Posted 7/20/2009 7:03 AM (#389501 - in reply to #389496) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI
I'll favor the sunny side too. Seen waaaay too many fish spook when they cross from the sun into your shadow. Can't hurt to eliminate the potential for that.
Posted 7/21/2009 11:51 AM (#389708 - in reply to #389486) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 580
I've always wondered about the shadow thing. Heard lots of people say that shadows will spook a fish at boatside. But do you think a fish reacts the same way when the sun goes behind a cloud? That's a shadow too, and I would think fish would spontaneously spook all across the lake when that happens...
Personally, I can't say that I've experienced the shadow effect spooking fish at boatside...at least not that I can tell. To be honest, I've had plenty of fish spook away from the boat shadow or not...
Posted 7/21/2009 3:31 PM (#389765 - in reply to #389486) Subject: RE: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 81
That's a great question and I have been paying close attention this year to that very thing and here is what I have learned weather it is fact or chance.
Non aggressive fish, when following seem to spoke further out when coming to the sunny side of the boat. It could be that that the bright sparkling glass boat with the big LiftMaster shinning logo scares them away. The same non aggressive fish seem to come right to the boat on the shaded side.
However, an aggressive fish wanting to eat, does just that from either side.
I need Fishouflage to wrap my boat to make it look like a floating bogg and my problems my be solved.
Posted 7/21/2009 3:31 PM (#389766 - in reply to #389708) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin
I guess that if the fish spook from the shade of the boat then they never dive under it when they are hooked? Seems to me that they look for refuge under there. But I still don't like leading them into the shade on the figure 8. Sometimes I outsmart myself. Or as an old friend of mine is fond of saying. "Hoen, you think too much, just fish".
Posted 7/21/2009 3:42 PM (#389770 - in reply to #389766) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI
C'mon guys. Let's be real here. There is no one single correct answer. Some days fish will eat anything. Some days they won't eat anything. Its all relative. I love it when fish are suicidal and its almost impossible to screw up a figure 8. Unfortunately, fish are not always that aggressive.
What spooks a fish today might actually attract them tomorrow.
I have seen shadows spook fish. Does my shadow or the boat shadow or my rod shadow spook ALL fish? Absolutely not. But, casting into the sun or casting into the wind are two basic questions I'll ask myself as I'm setting up my boat to fish a structure. What I do know for certain is that regardless of how the fish feels... making a conscious decision about it increases my own confidence... and confidence breeds success.
Do I always cast into the sun? Nope. Has it cost me some fish? Probably. Usually its a pretty low priority for me... but if my last follow spooked or backed off the lure when it transitioned from sun to a shadow... I'll try to avoid it with the next fish THAT DAY.
Posted 7/22/2009 10:47 PM (#389994 - in reply to #389486) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Everything has to do with the angle of the sun at the time. If it's early morning or late evening, no matter because most of the available light is reflected. If it's within 3 hours of 'sun noon' (30 degree rule) you will be looking into the sun in my rig if it's possible. Not a 'deal breaker' for me, but I do my best and get comments all the time like this," What you trying to do, BLIND me??"
Posted 7/23/2009 7:43 AM (#390013 - in reply to #389994) Subject: Re: Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?
Posts: 1220
Naturally, you are going to do the eight on the same side of the boat you are casting from (doh) so this obviously includes the choice of your boat direction. For me, the Trump is finding water with a chop as this provides more stealth than the sun/shade proposition in busting up the reflection of your hull. Everybody also knows that on a given day, there are plenty parts of a lake that are relatively clear as glass while a distinct chop will appear elsewhere. I am also going to take some sort of attempt to have the wind blowing me across my path so that the bow-mount is more an occasional correction rather than the primary propulsion. I know a lot of folks think the electric hum of the bow-mount actually attracts muskies, but I am not one of them. Since trying for a wind-blown drift will then dictate your casts have the wind behind you, choosing sun or shade will not be a choice you can make all that often. I see it as way secondary to other factors in choosing boat control options. Marty Forman
Which side of the boat, sun or shade for the 8?