Please explain water temperature to me!

[Bass_Akwards]

I've heard two things. One. LMB are totally effected by a few degree water temperature change. Two. LMB aren't effected by water temperature until the water gets to be very cold.... 50-60 degrees.

Which one is it?

Nights here in Colorado for the past couple months have been in the 80's, or high 70's, but are now in the 60's. Days are still in the 90's. I've noticed a big dropoff in the amount of fish I've been catching the past couple weeks as nights have gotten cooler and the water temps have dropped a few degrees. I can't figure out if the lack of fishing production is because the water temps are lower or because the bass are sick of my Senkos. Either way, I'm not slaying them like I have the past two months.

I'm very confused. People are telling me that in the fall, fishing is amazing because LMB are stocking up for winter, but how can this be, if lower water temps make them slow down their eating habits, and slows down how active they are?

Lastly, how do you measure water temps? Do you put the thermometer 3 inches into the water? 3 feet? All the way to the deepest parts of the lake? ALSO, I don't get how anyone can say what the water temperature is when it could be completely different in a matter of just a few feet.  I was watcing a fishing show where the water temperature went from in the 80's to in the high 60's just in the span of a few seconds, as the boat traveled very slowly.

Help!

[Tin]

 Ok one thing I have learned is that it all depends on the body of water you are fishing. Every lake is different. After fishing a lake for a few years you will begin to notice seasonal patterns and how they differ on each body of water. Everything says that bass start to feed up for when that water makes that initial 10-15* drop or under 60* in New England, but we have a few lakes that the bass dont really go nuts feeding until the water hits the upper 40's.

 

[Raul]

Water is 850 times denser than air

Water looses heat at a much more slower rate than air, a sudden drop in air temp does not affect water temperature, for the water to decline in temperature it takes many days of low air temperatures or a sudden flow of water at a lesser temperature into the lake ( for ex: ice or snow melting or rain run off ) otherwise the water maintains it 's temperature because it 's a heat reservoir.

"Seasonal" behavior depends on two things:

1.- In animals that do not regulate their body temperature like most fish ---> environmental temperature plays an important role since it 's methabolic rate is regulated by the temperature of their body.

2.- Ammount of daylight hours.

One or both have a direct impact on the "seasonal" patterns, bass down here in my neck of the woods in places where the water temperature remains practically the same all year long ( ponds fed by wells ) exhibit seasonal behavior just like their counterparts where there 's a variation in the water temperature ( lakes ). The seasonal behavior can only be attributed to one cause: ammount of daylight hours.

[Marty]

When I read or hear about a given water temperature somewhere, unless otherwise specified, I assume it's the surface temperature.

[gatrboy53]

your confusing sudden temp. changes w/ seasonal changes.sudden temp changes can trigger a bite or shut it down.in the summer a change down of a few degrees can trigger a bite. in the winter a sudden change of a few deg. can shut a bite down.

what your experienceing is neither 80-90 deg. days followed by 60 deg. nites has very little if any affect on bass behavior.the encroachment of a seasonal change which the water temps. are the hottest right now can and does cause bass to become lethargic.it has to do more w/ the days getting shorter than temp.but it is the first signs of a seasonal pattern that will lead to a short window of good fishin.the bait fish will start to congregate and smaller bass will start to school which will draw the bigger fish out of their summer haunts.

the last part of aug. into the first part of sept. is the slowest bite of the yr.(except where it freezes)

temp. gauges measure surface temp.and going from direct sunlight into shaded area can skew the reading.