THERMOCLINE?????

[BILL]

HAS ANYONE OUT THERE DONE WELL WORKING THE THERMOCLINE AND WHATS THE SECRET. DO YOU TROLL CRANKS, SPINNERS OR SPOONS. I ASSUME YOU USE DOWN RIGGERS BUT DO YOU RIDE THE TOP OF THE CLINE OR INTO IT.

[ETT]

The thermocline is supposedly the lower limit of oxygenated water. In the central basin of Erie, quite often, smelt will be in the cooler water below the cline, and the walleyes will be sitting right at the cline depth. The walleyes will drop down through the cline to attack their prey. The water below the thermocline can get to a point that there is so little oxygen that most fish can not be in it for very long, but this takes time (a couple weeks or so). And you guessed it, on Erie that doesn't happen very often. So long story short, you'll be in the heaviest concentration of fish if you are able to target the thermocline depth or a foot or 2 above it. Having said that, it is quite common to take very large fish right off the bottom below the thermocline, because it has not been there long enough to cause the oxygen levels to low enough to displace the fish. Hope this helps. good luck.

[Hawgeye]

I fish a lake in the late summer that sets up with a very strong thermocline. It is a small yet very deep lake. I set up to crank just above the thermocline. Often I do this in 100' of water with a thermocline in the 30's. It is easy to detect on the graph with baitfish and debris. I have caught several eyes between 8 and 11 pounds within this range. I also do best on full moons after dark with this condition....maybe a characteristic of my "private" lake.

[delgue]

Good post, i hope the board will dissect this issue their various expertise and experience. I have just starting learning about this last year. We have a small lake here that sets up a thermocline at about 16 ft., at the shallow ends the wind mixes the water too much for a "hard" thermocline, but as you progress towards the main lake it sets up to stay, real neat to watch the transititon on the X-85(but have to go slow. In Summer the water temp. hits the low 90's in the shallow ends, so i theroize the Eyes are looking for relief, and head to the deep water to suspend on the Cline near baitfish. Have used Precision Trolling book & PK video to learn running Hot n Tots and Thundersticks just above that line-learned alot about it right here too! Last year, it seemed kind of comical or even grandeoise to be running planer boards & flashers at night with st croix 8 ft telescopes on a 900 acre lake with a 10 hp limit, but it was pretty exciting landing the biggest Walleye i have ever seen in person, a 9 lber off the thermocline-(it still swims-learned that here too)--had a 12 year old kid with me that night, now talk about exciting--cant wait for hot weather.

[Pardner]

I think all of us would be surprized to find how long eyes can stay below the cline. It depends on the depth at which it occurs, the time of year, the structure in the immeadeate area, the water temp, pressure and flow down there. They also have to have a reason for being there. EASY FOOD. Under the right conditions, metabolic rate can slow to a point where big eyes will stay below the cline for longer than you think.

A rule of thumb for you is that the shallower the cline sets up, the further fish will go below the cline, and stay there longer.

Take care Pardner

[markb_1960]

thermocline is temperature phenomenon...commonly defined
as area of water column where temperature drops the most
rapidly...or where temperature drops 1 deg C for every
1 meter of depth change...the area above thermocline is
known as epilimnion...the area below thermocline is
hypolimnion...often, due to decay and decomposition coupled
with water layers not mixing, the area below thermocline can
become short of oxygen (oxygen debt)...this is not always the
case though...in eastern lake erie the water below thermocline
remains well oxygenated...and is inhabited by fish such
as lake trout...in general i fish at top of thermocline
for walleye...lower thermocline for trout...but as with
any fishing...nothing is carved in stone...i tend to let
where i spot fish or bait on electronics dictate depth...
besides downriggers...dipsey divers can also get you
down to depth needed...and are cheaper...

[DBK]

Something to keep in mind, is that when a thermocline sets up , it is often a very thin layer of water.
I've seen water temp. change from surface of 76 degrees that dropped only 8 degrees to 68degrees down at 65 feet. then at 70 feet down it was only 60 degrees and was it was down to 54 degrees at 70 feet. When it's like this the fish are really concentrated in that thin layer.
My only point here is that if you want to be most effective on a hard thermocline like that, you are best to be very exact with presentation. Temp. probeslike fish hawk 520 are good to monitor the situation.
We find downriggers essential for best trolling results in these condititions.