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lake stratification

 
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katfish
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Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 1283
Location: Ohio

PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:18 am    Post subject: lake stratification Reply with quote

I was wonderring how much lake stratification has to do
with flathead concentrations in the shallower bays.

Since flats like to lay on bottom when at rest they must
move shallower when the thermocline forms and O2 levels
get low in deep water. I was wonderring if flathead stay shallow
after spawn because they find more favorable conditions of
cover and food or are they forced to because of the thermocline
and low O2 levels in deeper cooler water?

I rule out following shad shallow because the shad can stay above
the thrmocline in deep water and I see them there all year.

I would ask a flathead if I could find one Very Happy
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Last edited by katfish on Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kurtis



Joined: 06 Jun 2011
Posts: 7
Location: Columbus Ohio

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it is probably a necessity for them to stay shallow because of the lack of oxegen below the thermocline. As far as I know there are only a few fish that can live in the low oxegen levels. By the time that Brindle cats have finished spawning most lakes will have set up a thermocline.
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SeanStone



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Posts: 59
Location: Peebles, Ohio

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have always thought that catfish were one of the few fish that can tollerate low O2 levels. If this were true you could rule out that flatheads couldnt or wouldn't stay deep when stratification occurs. I find it more likely that the flathead are following the food source as it adjusts to stratification. Just as an experiement you could try fishing live shad in deep structure to see if thats what the deep flathead are feeding on, if flathead are there that is.
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ducky



Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 281
Location: t county

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SeanStone wrote:
I have always thought that catfish were one of the few fish that can tollerate low O2 levels. If this were true you could rule out that flatheads couldnt or wouldn't stay deep when stratification occurs. I find it more likely that the flathead are following the food source as it adjusts to stratification. Just as an experiement you could try fishing live shad in deep structure to see if thats what the deep flathead are feeding on, if flathead are there that is.


no point in fishing with shad until october, water temp is way to high right now.
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SeanStone



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Posts: 59
Location: Peebles, Ohio

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, that would make sence with the differing temps. Didn't really think that one through.

Heres an observation on catfish and water temps that I'll share:

Recently we have been fishing a warm water discharge on the Ohio river. The water temp near the mouth of the creek is 110 plus degrees. We fish a spot pretty close and have noticed some crazy behaviors. Before I go on i'll note that the warm water stays near the surface, probably penetrating no further than 5 or 6 feet. I know this because when I use a cast net it brings cool water in near my feet. Ok so heres what I have noticed. (2 parts.) First part, Every fish that we catch from deeper water and bring in through the warm surface is released alive sucessfully. (With the exception of Hybrid Striped Bass.) You would assume that a temp. difference of 20 or 30 degrees would kill a fish. Maybe this resident fish have developed a tollerance for the changing water temps? Just a guess.
2.) We have noticed that the Hybrid Striped Bass use the warm water to kill their prey such a shad, skipjack, and mooneye. They school the bait up and turn them into the warm water, where they die and drift down current. The hybrids then wait to pick the dying fish up as they settle to the bottom in the cooler water. Pretty smart huh? But the catfish have taken it further and actually persue the dying fish into the warm water. We have seen, and caught dozens of channels in the 3-8 pound range in 3-4 feet of water where the water temp is 110 degrees as they eat the shad or what ever before the hybrids can get to them.

I actually went out yesterday and drifted baby shad under a float from 6pm until midnight and found similar results. If I set the float at 3-4 feet deep and drifted it in the warm water near the bank I caught Channel cats and Drum, but if i set the float at 6-8 feet and casted 0 feet further off of the bank I caught Hybrid Stripers.

I'm not sure if any connections can be made to the thermocline of lakes, but if a predator has an advantage he will use it.
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