[Lone Ranger]

The best part of the morning was the air temperature at first light (~67-68ºF). It was absolutely beautiful. Fished from 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Spent too much time on the main lake fishing odd-ball winter places and only caught 1 dink LMB. Fished the upper lake for yellows/LMB with Kastmasters and Hopkins spoons and only 4 or 5 small yellow. The water temp on the surface was 81 ºF and was 78.8ºF on the bottom in 33.1 feet of water by the no-wake buoys at the start of the river. It was nice talking with Spiderman, Toad, Baxter, Rippinlips, Tempepops and Bass Blaster. Not many boats out early. Beautiful morning. All I need now is to find the fish.

 

[d a]

I like that report on the water temp at 33 ft. How do you measure it? I had SDM in the backseat about a month ago and he has an underwater camera with temperature readings. I recall there was a much larger (maybe 10 degree) differential between surface temp and 20 feet down.

 

[Lone Ranger]

Denny, I have a water temperature gauge I bought at Water Dog Wily's. It's called a Thermal/Depth Meter made by Bagley. It was $60 + tax. There is a hook on it that I tie to the line on a rod/reel. Then I throw it out and let it sink to the bottom. I leave it there a 3-4 minutes then reel it in. I press the button once and it gives me a temp/depth reading at 5 ft, press it again and I get a temp reading at 10 ft, press it again and get a temp reading at 15 ft, and so on. The display shows both the temp and depth. I was looking for a pen or pencil on my boat so I could write down the temps at each 5 ft. increment, but couldn't find a pen or pencil. Otherwise, I would have reports the incremental temps and depths.

 

[Lone Ranger]

On those water temp readings, a lot depends upon where the reading is taken. In the old river channel, I would think the temp differential may be different then on the flats. About 3 weeks ago I measured it in the upper lake and there was more of a temp differential at each depth and there was today.

 

[d a]

Thanks Howard, that sounds like a useful piece of gear! Did you notice any thermocline this summer?

 

[Lone Ranger]

d a, that depends. Would you classify the thermocline as the depth at which the temperature drops real fast (to lower temps) or where the temperature stops dropping? I think the former. What do you say?

 

[d a]

Thermocline, where the water temp shows little if any change versus depth. Seen it on Sag?