Dock Barrel ....COLOR ???

[bassbull]

Is it just me our has any one else noticed that the black barrels under boat docks always have a higher percentage of biters around them . It seems that the blue ones would come in second but with a lot less than black ones. I'm almost to the point that if a dock has all white floats under them I'm just about ready to skip them all together I'm sure the black ones absorb much more sun and get hotter, also have a much higher scum growth on them. Just a few thoughts and observations I've made in the last few years. What do you think our am I over thinking this like my friend tells me some times. HA HA STEVE

[KrappieKrane]

I think you're on to something if the numbers reflect a difference between the colors. While most of the docks on my lake here in GA have predominately black floats, we do have some grandfathered docks still floating on the old white styrofoam. And they do hold alot of fish. Alot more than the blacks even. I've always thought the black colr generates more heat during the colder months and the lighter colors may be cooler in the summer months. You may want to check out the white color during the summer months to check for suspended fished that are closer to the surface than normal. Just my .02 though. Thanks for sharing.

Rollcaster.............

[Dave and Lynn]

Never really looked at this but will be paying attention from here on out. Thanks.

[Cmj]

Thanks for pointing this out, it makes a lot of sense.


(C.J.)

[Hayden]

I've heard how rocks, docks and other things can hold heat. I can't believe that the amount of heat
a float or bridge piling could hold could transfer into the water column and attract fish. Do fish really always want a
different temperature than whats available? If you go to a power plant lake that has a warm end not all fish
are attracted to that end. I've read that a stump can hold heat and attract fish, I just can't buy it. Especially if
you factor in boat wake and current.

[lhumphre]

Totally agree. My theory is the fish blend in or camouflage themsleves better near black barrels which creates a venue to ambush bait. Same thing is true here in Illinois with docks. The dark wood or dark iron dock piers hold way more fish than aluminum piers.

[CrappiePappy]

I've heard how rocks, docks and other things can hold heat. I can't believe that the amount of heat
a float or bridge piling could hold could transfer into the water column and attract fish. Do fish really always want a
different temperature than whats available? If you go to a power plant lake that has a warm end not all fish
are attracted to that end. I've read that a stump can hold heat and attract fish, I just can't buy it. Especially if
you factor in boat wake and current.

Some things do hold heat, as long as the Sun is hitting them ... in the same (but opposite) way that a dock, pier, or weedbed shades & cools the water beneath. Fish are cold blooded, and will move to areas (within a reasonable distance) that offer them the best temps & oxygen content ... either from one area to another, or up/down in the water column. Those that don't/can't will acclimate themselves to the water temps of their surroundings ... & their activity/metabolism will follow suit. Survival instinct kicks in, & they slow down to conserve energy. Their metabolism slows down, so they don't have to eat as often ... & even when they do eat, the digestion process is also slowed down.

The power plant deal ... IMHO ... the warm water discharge is only noticeable within a short range, so fish on the other end of the lake are unaware (& may never venture to that area, in their lifetime). Localized schools of fish/baitfish WILL congregate in the warmer waters ... as evidenced by the reports of people catching many species of fish from those discharge waters.

Heavy or constant current will move the warmed water ... but, if the Sun is still shining on the structures, it's still heating them (a little) and that trail of warmer water can be detected by the fish. Boat wakes don't really "move" that much water, as they're mostly pressure waves going "through" the water. Wind waves move the surface water, which is generally the warmest layer, which is why the banks or bays/pockets that are receiving those waves are generally warmer ... and why the plankton/baitfish/predator fish are drawn to them. This may not be the case, though, if those waves are large ... as the turbulence created by them may be too much for the fish to remain shallow there.

... cp