White Coffee Cup

[Craw]

I read this theory several years back and I wanted to share it with everyone and get feedback as well. It concerns choosing what depth to fish. Here goes...Tie a string to a white coffee cup(or just use a white spinnerbait) and drop it into the water until it can just barely be seen. Now measure how far it was from the cup to the surface. Multiply that by 2. Example, cup can be seen down to 4 feet. 4x2=8.

The article stated that the majority of actively feeding fish could be caught from the surface down to 8 feet(by this example). Let me explain how this theory was supported. UV light penetration is able to travel 4 feet into the water to reflect off of the coffee cup and then 4 feet back up to the surface enabling the cup to be seen. Hence the light was able to travel a total of 8 feet. The theory claimed that UV light could travel a total of 8 feet down into the water column, even though the cup can only be seen 4 feet deep. UV light sets up the whole food chain. Microscopic organisms thrive in the UV light and hence the baitfish feed on those and the bass feed on the bait. The article stated that there was a very low percentage of success to fish any deeper than the particular water clarity would allow UV light to travel. This same senario is supposed to apply whether you can see the cup at only a foot deep or 15 feet deep. Drop the cup into the water until it's barely within sight, multiply by 2 and fish lures in that particular depth range.

I believe it was an article by Larry Nixon in an old Bassmaster. He was talking about how the pros eliminate dead water.

I want to know what all of YOU think. I'll go on record and say that since I read that it has stayed with me for a number of years. Sure I've caught fish deeper than I was supposed to and in the article he even said that I would. He claimed that the bass would sometimes venture into areas deeper than UV light could travel but he said that in order to survive the bass couldn't inhabit these areas for long. I thought(and still do) it was one of the best articles that I've ever read and I think It's a great place to start on any body of water. Like any other rule, it has exceptions but as I've heard some of you guys say, "Bass don't live by rules, they live to survive."

[Live.2.Fish]

That is a very interesting theory.  I might have to give it a shot.

[sodaksker]

Was this to apply to bass mainly or all species of fish?  I fish some pretty stained and muddy water.  Sometimes I wouldn't be able to see the cup in a foot of water and still catch fish in  4-5 ft of water.  hmmmm.

[Papa_Tom]

Trying to dust off the memory a bit.  Secchi disc is the tool that was first used to measure water transparency or clarity.  I usually drop a white s'bait or jig down and then double the distance that I can still see it.  Things that contribute to your reading...algae, sediment and water color.  Algae is probably the most important as it is the beginning of the food cycle.  It's growth, like other chlorophyll entities, is triggered by sunlight.  How far down the sun penetrates is how far down the food chain may start.  So, use the clarity as another factor in deciding where to start.  As said, they'll still come up for a jerkbait, s'bait, topwater, etc.  

[Guest avid]

Sounds like something that will probably work once in awhile (everything works once in awhile) but I wouldn't count on it as part of my routine.

[roadwarrior]

I generally fish deeper regardless of the clarity of the water. I don't think the "white cup theory" makes any sense.

[FALCON]

THAT THEORY WOULD NOT WORK HERE ON LAKE ST. CLAIR BECAUSE I CAN BE IN 8' OF WATER AND DROP THE CUP ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM AND STILL SEE IT.

[foul hooked]

The water I fish is really stained.  3" visibility on a good day.  I'm confident in saying that the fish are deeper than 6". Could just be my lake.

[RollONTwo]

In warm/hot water I  think it is mostly about Thermocline and DO. If the cup can by luck be seen at lets say 10 feet and the Thermocline is at 20 the cup will work   8-)

[ejtaylor822]

It makes some sense to me in the fact that the baitfish COULD be in the UV light. However, my PB and some other hawgs I have caught always seem to be around shady areas - mostly fish from the bank.

Think the "white cup" was our Grandfathers' early attempt at the fish and depth finders we have today.

Eddie

[Tucson]

I gave this a shot today and it worked pretty well but made the coffee taste real weak.   ;D

[ejtaylor822]

I gave this a shot today and it worked pretty well but made the coffee taste real weak. ;D

Good one!

[captgene]

Pffftt

[FL_fisher]

some of the waters I fish I wouldnt be able to see the cup 6inchs down so if the was true I would only catch fish 1 ft form the surface.

[dink]

I tried this at night and ended up fishing in a tree! ;D

[Keithscatch]

This is an example of believing something a long long time ago as fact only to learn how stupid it is now. I bet if you asked Larry Nixon about this he would get a sheepish look on his face and say did I really say and believe that?  :-[ :-[

If this where true night fishing would be a lost cause.

Just chalk this up as one guy (Larry Nixon) learning as he goes. Heck some of the things I used to believe in where pretty stupid as well. I hope you don't buy into this Craw.