Will the motor scare the bass

snyper564

New member
I have a nice rubber duck inflatable its about 2.5m long i use a 5hp mercury engine its not very loud and i usually just anchor it wen i have reached wer i want to fish, just wanted to know even though it isnt loud does it still scare the bass in the area nearby or shouldnt it be a problem

 

thanks
 

Ryan

Sealiner
Even an electric motor will scare bass under certain circumstances - you should see how carp react to an electric motor
 

scuba

Senior Member
that depends fishton could help you here when it comes to trolling they travel at about 6kmph with a lure about 80m behind the boat...
 

snyper564

New member
its a 2 stroke would this actually make a difference? i do switch it off wen i arrive wen i fish should i just wait for a while how should i go about this?
 

Vaalboy101

New member
I think it depends on the body of water you are fishing. I doubt bass at the Vaal River would be too worried about motor noise.
 
switch it off a long way from the intended anchoring point, just drift into position if you can then you should be able to fish striaght after you've gently lowered the anchor thingy, if this is not possible then after the anchoring light up a smoke (if you smoke) finish it patienly like you really enjoy it, then rig up and fish..... or get a trwaling motor, them lgf's are a little more forgiving with that.
 

Cpt. Hook

Sealiner
As a rule the motor will scare the bass. They will regroup quickly though if you stay quiet. The bass in different waters will react differently. best to stop away fro the area you want to fish and drift in slowley and keep qiernt on the boat.
 

Fishton

Sealiner
I think bass are very inquisitive creatures and they are aggressively territorial. I have snorkeled with bass and watched them for hours. Your immediate presence is a bit daunting for them, but they settle quickly and then want to come check you out. (see my article at http://www.bassing.co.za)

Sharp quick movements with your arms do spook them a bit as well, but things like blowing hard into the water through your snorkel drain valve really attracts them, and they get quite agro. So the bubbles created by your motor could be an attractant whereas your boat itself will spook them a bit at first.

Look at Marlin fishing, your number one attractant is the wake created by your boat itself, only when the marlin gets closer does he notice the exciter birds, and last of all spots the conas / bait.

The other thing to consider when it comes to outboard motors, especially jetskis, is the fact that the thrust is creating bubbles in the water at the same time.  Owners of Side Imagers will confirm this, because you can actually see the ‘bubbles’ on your screen where a boat has taken off. 
 
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I was trolling for bass at Inanda on my way from James Bay to Dusi point, and noticed this youngster going wild on his jetski right in front of the launch area.  You can imagine what I was saying about jetskis as I was approaching this hooligan, but low and behold, as my lure went through this spot where he was doing donuts and things, I got hit by a really good bass (3.98kg’s).  So bring it on jetskis!  LOL ;)
 
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Ryan

Sealiner
Interesting info - thanks for the input Fishton.
We fished Leauge yesterday and batteld to find fish all day.
At the weigh in after all the boats had been pulled out we were horseing around on the slipway and we caught all the species save maybe 2 that took us the whole day to find in a matter of a few mins... - Why? Me thinks the water churning up the bottom on the slip brings many fish in...
 
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