04-06-2006, 03:40 AM
That's a great tip Gregg. I know in my local area, the fresh water area's only reach depths of around 15 feet or so, so there is no thermocline. However, I use the Temp break as a depth guide for my lures when I troll in Saltwater. Most of the bait fish, if deep, hold in the thermocline. There is alot of scientific mumbo jumbo involved, but anyone who would like to know more about the thermocline, here's a link:
[url "http://www.oceansonline.com/thermocline.htm"]http://www.oceansonline.com/thermocline.htm[/url]
That site actually explains the effect of the thermocline on the Phytoplankton, which is a major food source for most bait fish. (in the ocean, but the same idea in fresh water as well)To make a long story short, the thermocline contains the highest nutrients level and provides a better habitat than the other water levels, thus the plankton thrive there, as does the bait fish feeding on them. The Thermocline is more than just a temp break, it's density is different, the oxygen level is different, etc... etc...
There are also fish finders/sonar that can detect the thermocline and/or an extreme temp. break. The fish finder I have does that(X67C by Lowrance), it's a pretty handy feature if you're fishing deep water. The sonar is so advanced, it can pick up the dense water associated with the thermocline.
The tricky part is that just because there is a change in water temp at certain depths doesn't neccesarily mean there is a thermocline present. This is where your trick would most definately be the ticket.
What type of fish do you primarily target? I'd like to give the old pool thermometer a try. What adjustments do you make and at what depths and temp ranges?
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[url "http://www.oceansonline.com/thermocline.htm"]http://www.oceansonline.com/thermocline.htm[/url]
That site actually explains the effect of the thermocline on the Phytoplankton, which is a major food source for most bait fish. (in the ocean, but the same idea in fresh water as well)To make a long story short, the thermocline contains the highest nutrients level and provides a better habitat than the other water levels, thus the plankton thrive there, as does the bait fish feeding on them. The Thermocline is more than just a temp break, it's density is different, the oxygen level is different, etc... etc...
There are also fish finders/sonar that can detect the thermocline and/or an extreme temp. break. The fish finder I have does that(X67C by Lowrance), it's a pretty handy feature if you're fishing deep water. The sonar is so advanced, it can pick up the dense water associated with the thermocline.
The tricky part is that just because there is a change in water temp at certain depths doesn't neccesarily mean there is a thermocline present. This is where your trick would most definately be the ticket.
What type of fish do you primarily target? I'd like to give the old pool thermometer a try. What adjustments do you make and at what depths and temp ranges?
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