Dumb question

[Theb55]

While trolling I occasionally come in contact with patches of water that are much flatter. These areas do not appear to have any ususual wate movement but they seem to block most of my transducer pulses. It is like extra heavy water. Has anyone else experienced these areas? They are up to 15/20 meters across. I've never hooked anything in these but have hooked fish on the edge.

 

[nedarb2]

a tide line???...

 

[Gunsmith]

If you were near a river it could be fresh water, it will sit above the salt water. The diferent density or temperature can play tricks on the transducer.

 

[Theb55]

Not near fresh water ann not tide line. If it was choppy, these areas are smooth, no chop.

 

[scott craven]

I would bet it's a back eddy swirl .
appears calm on the surface with circular motion ?
underneath the surface turbulence is breaking up the transducer signal.

 

[Derby]

Up swells off the shelf....see them when off shore on flat days.... don't pass up fishing the edge's ...itcan be a lot of fun...

 

[Sea Ranger]

My fishing partner noticed the same thing last year. We found that when the water surface changes to less then smooth that it was an indication the water was getting shallower(not by much sometimes). And the smoother areas seemed to be from where the underwater currents were pushing water to the surface. Not really sure if it means something or how accurate it is, its something we noticed as well. Try and troll the ledges and watch your gear closely.

 

[Theb55]

I don't think anyone has hit it yet. These "flat" areas move so it's not a shallow area. I watch for surface area changes for that very reason. What sets these areas off is the sounder does not work properly in those areas.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Back eddy or something similar to it, see them a lot and always seem to have tons of kelp and crap in them...

 

[Theb55]

I would like to think it was but they appear all around and move. Even if it was a back eddy there would be no reason for such interference on the sounder. Back eddies may accumulate debris but some would likely appear on top. The surface is always clear.

 

[ReelSlim]

Thermals possibly.......I have had similar experiences. I always chalked it up to the warmer and colder water forming a layer and not mixing causing a density change that drives the sounder nuts........usually it would show very shallow....5 to 10 feet. Or aliens......lol either one!

 

[Gunsmith]

I fished Kootenay lake once and was just below a very cold stream coming in and the depth reading was 40ft but when I dropped a weighted line it was more like 120ft. Thought it might be the same phenomenon.

 

[Theb55]

I suspect cold area this might have some merit as the characteristics appear similar. Given they are irregularly shaped one wonders how they are formed in the ocean. Possibly a thermocline but they just don't form out of the blue and once formed appear to stay formed for a long period.

 

[Theb55]

I'm sure anyone who has fished SCVI has seen or driven over them. They are not uncommon. The common characteristic is they do drive a sounder nuts and rarely register water more than 5 or 10 feet deep in spite of being in water 100 to upwards of 500 feet. Cannot recall seeing as many in > 500 ft but probably don't spend as much time there.

 

[wildthing]

falt water

well we used to cause flat spots on water back when bait fishing for carp by using
oils in the bait

whether this is a possible cause would explain it being able to drift and not being in just one spot

could be natural coming off the bottom from the slit beds /weeds /kelp?
another thing when you do get a flat spot the daylight is able to penetrate to a deeper depth

stop using all that pro cure oil on your lures .....lol feeder oil bottle on the downrigger line now there's an idea ???????

 

[Theb55]

The flat area is just an indicator of the area. The aberrant issue is the average sounder cannot penetrate this water to any depth.

 

[wildthing]

The flat area is just an indicator of the area. The aberrant issue is the average sounder cannot penetrate this water to any depth.

hence it may be coming up off the bottom so in the entire water column

when sometime casting off the beach wading out to waist depth you get a similar thing happening on sandy silty bottom looks like oil in the water so this will deffo cause a flat spot

 

[MILLERTIME]

Sounds like Upwellings which are caused by strong currents hitting underwater reefs/structures.....they are the opposite of Whirlpools but it is not uncommon to see both in the same area during times of high tidal flows.....they are very common in the Oak Bay area on ebb tides usually in 100ft of water or more.....as for your sounder you might have the sensitivity set too high.....

 

[Evenweight]

upwelling from submereged structure perhaps. glassy smooth on the top dispite the surrounding sea state. are you seeing them in places likje race passage and off points of land? or off submereged pinicles and reefs?

no mater fish it it is structure just observe where the birds and other critters are feeding onthe edges. good chance there are a few fish to be found in the area.

Richard

 

[Theb55]

This water is so dense the sounder does not penetrate. Cold water goes down. Upwelling would likely to be warmer water wouldn't it? The sounder should penetrate warmer water. Back to the drawing board.