Fishfinders scare fish?

I tried searching for the topic but couldn’t find it.

Do you think fishfinders scare or alter fish behavior?

Trolling in a lake your lure is way behind the boat. Mooching or rock fishing it is right below you.

I have put my hand under the transducer when it was on and I could feel it especially in my knuckles.

At a minimum they should be able to hear/feel it.

Rob

Not at the low power/low frequencies a sports sonar uses.

Do you think fishfinders scare or alter fish behavior?

No. Here's a video where a guy tests a FF in his aquarium:

maybe-- in certain water type - with more debri they can sense disturbance ....im for sure that a decent sized 12 volt battery and a FF is detectable by a nearby GWS -in the right type waters-in the right conditions-  FOW - - sending down and getting back ,dolphin like returns off objects  etc

Hmmm, sending out signature Dolphin clicks to warn off sharks. Might be a thing? I'd buy that product...

It's an interesting question that you'll probably never know the answer to. 

When I was a kid and fishing with my Dad he would get mad at me for throwing rocks in the water, he said it scared the fish. Boulders chucked in the water maybe, but as I got older and experimented I found that if I threw a small rock into water (clear with fish in sight) the fish would immediately come and investigate, even if at first spooked by a larger rock they came back to investigate (maybe it's something to eat).

I've read articles that say to turn off the FF when targeting certain species like WSB.

Bait fishing on the bank, I seem to get just as many bites (or seems like more) with boat traffic as without.

Report back if get some info to share.

Hmmm, sending out signature Dolphin clicks to warn off sharks. Might be a thing? I'd buy that product...

Dolphin sounds might be counterproductive. Orca sounds would be a different story...

It's an interesting question that you'll probably never know the answer to. 

When I was a kid and fishing with my Dad he would get mad at me for throwing rocks in the water, he said it scared the fish. Boulders chucked in the water maybe, but as I got older and experimented I found that if I threw a small rock into water (clear with fish in sight) the fish would immediately come and investigate, even if at first spooked by a larger rock they came back to investigate (maybe it's something to eat).

I've read articles that say to turn off the FF when targeting certain species like WSB.

Bait fishing on the bank, I seem to get just as many bites (or seems like more) with boat traffic as without.

Report back if get some info to share.

When I first started throwing big swimbaits for bass my friends (and dad too) would give me a bunch of grief about it sounding like a I was chucking big rocks in the water.  In situations where the fish are aggressively feeding I haven’t found that it’s not all that detrimental and there’s been quite a few fish that absolutely smash it as soon as it hits the water.  A lot of time I’ll rip the bait a good one as it touches down, like a fleeing bait, and it can trigger bites also. 

In regards to fishfinders scaring fish.  I sat in on a seminar at last years fred hall show and the speaker, Butch Brown, is one of the most prolific trophy bass anglers in the history of bass.  He did recommend turning the electronics and even trolling motors off when approaching big bass habitat. It’s not so much that it scares fish but the big smart girls  get conditioned to to the ticking of a ducer or whirl of a trolling motor and It makes them wary.  When you think about how many boats power through areas droppin baits all over it makes sense.

 

I’ll have to try with and without. It just seems that there is quite a bit of power behind the tick.

Probably never know for sure.

Do you think fishfinders scare or alter fish behavior?

No. Here's a video where a guy tests a FF in his aquarium:

It may not spook/startle them but maybe warn them or make them uneasy? 

I have no idea. Maybe they hear it but it doesn’t bother them that much.

Thanks

I was just watching an episode of TacticalBassin where they Matt Allen was saying some guy fishing swimbaits for big bass will turn off their sonar, park their boat, and wait a bit before they throw that first cast all so the fish isn't disturbed by the presentation with the unnatural elements.

Maybe it works, maybe its paranoia.

Maybe it works, maybe its paranoia.

IMHO, it's the fisherman's version of an old wives tale...

I did fishing for striped bass my fish finder always on, don't see any effected.

They have to be able to hear the clicking noise but I guess it just doesn’t bother them. Like random background noise or something.

IMHO they cant tell or otherwise aren't bothered by it. I think fish get so accustomed to more invasive sounds like motors, shrimp clicks, etc... but I'll never know!