[Red Herring]

Gave my new sounder its first run over the weekend in a local estuary and was surprised at what it showed, or there lack of. Don't get me wrong the sounder worked fine but I was surprised that all fish signals (about 12 for the day) came from less than 2m of water. Water depth within the creek ran to 9m but no fish were found in the deeper parts. Is this a usual occurence or do you guys find deep water equals more fish? The conditions for the day were as follows - strong wind, overcast, low tide, nominal current.

Cheers,

Red Herring

 

[PoddyMullet]

Hiya Red, that surprises me. I haven't got a sounder but I certainly would have thought a lot of fish would like the deeper pools...and in a creek situation I've always held that ambushing flathead especially like a deep drop off to wait by for some lunch to swim over the top of em. I'm a bit confused

 

[justcrusin]

Gday RH,
My uncle used to win a lot of fishing comps in esturary and his advice was always fish in 18 inch's (600mm) of water.
I think the basic scheme of things is the little fish are in the shallows the bigger fish waiting to eat them are just of the drop of in around the 2m of water like your sounder showed and will dart into the shallows grab a feed and head back to the deep. Then the deep holes hold fish that will take them so you would need to come across a school of jews excetra or noahs ark that sort of fish that will dart in and get the medium sized fish.
That the way i think it goes.

Cheers Dave

 

[PoddyMullet]

And buried up to their armpits in sand...good point Kraley. Has anyone sounded a flattie like that? :?:

 

[PoddyMullet]

To answer my own question....I should have read the other thread first. Interseting take on the estuaries Justcrusin

 

[Billybob]

Depends on the tide.
At high tide the fish tend to move around the estuary a lot more.
At low tide you should find them concentrated in the deeper holes, especially jewies and jacks.
Try another day, different moon phase.

 

[Squidder]

In some less tidal waters (Port Philip Bay for one) the fish are generally in shallow during dusk/darkness/dawn, then move out deeper as the sun gets higher.

 

[rawprawn]

some of my best Flathead have been caught in 1-2 foot of water. You wont pick them up on a sounder.

 

[yakfly]

red
it can also depend on what sort of bottom structure youve got in the deeper water.if the bottom is "rubbley" youll often find big bream,grunter and even squire hanging there and feeding on crabs,shell etc.
usualy smaller fish will head into the mangroves as the tide rises for protection but as it runs out they are then forced out across the flats and into the deeper water.the bigger fish will usually cruise the drop offs waiting and pick them off as they come out of the shallows.
did you have the sounder set to show the symbols or arches,sometimes the sounder will pick up things like jellyfish (there are heaps around bribie at present) and register it as a fish as well if its set on symbols
i use mine in my tinnie to mainly find structure like gutters,bommies,drop offs then start fishing areas where i think fish might be holding.

 

[Ferret]

Hi

I fish the Brunswick river and catch a lot of my fish in 1 meter, sometimes a frag less. Flattys and Bream don't mind shallow water so long as there is food available. Hooked up the biggest flatty I've ever caught in less than 2 meters. Areas that are sand flats at low tide are feeding groungs at high tide.

John