Does Sonar/GPS Spook Bass?

[jlh9585]

Any thoughts on this matter?

[snavel]

I saw that Doug Hannon(sp?) believes that espically at night any noise i.e. sonar, hard steps on boat bottom etc. really spooks fish. You would think that their lateral lines would detect the sonar pulses?? Don't know. . .just speculation.
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[Stevens]

I'm sure they can detect those frequences, because i can hear them when i jump in, but that doesnt mean they know what it is.. so i dont know. but not once have i thought about turning my sonar off, its too valuable to me... Buuuut now that its been brought to my attention i might turn them off on high pressured lakes, especially in shallow water, it makes sense.

[Swift1]

I think it can make a difference, just like any other noise especially on pressured lakes.........Jarrod

[bmck25]

If I am fishing shallow water were it is not important to have I turn my depth finder off. When I am fishing off shore structure I leave it on. Occasionally, if there aren't many boats around I will throw a bouy out near the structure for a reference point and turn my depth finder off. Not sure if it makes a difference but I suppose every little detail helps.

[18'stratos]

I think that fish can hear/feel the sonar. On pressured lakes I think that the fish learn the danger that is imposed with it. Fish don't get big by being stupid. I fish a small lake, shallow water and don't use the electronics.
Wasn't it KVD that was using something to scramble sounds so the fish wouldn't recognize it. It was prooven to increase his catch because the fish didn't have the pinging of the depth finder and vibration of trolling motor blade that they usually recognize with danger.

[crappiepappy]

I'm gonna go against the Bass Professor, and say that the "noise" doesn't spook fish. Many times I've been fishing Herrington, Taylorsville, Cave Run, and even a few times at Cedar Creek .... in water less than 8ft deep ... and have the depth finder running ... and catch Bass/Crappie right next to, if not right out from under the boat. I consider these lakes to be "pressured", too.

I've even followed several other boats down a bank, or made several passes on the same bank, with DF's running on all boats ... & still caught fish.

Fish are curious, by nature, so some noises may even attract them .... think Biosonix, topwater, rattles, sinkers or baits hitting bottom/cover, and even the legendary tapping of two rocks together underwater. Remember, it isn't as quiet down there as most people think. Sound does travel thru water faster than thru air, and all those fish/baitfish/crawdads are putting off "sound" and pressure waves (from movement). And don't forget us ... runnin & gunnin up and down the lake, dropping stuff in the bottom of the boat, running the trolling motor, landing fish, etc. All that sound is travelling thru the water, too.

I do believe that fish can get "spooky/spooked", and finicky about eating ... I'm just not convinced that depth finder noises are a cause. If they were, we'd probably catch a whole lot less fish than we do. I'm more inclined to think that, when we don't catch as many fish as we think we should be catching ... we're not fishing where they are - and/or - the "conditions" are not optimal - and/or - we're not using the right bait or technique to interest them.

This is, of course, just IMHO. So take it as such.

... cp

[MsgMills]

The gizmo KVD was using was a device that made the sounds of bait fish feeding and or a group of Bass feeding on a pod of bait fish...This noise seemed to attract other bass into the area to get in on the feeding frenzy....

[DJD]

I have heard this theory as well and I turn mine off if I'm in clear shallow water. Doesn't happen often around here but when I fish Florida in the Spring I never have it on around the spawning flats.

[RoadToad]

I'd be surprised if bass couldn't detect sonar, as acute as their senses are, with the lateral line and all that. But, let's also remember that bass can become desensitized, at least to some degree. A bass that hangs out under a dock all the time might not spook when somebody walks by on the dock over top of it, whereas one that lives in some quiet creek may spook when someone walks by on the shore. I would guess (and it's just a guess) that a bass that's been around sonar a few times probably won't react to it all that much.

[stoner]

The device KVD used was a Biosonix bait fish imitator. I have been turning my LCD off in areas that I am familiar with. I use it when running though.
I do know you can hear under water when swimming with it on.

Stoner