Electrical Lines

[Stump bumper]

I have noticed everywhere electrical lines cross the lake there seems to be shad and fish under them. I have even talked to guides that have said the same thing, especially when the water gets cold. Does anyone have an answer to what attacks fish to electrical lines? Is this just my imagination and is something else like brush piles that just happen to be in the same location that is attracting the fish? Maybe people use the lines as a land mark to throw out their brush piles?

[J-Doc]

I've not heard of this before.  I think I have seen it once or twice though.

I'm sure it's on a physicist level to explain the phenomena but since I took Physics in college........i'll step up and take a guess.  Electricity at it's core stems around magnetic attraction of particles within the atomic structure and the atom itself. Negative and positive charges and electron fields, electron conduction which in itself is electricity.  Having a concentrated load of electrical current running overhead could create some sort of magnetized or electrical field on a molecular level that we as humans cannot feel or sense.  Bait or algae could be attracted or it could be the water itself stems to an environment that attracts a food source which in turn attracts gamefish.

That's my guess.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back and "sit in my spot" (Sheldon joke).

[petpipuppy]

I think J-Doc is right on track there.  I didn't take Physics in college, but some research on the internet shows lots of discussion about ions, and magnetic fields, and concentrated directly/most powerfully under power lines.  Some discussion about health hazards there too....so may not want to 'camp out' under them too long....just long enough to fill your stringer needs!  Thanks for bringing this up.  I'd never heard of the fish concentration there before...so would not have researched the rest on my own either.  Gotta love this site!

Thanks for the posts!

[zarraspook]

I worked 40+ years with R&D electronics... I worked with EMF ( electrical magnetic fields ) early on.. One of the things we would do ( away from work ) was to take an eight foot Fluorescent Light bulb down to the river and fish under the power lines running across the river and it would light up enough that we could see to fish and find the opener for our beer bottles...  Back then (late 50's) the power line were not as high as today....

EMF excites the neon gas in the bulb... the closer you can get to the source of the emf the brighter the light -- I.E. you would have to be within 10-15 feet of the actual power lines for full brightness --- Which YOU DON"T WANT TO DO !!!!!!    

But, to answer the original question = MAYBE... But most likely the brush and debris pushed into the lake from the crews that cleared the area, for the towers to be installed, is why the fish are in the area..

 

[Old plug]

I think that right. Its leakage. Electricity is a amazing with almost a life of its own.. It is funny some ocean and great lake guides spike their down trolling wire with a small electical charge and swear by it for attacting fish. I know that the very fact that the wores are dragging through the water will generate a bit of electric. Everytime I test my dock for any power leakage there will be a couple volts there even wth the power shut off to the dock. Water metal and movement it seems is all it takes. 

 

 

[fishinwrench]

Notice what's over my left shoulder in my favorite White bass spot.  ?

[snagged in outlet 3]

The powerline hole at Taney has been a go to spot for years.