Using Contour Lines To Find Fish

[TheGreatestGoat]

Hey Guys,

So I'm currently embarking on a self-education course of how to read marine charts, and more specifically trying to use them to find fish. Recently watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzNqdgcArg8 by some guy from Navionics who goes through it a bit. Worth a watch. Not sure if anyone knows of any other good resources?

Anyway, just thought I'd open up a conversation about it. Seems to make a lot of sense to me to find the areas where fish move, and when. And a skill which you can use wherever you go without even knowing much about the area. If you can work out where fish will be a certain times, you've probably won more that half the battle. So who's had experience with it and what have your experiences been?

I thought I'd get the ball rolling by showing a bit of analysis I've done for whiting on some Navionics charts in Western Port around Middle Spit. All theories really, I have absolutely no idea whether my logic is sound/correct or not but gotta start somewhere.



What are everyone's thoughts on my analysis? Agree/disagree with parts/all? Feel free to post your own bits and pieces for the aid of others.

Cheers
Goat

[azkay]

Hi Mate,

I don't know much about charts, but i absolutely rate what your doing. Its definitely something i've been wanting to get into as well. I've been watching a few doco type clips on how to track. Just find the movement pattern's really interesting, following different temperature water currents, sitting where two different temperatures merge. Ambush predators sitting at the bottom of high current areas, etc..

I was watching a Fishing Show on Foxtel recently catching Swords where Captains were putting out lines with floats. Keep it in Warm Currents and they were bringing in Hauls.. Drift into Cooler Currents and they were plagued by Sharks..

[purple5ive]

i like your idea, have you put it to the test yet?
i fish mainly in PPB and this will almost never work there as theres next to no structure loll

[Wolly Bugger]

My fishing has not reached this degree of sophistication, how ever the more experienced westernport anglers will say that certain areas fish better on certain tides.

Using what I know about fishing rivers and streams, trout will lie in front and behind a rock, log as this is where the current is least, and wait for food items to be swept passed. There are also eddies, or bubble lines where trout can sometimes be found feeding. Other fish like cod like structure and deep holes.

It is knowing the habits of your target species as well.

[hornet]

My fishing has not reached this degree of sophistication, how ever the more experienced westernport anglers will say that certain areas fish better on certain tides.

Using what I know about fishing rivers and streams, trout will lie in front and behind a rock, log as this is where the current is least, and wait for food items to be swept passed. There are also eddies, or bubble lines where trout can sometimes be found feeding. Other fish like cod like structure and deep holes.

It is knowing the habits of your target species as well.

I was on a WP charter years ago and the skipper said anchor up on the slopes not the flat areas as the whiting feed on slopes ?

Dunno if it's true but we did catch heaps of whiting that day..

[DougieK]

That tool is exceptionally useful for landbased anglers to find access to deep water.

[Wolly Bugger]

My fishing has not reached this degree of sophistication, how ever the more experienced westernport anglers will say that certain areas fish better on certain tides.

Using what I know about fishing rivers and streams, trout will lie in front and behind a rock, log as this is where the current is least, and wait for food items to be swept passed. There are also eddies, or bubble lines where trout can sometimes be found feeding. Other fish like cod like structure and deep holes.

It is knowing the habits of your target species as well.

I was on a WP charter years ago and the skipper said anchor up on the slopes not the flat areas as the whiting feed on slopes ?

Dunno if it's true but we did catch heaps of whiting that day..

I was motoring up the Tooridan channel and there were a few boats sitting on the mud as the tide was falling. It looked like they had done it all before, and my guess was that they were fishing the incoming tide as it rose over the mud.

[laneends]

Thats the beauty of top end of WP there are an enormous amounts of areas with changing conditions like this to test this out. It can also make it a hard place to master.. Still yet to manage it.

[Broomstick]

Great post mate. I don't have anything to contribute, but I like the way you think.

[cobby]

You've got the right idea, especially on the Whiting. Except don't take the charts as gospel, merely a guide. Where that little mud island is on the southern side of the cut channel, for over a year a while ago that was the deepest and safest passage in/out of there right over the top of the mud on the map. Not all the contours are 100% nor would you fish some unless you're a complete arse and don't give a **** about safe passage for anyone else. The supposed lump north of the entrance isn't exactly there. Plenty of lumps both weed/mud and reef that produce good Whiting and Gummies all through the eastern channel and most aren't even on navionics maps.

Basically nothing replaces physically being there and using your sounder to read the bottom, the premise of your thinking is solid. Electric, lures and an overcast on the top of the flood can be deadly super shallow