes ago, Largemouth21 said:

...I've caught bass when people were jumping in the water and splashing around...

 

Ironically, I once caught a person (well, his hat a least) when bass were jumping in the water and splashing around.  

 

Schooling activity can make a person forget there is another person behind hem in the boat...

[Team9nine]

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

Bullet sinkers clanging off the side of my boat  alerts bass . My cousin slamming his tackle box lid on the floor alerts bass . The backwash from my trolling motor prop alerts bass . A bass thrashing around on the bottom of the boat alerts bass . So is it    unreasonable that sonar  sounds might effect bass too ? 

 

Not unreasonable, but it also shouldn't be expected. Every lake is going to be different. Bass have to be able to associate the sound with something negative relative to their well being. On most of the lakes I fish, that's probably hard for them to do. When you consider all the unusual sounds coming from dozens (if not hundreds) of boats on the water at a given time, why should they pay special focus on just sonar noise? Lots of non-anglers have sonar on their boats running at the same time, and there is likely no way a fish could discern a difference or make that association. On the other hand, a smaller body of water with little recreational traffic but heavier angling pressure might eventually learn that association, along with a lot of other cues like the sound of a lure hitting the water on a cast, or the sound or pressure waves from a trolling motor. The biggest pressure waves come from the boat itself, and I believe it was Tom (wrb) go on another thread mentioned seeing bass react to a boat passing several hundred yards away.

[scaleface]

3 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

Not unreasonable, but it also shouldn't be expected.

 

 I'm not implying that sonar does effect bass behavior but it is plausible . There are those who say no way , no how . What about shadows  . Most anglers go out of their way to keep their shadows off the fish because they believe it spooks them .  I know i catch more fish when I'm stealthy than when I am screwing up .

[Team9nine]

Lots of things are plausible, but some are more (or less) likely than others. There are few absolutes in fishing. Stand or sit in one place long enough and your shadow will become something that attracts fish 

[Catt]

Bass are individuals & react to stimuli differently!

 

When being backed down the ramp I do two things as soon as my prop hits water, I crank the outboard & turn my deepfinder on, I do not turn it off until I load the boat. I'll have my bow unit & console unit on at the same time even when anchored.

 

If stealth mode makes you happy then by all means do it!

[sully420]

No I don't think sonar Spooks Bass. I also don't think boat traffic in General on a lake Spooks Bass. I do think there's certain situations when you can spook Bass with your trolling motor. It's kind of like the debate should you try to pitch and flip with a soft Landing or a Splash Landing. I think it just has to do with the fishes mood sometimes it Spooks them sometimes they come to investigate.

[scaleface]

Heres another debatable question  . Can trolling motor noise spook pressured  bass? 

[Russ E]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Heres another debatable question  . Can trolling motor noise spook pressured  bass? 

I  have seen fish spook in shallow water from my trolling motor. not sure if it was trolling motor noise, or the displacement of water. 

I would have a hard time believing the sonar would spook fish. Mine is always on. I have caught tons of Walleye,wiper, and white bass right under the boat, with my sonar bouncing off of them.

[scaleface]

Just now, Weedwhacker said:

I  have seen fish spook in shallow water from my trolling motor. not sure if it was trolling motor noise, or the displacement of water. 

I would have a hard time believing the sonar would spook fish. Mine is always on. I have caught tons of Walleye,wiper, and white bass right under the boat, with my sonar bouncing off of them.

 

Who hasnt caught bass under the boat with sonar on . .Again I'm not implying that sonar spooks bass but stating it doesnt is stating something you dont know .

[flyfisher]

Ultimately there are so many variables involved that to pinpoint that the sonar is the reason a bass wa spooked is always going to be difficult to quantify, especially since bass do not have the same behavior every day.  

 

[scaleface]

The question is not " does sonar spook fish" its " can sonar spook fish " . Theres a huge difference between the two ..

 

 

  I never turn mine off , its to big a fishing tool to turn off . 

[Russ E]

12 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 

Who hasnt caught bass under the boat with sonar on . .Again I'm not implying that sonar spooks bass but stating it doesnt is stating something you dont know .

Maybe I stated that wrong. I was not implying I know it does not affect fish. It has just never been a concern when I was trying not to spook fish.