High Boat Traffic

[emetic]

Hi,

Was out on the hacking on sunday arvo with no luck at all. There was a lot of boat traffic due to the carols on the water being on at the same time.

Just wondering in everyones opinion if high boat traffic scares the fish off the bite? If it is the case, would i be right to say that the going could be pretty slow in well known spots over the next couple of weeks?

Cheers

[locodave]

I personally think it does. I never fish when there is too much activity going on.

[A.dawg]

With the Port hacking being so clear the fish are easily spooked but if you fish at places like ballast heap and other sand flats and not the main channels then the fish are herded straight to you

A.dawg~~~

[the elk]

The answer is probably yes, except for Kingfish that are actually attracted to commotion and bubbles in the water.

[jewgaffer]

Hi,

......Just wondering in everyones opinion if high boat traffic scares the fish off the bite? If it is the case, would i be right to say that the going could be pretty slow in well known spots over the next couple of weeks?

Cheers

Hi emetic. It depends on the area and whether or not the fish are used to regular or even occasional boat disturbance. If the fish are accustomed to it, noise and water disturbance from boats and even ferries doesn't seem to affect them noticably, and from my experience not at all in deep water.

I've had good bites continue on to hook up during noisy boat traffic many times, and also during heavy wake from cruise boats coming right over the top of roughly where the bait was positioned. No doubt many others have experienced the same situation in Sydney waterways where there is access for power boats.

I've fished for bass up at Penrith and began having bites, only to have boats with skiers in tow came or other noisy boats come closeby just as the bite started. The bites continued despite the increased noise and cross wake adding to the disturbance.

On the other hand, do not close a car door or even shine a torch at night and dont go near the water's edge when fishing quiet little backwaters in the wild.

Bridges and culverts still perform despite regular traffic. Some of the passing vehicles make enough noise and vibration to shake underwater piers right thru to the foundations, yet the bite is hardly affected.

The quieter the location is, the more need to stay well back from the bank and make as less noise as possible and show no lights at all particularly when fishing small backwater cul de sacs which can be the best spots in the river, particularly when fishing on the darkest of nights.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[tuna1]

very true were I fish for kings on the south coast they love the motor running

[tide'n'knots]

Hi emetic. It depends on the area and whether or not the fish are used to regular or even occasional boat disturbance. If the fish are accustomed to it, noise and water disturbance from boats and even ferries doesn't seem to affect them noticably, and from my experience not at all in deep water.

I've had good bites continue on to hook up during noisy boat traffic many times, and also during heavy wake from cruise boats coming right over the top of roughly where the bait was positioned. No doubt many others have experienced the same situation in Sydney waterways where there is access for power boats.

I've fished for bass up at Penrith and began having bites, only to have boats with skiers in tow came or other noisy boats come closeby just as the bite started. The bites continued despite the increased noise and cross wake adding to the disturbance.

On the other hand, do not close a car door or even shine a torch at night and dont go near the water's edge when fishing quiet little backwaters in the wild.

Bridges and culverts still perform despite regular traffic. Some of the passing vehicles make enough noise and vibration to shake underwater piers right thru to the foundations, yet the bite is hardly affected.

The quieter the location is, the more need to stay well back from the bank and make as less noise as possible and show no lights at all particularly when fishing small backwater cul de sacs which can be the best spots in the river, particularly when fishing on the darkest of nights.

Cheers

jewgaffer

I could not agree more with what your saying byron!

when we were kids one of the best bass spot was right where the sand dredge was sucking up sand and stirring up the bottom, it was noisy as all hell but it provided food and attracted fish.

I feel very much the same way as you in that the fish will become used to there surroundings if there is abit of noise on a constant basis they seem to become oblivious to it. A bit like a new baby in the house - if you sneak around whispering and tip toeing then the slightest noise will probably wake them, but if you live your life as per normal the baby becomes accustomed to the noise and sleeps well.

Where boat traffic and other noises become a problem, is in an area that is usually quiet and then there is for some reason noise that isnt usually there, such as the upper reaches of the hawkesbury during a bridge to bridge race, apart from being dangerous to be on the water at that time, the unusual amount of noise would probably put the fish off, however there is probably a similar amount of boat traffic on any given day in sydney harbour, but the fish still bite because they are use to it!

pete.

[slinkymalinky]

For a lot of fish you can easily see that boat traffic has an effect. When Jewhunter and I were chasing jellybean yellowfin a couple of days ago we first started casting to schools working the surface. The fish would appear and work upwind for a good 3-5 minutes at a time in a quite specific area on the downcurrent edge of a reef. This was consistent until more and wore boats turned up over the space of half an hour or so. With each boat the time the tuna spent on the surface got shorter until they would pop up for maybe 30 seconds and go down as soon as the first boat got within castng range.

Eventually we resorted to trolling and the schools were still visible in the same area but hanging deep.

Cheers, Slinky

[arpie]

The fish definitely shut down over Xmas New Year up here on Wallis Lake - the boat traffic is just amazing! Every man & his dog comes up & hoons round the lake. Being very shallow (especially the lower part nearer the bridge) the fish just disappear to the deeper parts - even the leases don't fish as well!

You would be better getting out very early in the morning or later in the afternoon into evening, or just putting around till you can find a spot that is out of the main traffic area (up small feeder creeks, around islands etc) & try fishing there.

CHeerio

Roberta