Thermocline

[ikeslayer]

The deep water bass thread made me think about this and i didn't want to steal the thread or steer it in a new direction so new topic. How does thermocline effect the way you fish for bass deep or shallow? How do you tell where it is? Is it roughly at the same depth year after year? does it change often throughout the summer? Or stays the same with stable weather? Love to hear what all of you think and can teach us thanks. ike

[Deitz Dittrich]

ike- This is just my opinion, and we know what that is worth. If I pay any attention to it at all its in the dog days of summer. On many depth finders you can turn the sensitivity way up and it will show on your graph. I dont think that bass pay as much attention to the thermocline as pike or walleye. On stained bodys of water the thermocline is much shallower than on clear, which is always nice to note.

[Ray Esboldt]

I'm in Deitz's camp on this one. I have never encountered a situation bass fishing where I have thought about a thermocline. I don't like a lot of complexity on the water. Forgetting about the existance of a thermocline leaves some room in my brain for other things.

[Mark Christianson]

Me three on this.

Although, I am just not a deep water bass guy.

If I cant see the cover, I likely wont fish it. Yeah, bad habit I gotta break, I know.

As Dietz stated though, you can detect the thermocline on your graph for those that didnt know that.

[CrappieJohn]

I think the only bass up here that would relate to a thermocline is the smallie and they would probably stay atop of it since water below it is oxygen poor.