Thermocline Question

[sjk984]

When the thermocline sets up am I supposed to fish above it, below it or both? Last year was the first year I had been able to see the thermocline with a fish finder. So now I have to figure out what to do with it.

Thanks steve

[Grant Sadler]

I always try to keep my spread just above it cause the forage will stay in the warmer water, keep in mind that a fish only can see up for the most part.

but the fish these days are different then they used to be like gobbies big bubble eyes L.O.L

[adrenalin]

Yes..... Don't try to smash all your baits in one little band of water.The fish will move up and down at different times of the day, so use it as a starting point, but go up and down. One thing I see is midday big kings will rise up into the warm water to feed at times, and that goes against what the so called "experts" say. Usually once the sun comes up, all the bait that was at the top of the thermocline drops to the bottom anyways, it doesn't just sit their all day waiting to get gobbled up.

[mattmishler]

What we do is, we go 30 above and 10 below. Usually riggers deep, low and high divers mixed in on thermo and core and copper on the warmer side.

[strik]

When the thermocline sets up am I supposed to fish above it, below it or both? Last year was the first year I had been able to see the thermocline with a fish finder. So now I have to figure out what to do with it.

Thanks steve

can someone explane to me how one finds the thermocline whith a fish finder? :(

I just recived the hsd 5 and was wondering if somone can direct me on how to find the thermocline using this unit. In past yeas i would just have fish id on and see what it did but this year i want to play a lot more with the finder.

Any other advice i can get using the hds5 would be great

Thanks

[sjk984]

I have an Hbird with the switch fire mode. I first marked it on an inland lake in the deep holes as a line across the screen.

Next time out on Lake Huron I marked a very faint line down 68'. On switchfire I had a solid line from 65-69'. I was able to call a buddy and he confirmed that his fish hawk had it about 70' down on the rigger counter. I can get a light return with the gain at 100% and the 50 mh frequency. I can't mark it at all with the 200 mh without the switch fire.

I was also able to confirm that it was the thermo I was marking while in Manistee with a hand held temp finder.

[sjk984]

Any other advice i can get using the hds5 would be great

Thanks

[Line Dancin]

Any other advice i can get using the hds5 would be great

Thanks

Don't let it get wet. I went thru 3 hds 5 before I had them return my money and I got the bird. I have heard that they solved the water intrusion problems they had with the units I had but in the end I am just as happy with the bird I ended up with,

HDS units are awsome finders and I wouldn't tell anyone otherwise Its the customer service that sucks

Lance Valentine offers some great lowrance electronic classes and has a dvd on sonar basics that covers Lowrance products not the hds series but the funtions are the same

[sjk984]

I was not bashing lowrance. I loved my HDS, it was rerally nice When it worked. I hope they did change because I really like their products. I hope to see more positive things from them.

When did the company change hand?

[Adam Bomb]

water intrusion problem was with the old company and they left it for navico to clean up the problem. The seal wasn't big enough and it would allow water in but that was the first hds units out.

Lowrance customer service has changed in the last couple years. All the people are GONE that were the problems. I personally know some people from lowrance and heard all the inside stuff that was going on. Navico bought the company a few years ago and is working to change that image. I have a long post on this very topic on this board. i will find it when i get home tomorrow and post a link. That is very untrue about the company.

Hds units are great. I have one also. i will also type up a long post on how to set up the unit to find thermoclines tomorrow

That may be, but turn around time was still slow as of this winter. Buddy had like his 7th H20 take a crap in December and didnt get it back till March. I sure hope they right the ship, i remember a time when they had the corner market. I will say, theyre products are awesome when theyre running right.

[sjk984]

I think I helped jack my own thread. How about more thermo opinions

Thanks Steve

[killerbe20]

fish above, in, and below the thermocline. Its a general area to start and concentrate because you know the water temp change. that does not mean the fish are going to be strictly in that small section of the water column. as mentioned before, it is a preferred place but fish travel in and out of it especially for feeding.

no different than us sitting outside at a picnic in 99 degree summer heat to eat when the house is air conditioned. its all about the food.

[FsnMachine]

can someone explane to me how one finds the thermocline whith a fish finder? :(

I just recived the hsd 5 and was wondering if somone can direct me on how to find the thermocline using this unit. In past yeas i would just have fish id on and see what it did but this year i want to play a lot more with the finder.

Any other advice i can get using the hds5 would be great

Thanks

First turn off the fish ID. You want to learn to read the marks and not let the finder interprit what it sees. Then you may ned to play with the sensitivity but you will see the thermocline as a false bottom. It will look like a bottom line say at 60 feet and yet you see your hard bottom line at say 200 feet. It varies from a faint line to looking like bottom.

[Line Dancin]

First turn off the fish ID. You want to learn to read the marks and not let the finder interprit what it sees. Then you may ned to play with the sensitivity but you will see the thermocline as a false bottom. It will look like a bottom line say at 60 feet and yet you see your hard bottom line at say 200 feet. It varies from a faint line to looking like bottom.

Correct. Also turn your ping speed at lease to 80%. Take the sensitivity off manual and you will have to adjust it up to arournd 75%. Turn off your noise reduction that is set to low from the factory. Dont use fish id. Fish id sets the unit to a low sensitivity mode. Also when you learn to read your screen and it will take a little practice you want to see noise on the screen. Little black dots not blue. when you get that noise on the screen to where you are just seeing it that is when you get the best target seperation and can see the fish on the bottom as fish and not debris. I learned this all through Lance Valentines seminars otherwise i wouldn't know how to use the thing properly. Order his disc on gpa and sonar and you will learn more than what i posted here. I am still trying to learn everything after two years of being to his seminars and ordering the discs.

link: http://www.walleyekid.com/inc/sdetail/4560/8609

[strik]

Thanks to all for the help sorry if i took over the thread that was not what i was trying to do

Thanks :thumb:

[sjk984]

Thanks to all for the help sorry if i took over the thread that was not what i was trying to do

Thanks :thumb:

Not you I think I got off and started Lowrance v. Hbird thread again. I actually got alot out of the response to your questions. Like adjusting the ping rate and the screen speed..