Sonar Sights

[nathanhooper]

I'm curious if anyone has seen, or even has some pictures of, fish stacked up on their sonar in Beaver Lake. I am new to the sonar gig, so I have been doing a lot of research and such and watched a video of a guy and his son fishing for striper in Georgia. The sonar was just plumb full from so far down to almost the bottom with fish arches. And they were true fish becuase they would reel them up and then catch another one right after.

I have seen it in other places also, but just wondered if it is dependant on the lake or if Beaver has fish that school up like that. I am thinking of going out tonight, actually I am going, but I am thinking about just putting around and seeing if I come across something like this to drop a jig down into. Is it worth the time? Most of the time I have just been motoring out to a spot and then just troll around.

I figured I could cover more ground, be able to make sharper turns and go into various depths if I just keep the rods in and locate the fish first. I know that one guy told me once that he has spent up to an hour looking for fish before starting to fish. So I just wonder what other people's take is on this.

[J-Doc]

Boy you’re opening a can of debate worms.

Well, I say that because some live and die by using sonar and some have them but only use them to see how deep the water is.

Yes, fish school and stack up on about any body of water including Beaver. All of my photos below are from Beaver. The second photo using my little “Eagle Fish Mark” graph is showing a school of stripers that was near the Hwy 12 bridge. I trolled through there twice and only got a white bass. I even tried jigging spoons and other baits. Sometimes you can find the fish but struggle to get them to bite.

I agree with what the guy said about looking for an hour before fishing. On a lake this big you can cast baits 100 times to open water where there are little to no fish and then you blame the bait, the water temp, the boating pressure, etc. Not realizing there were not enough fish there for you to spend your time and effort on. Finding the fish is key in my opinion. Once you find them, you need to establish a pattern by trying different things and logging in your mind what caused the fish to bite and can you repeat and build momentum on what you discovered. I’ve heard pros say they found an offshore stump with chuck rock around it on a gravel flat. Seeing how it was “different” in the surround gravel flat, fish gravitated to it. They couldn’t catch a fish casting 360 degrees around it unless they retrieved their crankbait at the perfect angle, speed and in a particular direction before a fish would bite. After casting to it multiple times without a bite and then suddenly catch one, the pro realized they had to repeat that exact cast to pick them off one at a time. Somehow the bait was presented differently and it caused a reaction.

Does that make sense?

Also, stacked fish that hold in a group like this are usually not active and just hanging out in a group for safety. Feeding fish are more active and look like the image below. The fish are swimming so fast, they make long streaks on the graph.

Hope this helps.

Crappie on a tree

Stripers near Hwy 12 bridge

Big ball of baitfish (shad)

I think this is a school of crappie/bluegill with small bass below

[Feathers and Fins]

yes they do and aqua-vu is your friend

[nathanhooper]

yes they do and aqua-vu is your friend

Lol. I have contemplated something like that before. It would at least keep my boy preocupied while we are "trying" to catch a fish.

[Feathers and Fins]

attach heavy wire to it...........stripers will try and eat the cam

[nathanhooper]

J-Doc - That all makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I tried to take one of some fish I saw the other night, but my scroll was set too fast and missed the chance. It was not as large a group as yours, but it was where we were catching fish while trolling. If I would have been smart I would have stoped the motor and tried jigging for a bit.

I have always wondered the difference between the long streaks and the large arches. Now that you explained the difference it all makes sense. I think I'll motor aroud for a bit this evening. I have seen bait balls before, but never a large group of arches or lines. I bet its easier when they are in deeper water though, because of the sonar beam angle and such.

[J-Doc]

attach heavy wire to it...........stripers will try and eat the cam

Goofy fish......will eat at anything.

Wait.....is this the camera that looks like a fish? If so, I could totally see that. Look like something from "River Monsters" TV show! Lol

[Feathers and Fins]

yup thats the one

[Feathers and Fins]

Nathan PM me your number i'll be out tonight with Doc we might have to come say hi if we can

[nathanhooper]

Shot you a pm there. Should be nice evening temp wise at least. Wonder what the cold front will do to them.