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Author Topic: How to tell where the mud/sand is from reading the water  (Read 1687 times)
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phillyfireman
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« on: September 27, 2009, 04:03:27 PM »
This season has been horrible with the trottline for me Tongue It seems to often I would set it in soft mud and the crab activity was next to zero. If there was a way to tell from the surface, what might be on the bottom would make it a lot easier picking a productive spot. For instance around bends,coves or a narrowing of a waterway(river).   Any help would be appreciated, thank's  idea3
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« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2009, 04:23:06 PM »
Quote from: phillyfireman on September 27, 2009, 04:03:27 PM
This season has been horrible with the trottline for me Tongue It seems to often I would set it in soft mud and the crab activity was next to zero. If there was a way to tell from the surface, what might be on the bottom would make it a lot easier picking a productive spot. For instance around bends,coves or a narrowing of a waterway(river).   Any help would be appreciated, thank's  idea3
Ask RD,   he knows how to read the bottom.... Wink Wink
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« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2009, 04:29:24 PM »
Quote from: captaincrab55 on September 27, 2009, 04:23:06 PM
Ask RD,   he knows how to read the bottom.... Wink Wink

 laugh laugh laugh laugh
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« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2009, 10:22:00 PM »
You need a decent bottom machine or a sounding lead and Octogon soap
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« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2009, 11:10:59 PM »
Simple. Tidal creeks are all the same. The water bounces back and forth.  The outside of the bend will be deep and eroding.  The inside will be shallow and sedimentary..  Sand bars will be where the tide washes the strongest.  Washing away any mud and leaving the heavier sand behind. Water currents want to travel in a straight line.  It only bends when it hits something.
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« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2009, 11:16:51 PM »
Quote from: jack1747 on September 27, 2009, 11:10:59 PM
Simple. Tidal creeks are all the same. The water bounces back and forth.  The outside of the bend will be deep and eroding.  The inside will be shallow and sedimentary..  Sand bars will be where the tide washes the strongest.  Washing away any mud and leaving the heavier sand behind. Water currents want to travel in a straight line.  It only bends when it hits something.

Simple Physics - the path of least resistance - when water moving slows down it drops sediment - swift water carries sediment. However I like mud - I find clams in mud - crabs like clams - works for me - finding the right consistency is the problem.
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« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2009, 12:03:20 AM »
If you get a good depth finder and learn to use it you can tell what the bottom is.  Wink Wink
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« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2009, 08:39:41 AM »
I tie a line to a metal bucket and drag the bottom in 1500 locations hoping to find a sandy bottom, similar to the WDS trying to find crabs. Grin
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« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2009, 10:27:20 AM »
Quote from: Summertop on September 28, 2009, 08:39:41 AM
I tie a line to a metal bucket and drag the bottom in 1500 locations hoping to find a sandy bottom, similar to the WDS trying to find crabs. Grin

any luck with this method?  Roll Eyes laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh
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« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2009, 10:57:42 AM »
thank's guy's   funny and informative, ya cant beat it!!!   Wink
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« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2009, 05:24:36 PM »
1. Go to Bass Pro Shop. 2. Select bottom machine. 3. Pull out wallet and pay. 4. Mount on boat. 5. READ INSTRUCTIONS!( IF this fails read and read and read again until head explodes.). 6. Field trial. 7. If trial is unsatisfactory GO BACK TO NUMBER 5! Cool Cool
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« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2009, 06:26:21 PM »
Then take it outta auto mode and read some more....  Grin
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« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2009, 06:29:13 PM »
Quote from: ACFISHERIES on September 28, 2009, 05:24:36 PM
1. Go to Bass Pro Shop. 2. Select bottom machine. 3. Pull out wallet and pay. 4. Mount on boat. 5. READ INSTRUCTIONS!( IF this fails read and read and read again until head explodes.). 6. Field trial. 7. If trial is unsatisfactory GO BACK TO NUMBER 5! Cool Cool


Whats a botom machine?Huh Undecided
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« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2009, 06:48:13 PM »
Depth Finder...   Wink Grin  Not a cheap one either... In my book there's only one, Furono...  Smiley
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« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2009, 07:40:53 PM »
Quote from: Summertop on September 28, 2009, 08:39:41 AM
I tie a line to a metal bucket and drag the bottom in 1500 locations hoping to find a sandy bottom, similar to the WDS trying to find crabs. Grin

Did you analyze the bucket contents?  Am I going to be restricted on the amount of sand I can keep next year?
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« Reply #15 on: September 28, 2009, 08:24:29 PM »
Good info Jack!....   Phillyfireman, I always thought that mud was bad, but lacked the experience to form a good opinion.

I fought the wind today and crabbed my normal spot except went a little deeper due to all the rain we just had in the last few days.
Most of my baits had mud dripping of of then when coming across the roller, but todays catch was one of the best I've had all year!!!! 1000ft
and I was done by 9:30.. all in the mud!
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« Reply #16 on: September 29, 2009, 04:41:04 AM »
Quote from: jack1747 on September 28, 2009, 06:48:13 PM
Depth Finder...   Wink Grin  Not a cheap one either... In my book there's only one, Furono...  Smiley
Yep Furuno is a good machine. I like one with split screen/dual kh capibilites, use the 50 side for determining hard/soft bottom, and the 200 side for finding fish shows. When I fish trapped I had a Sitex 210,you could split the screen 4 ways, 200(zoom and normal) and the same for 50.
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« Reply #17 on: September 29, 2009, 08:22:53 AM »
Quote from: ACFISHERIES on September 29, 2009, 04:41:04 AM
Yep Furuno is a good machine. I like one with split screen/dual kh capibilites, use the 50 side for determining hard/soft bottom, and the 200 side for finding fish shows. When I fish trapped I had a Sitex 210,you could split the screen 4 ways, 200(zoom and normal) and the same for 50.
thumbsup  Yup, I have a 620.  I got off to a bad start with it years ago until I met a guy who had one also.  He told me to disable the auto feature and use it manually..  Since then, it's been a true love affair.  Only problem I have now is it loses bottom around 800+ feet.  laugh
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« Reply #18 on: September 29, 2009, 08:34:24 AM »
Quote from: jack1747 on September 29, 2009, 08:22:53 AM
thumbsup  Yup, I have a 620.  I got off to a bad start with it years ago until I met a guy who had one also.  He told me to disable the auto feature and use it manually..  Since then, it's been a true love affair.  Only problem I have now is it loses bottom around 800+ feet.  laugh

Didn't know the wife could hold her breath that long Jack? laugh laugh
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« Reply #19 on: September 29, 2009, 01:01:09 PM »
Quote from: jack1747 on September 29, 2009, 08:22:53 AM
thumbsup  Yup, I have a 620.  I got off to a bad start with it years ago until I met a guy who had one also.  He told me to disable the auto feature and use it manually..  Since then, it's been a true love affair.  Only problem I have now is it loses bottom around 800+ feet.  laugh
Yes, always turn auto off. I like to fish subtle changes in bottom, turn up the gain pretty high like we did on the old paper machines. My old King bottom machine was the bomb 20-25 yrs ago.(except for the price of paper Shocked).
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« Reply #20 on: September 29, 2009, 04:22:35 PM »
Quote from: jack1747 on September 28, 2009, 06:48:13 PM
Depth Finder...   Wink Grin  Not a cheap one either... In my book there's only one, Furono...  Smiley


so is it furuno or sitex?Huh 
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« Reply #21 on: September 29, 2009, 04:35:03 PM »
Quote from: phillyfireman on September 27, 2009, 04:03:27 PM
This season has been horrible with the trottline for me Tongue It seems to often I would set it in soft mud and the crab activity was next to zero. If there was a way to tell from the surface, what might be on the bottom would make it a lot easier picking a productive spot. For instance around bends,coves or a narrowing of a waterway(river).   Any help would be appreciated, thank's  idea3

Depending on how deep you are intending to crab, you can carry a long pole on the boat with you.  Years (and I mean many years) ago, I knew an old timer that used to fish for rockfish in the upper bay.  He used a long pole, got into the area he wanted to fish and would stick the bottom with the pole, pull it up and look at the color of the mud.  He wanted to fish over purple mud.  That old dude was one of the best fishermen I ever knew.

As we get into fall, you definitly want to crab deeper and mud will be the preferred bottom before long, if it's not already.
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« Reply #22 on: September 29, 2009, 05:15:14 PM »
Experience is the best teacher. After you go enough times and pay attention to what's happening when you go (mud on your baits when they come up, mud on your anchor, your anchor won't hold on the bottom, etc., etc.), you begin to realize what the bottom is like. Then, if you pay attention, you realize that the bottom is similar in other places that have the same characteristics (off of points of land, in coves, etc.). Then, you might even notice that you catch more males in some spots and more females in others. Gives you something to look forward to, doesn't it?
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« Reply #23 on: September 29, 2009, 10:09:22 PM »
Quote from: flounderpounder on September 29, 2009, 04:22:35 PM

so is it furuno or sitex?Huh 
Furuno now, Sitex/Koden filed bankruptcy last year. For just determing bottom a two or three hundred dollar Eagle or Hummingbird will do the trick.  Color's best but amber is good. I don't about know up there but on the west coast of Fl. I look for mud or sand to set my pots for blue crabs. Shallow water 4-10' I use a wooden pole 12' long if I'm unsure. Deeper I use a bottom machine.
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« Reply #24 on: September 30, 2009, 10:54:28 PM »
Quote from: phillyfireman on September 27, 2009, 04:03:27 PM
This season has been horrible with the trottline for me Tongue It seems to often I would set it in soft mud and the crab activity was next to zero. If there was a way to tell from the surface, what might be on the bottom would make it a lot easier picking a productive spot. For instance around bends,coves or a narrowing of a waterway(river).   Any help would be appreciated, thank's  idea3
Is a sandy bottom prefered over a muddy bottom when troting? Undecided
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