From crappiemasters.net
What is Thermocline?..Whitey Outlaw
By Tim Huffman
Aug 26, 2006, 08:52
The thermocline is what the old timers called bad water and sweet water. Sweet water is above and bad water is below.
Very few fish will live or feed below the thermocline. Therefore, all your fish will be caught on or above the thermocline. If your depthfinder is set up with the sensitivity good and you know how to read it, you'll see a line across the screen. Also, you'll notice that all of the fish are above it. Another way is to use the double rig with two minnows. If you fish below the thermocline the minnows will quickly die.
Most thermoclines in clearer lakes will be about 12 to 16-ft.
We try to move to a creek without a thermocline. A little current is all you need to eliminate it.
If we fish the thermocline we have to spider rig and cover a lot of water because the fish are scattered. Or, jig the timber down to the depth of the thermocline.
You mentioned the depthfinder being set?
I like to ride across the lake and look things over with the graph in automatic mode. Then I'll put in on manual and set my grayline to about 18% and sensitivity to about 80%. A good depth finder with plenty of watts (power) lets you see more. Set everything up right and it will draw the thermocline right on the screen for you.
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