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Posts: 120
| I have an Auto Pilot with the built in transducer. The transducer has a realy loud tick, tick tick tick drive me nuts. Minn Kota says "that’s the way they are". My question do you think this spooks fish, attracts them or has no effect. I realy don’t want to geek out on this like the (match clothes that match the sky deal) Just looking for your thoughts.
Keith |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Every transducer "ticks". Depending on the mounting location and the hull properties of the boat the sound will be more or less detectable. Many anglers will turn the finders off if they want to be more stealthy as they approach a full casting distance from their target. It's debatable whether this makes a difference because of the many sounds that exist naturally in a fish's enviroment. I'd say it can't hurt. But, every transducer makes this noise to the fish's ear (lateral line). No need to worry. |
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Posts: 32951
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The transducer noise won't bother the fish at all. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Keith, like the others, I don't think it bothers them unless maybe sight fishing, but even then I don't really notice them getting any spookier. One thing I noticed is in shallower water you tend to notice it more than deeper water. May just be it's just bouncing it off the bottom faster in the shallow water. Who knows, but I wouldn't be too concerned. |
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Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | I have had times when the fish were very shallow, talking Smallmouth here, that I could not get much of a bite going. This was mostly sight fishing. I turned all my finders off and it was turning on a light switch. The fish just did not spook as easily and I caught the heck out of them. Could be a coincidence but stuck in my head non the less. Keep in mind that this is kind of a unique situation but it has happened to me enough that when I don't need my depth finders on, I shut them off. I believe that the fish can definatley feel the ultrasonic pulses and it makes them (using a human term) uneasy. They certainly do not know that a fisherman is coming when they feel this but I still think that they spook more easily after they feel the pulses. I think you will find that the fish spook more and are affected more by the trolling motor however. Try to run your troller at a slow and steady pace rather than at a high speed for short bursts. I know that Steve thinks I'm nuts, but fish will react to things through instinct and depth finders are not found naturally. I believe that they are just more aware of their surrondings when put on alert by the depth finder.
If I don't need it I don't use it. My 2 cents worth. |
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| Got the Universal sonar on my Kota. Actually had a fish come up & nose the prop of it last year while the motor was running & sonar was on! Every time I hit the thrust, the fish swam up a little closer. I didn't have to even cast for that fish, just put a baby depthraider in the water, and she nailed it. 43 incher was probably so aggressive/hungry that she didn't care & was probably intruiged/curious more than anything. Only had this happen once though... |
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| I know ciscoes scatter when they are in proximity to my operating Humminbird Wide 100. They do not scatter when the unit is off. But, ciscoes are just bait, eh? |
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| I guarantee fish can here any transducer whether they're ciscos or muskies in 3' or 35'. I have no idea though whether it has a positive or negative effect on a muskie's decision to strike or not. I have turned my transducers off many times in situations that I thought it may help and have caught fish afterwards. Might have caught them with them on anyways though.? Last summer while fishing in 95 degree whether I jumped in the lake for a swim (35' of water) and was amazed at how far the sound from the transducers traveled. I could hear the ticking as loud as day with my ears just under the surface while I was 3/4 to a full cast length away from the boat.
I wonder why the really big ones are really hard to catch!? 
Steve |
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| I did some scuba diving under my boat to see (and hear ) things from a fishes point of view - and hearing range.
The transducer is audible and I don't care what anybody says - that can't be good. I had an experience where I had a client miss a 50 incher on a heavily pressured lake - went back over her and shut everything off . This time she stayed on and was netted . I think that if you know a lake well enough to work a structure without sound waves banging around in the water - it HAS to be a good thing. Did Spray or Cal (or whoever we will let have the world record) have transducers ????? Of coarse - you always get the retard musky that tries to eat your trolling motor prop - but that fish will get caught - lots. We are all looking for the Big one that has avoided capture for a long long time and any little thing can help. If I'm on a good spot - I turn the Lowrance off. |
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Posts: 284
Location: Fishing the weeds | Good subject. I've often wondered about this but never thought to ask. Rest assured I'll be experimenting with this when I'm out the next time. Pat |
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