How quiet do we need to be?

[Brock]

I tried looking for the recording and couldn't find it. It's been some time since I watched it. I want to say Larry Dahlberg ran the test. 

 

It's an interesting subject..Dahlberg and the guys at hydraphone are onto something imo. Those lower register topwater baits have done well over the years for me at night... jitterbugs, big poppers,etc...maybe the lower hertz travel further? I've always thought recording a trout plant and carrying that recording with a waterproof speaker would be a fun experiment. 

[T Dot]

I tried looking for the recording and couldn't find it. It's been some time since I watched it. I want to say Larry Dahlberg ran the test. 

 

It's an interesting subject..Dahlberg and the guys at hydraphone are onto something imo. Those lower register topwater baits have done well over the years for me at night... jitterbugs, big poppers,etc...maybe the lower hertz travel further? I've always thought recording a trout plant and carrying that recording with a waterproof speaker would be a fun experiment. 

 

Lower hertz travels further through ambient air.  Case in point - car with bass travelling down the street.  You will here nothing but the bass.  Not sure if it's the same case as water/liquid.

[Brock]

I lived in Oakland for 10 years, no need to explain lol...

[johnnnydukess]

Wind is your best friend when hunting giants. I use my trolling motor as little as possible and always try and drift into my spots as quiet as possible. Always taking extra care when placing rods back down on the deck and opening and closing tackle boxes. We tend to be as quiet as humanly possible however we do jam out to some tunes playing on a phone which does not seem to limit the bite. I've honestly been thinking about making a push pole for maneuvering in the shallow flats of the gin clear waters I'm fishing. I truly believe that stealth is one of the biggest factors in pursuing and catching trophy fish.

[urbanhick]

Back in the drop shot days we would sit on top of the fish with electronics on and the trolling motor on and off to hold position and still caught fish.

[CoryKerber]

For those of you that think your sounds can't be heard underwater..  

 

[Brock]

Geez you can hear those people even louder in that recording. 

 

Imo drop shot and spoon fish caught on the graph don't count. Not only are they caught deeper (30'+) if you took the average weight of 100 of those and 100 sb fish I'd think there would be a good sized gap. 

Edited May 21, 2015 by Brock

[bassturds]

my buddy hates talking when we are fishing!  cant make any noise! 

[aikenyounggun]

Spoon fish and drop shot fish don't count cause they are caught greater than deeper than 30 feet? I caught a fish on a drop shot in 6 feet the other day, heck, I have the picture of the lowrance screen. I have caught fish that are 2 feet under the transducer.

 

Now you are definitely right that the average swimbait fish is gonna be way bigger, but I gurantee the average person could put 100 fish in the boat a million times quicker with a DS than a SB. We are all throwin swimbaits to catch huge fish (least I think so, haha).

 

Noise definitely matters though. Might start trying to be more stealthy after reading this, see how it helps.

[VAngler]

my buddy hates talking when we are fishing!  cant make any noise!

 

You seem like more of shouter than a talker

[Ceaser]

push pole... 

[Brock]

Spoon fish and drop shot fish don't count cause they are caught greater than deeper than 30 feet? I caught a fish on a drop shot in 6 feet the other day, heck, I have the picture of the lowrance screen. I have caught fish that are 2 feet under the transducer.

 

Now you are definitely right that the average swimbait fish is gonna be way bigger, but I gurantee the average person could put 100 fish in the boat a million times quicker with a DS than a SB. We are all throwin swimbaits to catch huge fish (least I think so, haha).

 

Noise definitely matters though. Might start trying to be more stealthy after reading this, see how it helps.

 

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply it's not possible to catch fish off the graph shallow, I just don't believe it's a good technique for big fish.

 

I am interested to see sidefinders develop more and have more range/clarity. 

[silverdagger]

The biggest bass I have ever had on was likely between 12 and 13 pounds.  Not big by your western standards, but a giant of the Tennessee River.  The lake record in that particular impoundment is less than 15 pounds. The biggest I have caught is 9.5 pounds, and it looked like a minnow in comparison.   

 

I had a wind come up that allowed for a perfect drift of the area I wanted to fish.   I turned off all electronics and the trolling motor and "sneaked up" on her.  She hit a Skinny Dipper.   My Curado 200B had its drag locked down and she was stripping it.  Had I not hung her so close to the boat, I think I would have got her.   I was headed north and she was headed south and the 6/0 just popped out because I couldn't go the same direction with her.

 

 

[midnightbite]

Yet another great thread here.  This issue is always on my mind when I'm fishing.  I've personally had a very difficult time catching fish from my boat as compared to the success I've had from shore.  Self-evaluating, I attribute this to:

 

1. Difficulty with boat positioning

2. Noise-making associated with establishing boat position.

 

For me, in addition to needing a greater level of understanding with regards to general fish behavior as it pertains to their likely locations, this is my biggest area needing improvement. 

 

Ironically, I think the biggest problem I have with noise making is how much I THINK about noise making.  I get all pissed off at myself, (I should say I get all pissed off at my trolling motor) for making too much noise, and that breaks my concentration and throws me off my game. 

 

I end up catching most of my fish from my boat when I've got the finders on and the trolling motor rolling and I think that has more to do with my state of mind than it does fish behavior.  Ultimately, I think those are moments when I'm just more focused on fishing vs beating myself up over all the damn details. 

 

Regardless, I still strive for stealth just like I strive for making more accurate casts and dialing in my retrieve.  Always trying to get better in all aspects, but sometimes I have to shut down the noise inside my head.  I think bass can hear those too!