Last Updated on July 27, 2022 by Donnell Henderson
Simple yet compelling, this article explores the debate on whether fish finders scare away any aquatic life. Fish finders are the latest technology to locate the schools of fish beneath your boats. Although people think of fish finders as a cheat on the natural fishing phenomenon, that is what this new technology is for: to save time and turn your trip into a fruitful one. But is this innovation of fish finders not as helpful as they say? Do fish finders scare fish away, which won’t be good for you? Let’s have an answer to this widely talked about fisherman’s concern in this guide.
The debate over whether fish finders scare away aquatic animals has been going on for years. To get to the bottom of this debate, you must know how sound travels underwater and what type of noise makes fishes react in different ways. A lot can be said about the subjectivity involved in determining which side is correct; however, some facts are worth noting before making your decision. First, although the sound in water is not exactly as we hear, they are sonar waves and bubbles travel faster than air, so some vibrations pass in the water, not those big sounds.
How Does a Fish Finder Work?
We all know what a fish finder is, but how do they work? Fish Finders send high-frequency sound waves into the water, which bounce off solid objects to gather reflected signals. With processed data from these detections, an image of underwater scenery will appear on your screen, as well as information about where there are schools or large concentrations near you.
Many different types of fish finders exist with varying parameters such as widths, range, and depth that can deliver clear images depending upon specific needs for certain situations — like there are side imaging fish finders for shallow waters versus those for deep oceanic environments or commercial fishing needs.
Let’s look at what makes up the main components of a suitable fish finder. Two essential parts are Transducers and Controls Heads, but they shouldn’t be concerned with scaring away fish in a lateral line of fishing. The control head (screen and interface) won’t do anything if there isn’t someone operating it. Instead, let us focus on how these devices emit sound waves, which could potentially scare off or alarm fish and smaller creatures like trout or panfish near your kayak, and that’s through a transducer.
Do Fish Finders Scare Fish Away?
Many different types of fish finders and sonars are available on the market today. Some people believe these devices emit a sound that scares away any type or size creature, but there’s no clear evidence to support this hypothesis. However, a YouTuber, GC Jetski Fishing, experimented on a foot-long fish tank that had a few fishes and found out that putting on a fish finder might alert the fishes for a while, and fish hear to the generated sounds but it gets back to normal as they get used to it.
Just like, trolling motors create a lot of noise, which can be alarming to fish. Even if you’re only running it for short periods in shallow water or near shoreline areas where there are many other boats around, it’s best not turn your trolling motor off completely and then turn it on because they often become accustomed and unfazed by these sounds after a while. And then again most fish will be on alert and leave that area for a while.
Also, if you are the only one fishing out there from the dock or in a small boat during a relatively quiet time, and using a castable fish finder, then it might be possible that you alert the fishes for a second when you cast your line because sound travels faster in water than air.
As you can see, many things make more noise than your transducer. For example, bigger fish like tuna often venture into deeper waters when they sense the vibration from an angler’s line of sight. These creatures eagerly consume whatever food floats nearby at depths between 30 to 80 feet. Sound travels faster through water than air and bother fish, reaching them before any other type of communication such as scent or visual cues would arrive. Big fish may also hear other high unnatural noise, and not just your fish finders.
Is Investing in a Fish Finder A Good Decision After All the Debates?
The world of fishing has been around for centuries. Still, with modern advances in technology and equipment, there are more ways than ever to catch your dinner for high-power users like commercial fishers who need their gear efficient at finding large quantities of fish quickly. Sonar systems offer much better results because they can detect underwater sound intensity accurately through water without clutter or interference from other sources such as boat engines which might spook wary creatures into fleeing deep beneath sea level.
Furthermore, when it comes to fishing at a commercial level, high-powered equipment and sonar are used and have much stronger noises and frequencies. This means that if fish finders were to scare their prey away, then there would be no point in using these high-powered tools for commercial purposes; instead, they do an excellent job finding the catch.
This majorly busts the myth about fish finders being the scare-away tool for catching fish as the fish industry is evolving every day. As for hobbyists who are investing in a fish finder, they will find that it’s a good purchase when they get more fish. They will surely get results beyond their expectations whether they are having a shallow water fish hunt or a commercial deep-water fish finding.
Final Thoughts
Fish finders are a fantastic tool for newbies and experienced anglers alike. They allow you to accurately pinpoint the location, size (or limit), and structure of your fish without having any prior knowledge of how exactly they work, unlike other devices that may terrify adults away from their intended target group – such as sonar or radar. Sonar and radars will only offer you the sounds produced underneath and in the surroundings. However, the latest innovation of fish finders with higher frequencies has numerous features to offer to make the process efficient and maximize the results.
These handy gadgets will only help those who want more insight like movement, sounds, presence, cool tests, and even forecast into what kind of bait might be biting at the present moment. Now it’s up to the forum community of dedicated fishermen whether or not to get fish finders.
