One More Thing For The Tackle Box

January 12, 2005
By Joan Carter

More Articles By Joan Carter

Every angler has a tackle box jammed with stuff he or she never uses. These items usually don't include anything practical like antibiotic ointment, band-aids, or bee sting medication. I know a fellow that never leaves home without his fish whistle. Don't ask!!! But among the truly useful things like pliers, a fish club, a scale, and a tape measure, you should also include a thermometer. No silly, you aren't going to take the fish's temperature; there is a much more important reason to pack this handy little item.

It is a scientifically proven fact that every species of fish has a preferred temperature zone. This is the area where fish will stay and feed. You must first establish what this zone is for the fish you are targeting. You don't need to purchase some sophisticated electronic device - any inexpensive thermometer will do. Begin taking readings from the surface down, at five-foot intervals, until you located the correct zone and depth for the species you are seeking.

Here are some examples:

Species	Lower Avoidance	Optimum	Upper Avoidance
Atlantic Salmon		62 (17C)
Crappie	60	70 (21.1 C)	75
Bluegill	58	69 (21 C)	75
Brook Trout	44	59 (15 C)	70
Brown Trout	44	55-65 (13-18 C)	75
Channel Cats	55	82-89
Coho Salmon	44	54 (12.2 C)	60
Lake Trout	42	50-59
Largemouth Bass	60	80 (21-23 C)
Rainbow Trout	44	48-65 (9-18 C)	75
Smallmouth Bass	60	65-68 (18-20 C)	73
Steelhead	38	48-52 (9-11 C)

This should give you some extra ammunition when you are out scouting fish. Not only does it give you instant input about water temperatures, but it can be a big help when fishing still waters. Bottom springs are vital to fish during low-oxygen ice-in periods, in summer when they provide cooler, well oxygenated water, and again in autumn as potential sites for spawning. Your thermometer can identify these underwater springs.

So the next time you are out shopping for tackle, pass over the fish scalers, the Technicolor bass lures, and maybe the fish whistle, and put a thermometer in your shopping cart. It could prove to be just the ticket when you are sure the fish are there somewhere, but you haven't figured out where somewhere is.