Transducer temps??

[RonSki]

It seems as if everyone is either staying home or not talking lately so I figured I'd try to stir the pot a little.

I've been hearing some crazy differences in water temps from what I get on my boat lately. I'm wondering if my transducer is telling me the wrong temp but when I'm actually at the same lake with someone else, our temps are similar. I'm not talking about a small difference either. I was told some people are getting temps in the 70's already but I haven't seen anything over 62. I know that temps will vary with the depth of the transducer, but as you all know, my boat drafts shallower than anyone elses so I SHOULD be getting the warmest temps, which isn't the case.

This really doesn't affect fishing that much, but when someone tells me it's 74 on one lake, and I go there the next day under similar weather conditions and get 60, something is going on. Too bad there wasn't a way to calibrate the temp.

I'm just wondering what everyone (if anyone is actually alive out there) is getting for water temps. I'd like to try to get some posts with the date, lake, and depthfinder model, (and also if it's on the trolling motor or not) just for comparison purposes. SOMEBODIES temp is wrong, just wondering who's.

The fish are NOT biting, so I have nothing left to do but to ponder tough questions such as this....

[Pat]

I haven't been muskie fishing for 2 weeks (at Loon). But bass fishing all over NE Indiana, I haven't seen water temps in the 60's for at least a week. I have a Humminbird 597ci (transducer-transom) on my Lund...so it sits a little deeper than some boats.

Big Turkey, Little Turkey, Palestine, Robinson, Sylvan, Crooked,-water temps mid/upper 70's.

Loon and Diamond were lower 70's.

[J Routt]

I had temps from 67-70 on the pay pond this weekend. Both of my transducers are on the back and read the same temps. Both Humminbird. Mine sits a little deeper than some, but I haven't been over 70 yet on Webster, Tippy, or Barbee. Been right at 70, but no more.

[TAN]

I had 71-73 last week at Bruce Lake, and 70-72 yesterday at Palestine.

I have two transducers - an Eagle on the trolling motor, and a Humminbird on the transom. They are usually about 1 degree apart, with the trolling motor usually reading higher.

TAN

[MACK]

I was at Webster this past weekend (against my will mind you...but that's another story). Anyway...fished from my old boat, which is now my brother-in-laws boat, the Pike Attacker. He has two fish/depth finders on his boat. Both are Eagle products. I don't recall the models exactly. One is about three or four years old...b/w model which is at the base of his bow-mounted trolling motor..the other...two season old now...lower-end Eagle model which is color and mounted off the transom. :shrug:

He and I fished for muskies for about 4 hours on Saturday morning. Early am both of his electronics showed surface temps at 68 and by the time we left the water at 9:30 am....we had found some areas at 70.

I then put my boat in the water later that day for some family time and I ran the electronics in my boat. I have two in my boat...Lowrance 104c off the bottom of my bow-mounted trolling motor and a Lowrance X26cHD on the console with 'ducer moutned off the transom. I didn't even lower my trolling motor all weekend. Hell...I never even hooked up the batteries. Never fished from my boat all weekend. Only fished those four hours on Sat morning...from Jim's boat.

I did run my electronics while out pleasure boating with the family and my Lowrance confirmed what Jim's electronics were saying and mine were consistent with his. Mid-day Saturday I saw surface temps at 70 and then on Sunday around 11am, when pulling my boat out of the water, I saw 71 in 4 feet of water by the launch...

LOTS of weed growth in Webster this year. Lots. Which has lots floating silt and particles in the water which are absorbing the sun's heat. They must not be doing the massive weed kills this year on Webster, or...at least...not yet. So far this year, I only know of one weed application being done which was back at the end of April or first of May...around that time. I think by this time last year, they had done three applications that I know of.

The weeds off the end of our pier this year are THICK and heavy. This time last year...it was a clean bottom. Great for the kids swimming off the end of the pier last year. Now, so far this year...the kids aren't too keen on the idea of swimming off the end of the pier...so far...

[RonSki]

I had 71-73 last week at Bruce Lake, and 70-72 yesterday at Palestine.

I have two transducers - an Eagle on the trolling motor, and a Humminbird on the transom. They are usually about 1 degree apart, with the trolling motor usually reading higher.
TAN

Thanks everyone! I think the above post from TAN might be the most important part. Could it be possible that since my transducer is only about 6 inches underwater that the top 6 inches is actually COOLER than what's a foot down? I know, dumb question but hey, look at who's asking The only thing that's REALLY messing me up is my Dad is getting the same kind of water temps that I am, and he's got a "big boys boat".

I guess I'm gonna assume that mine is 10 degrees off and try to figure out a way to check it. I have other temperature gages I can use but no idea how accurate they are. I'll work on it, but thanks everyone for heading me in the right direction. Stupid depthfinders...

Ski
P.S. - It's not me Eric, my temp goes UP when I can't catch any fish!

[biddler2]

I have a Terrova US2 connected to a HDS-7 and I had 69-70.4 on Webster Sat. Mine was alittle different then Mseyberts when we checked in the earlier afternoon but not my 10 degrees. The water has been about 4 degrees warmer in the Central part of the state.

[Fenski]

Ronski the problem with your tranducer is that you are so cool you affect the water temp just by thinking about going fishing.

[mseybert]

I fished Webster on Saturday. I have 2 lowrance 28cHD units one has a through hull transducer, the other reads through my minnkota terrova universal sonar. I showed from 68-71.