Voltage tuning your boat.

[Iwannagofishin]

For those who didn't see the article in the magazine, here it is.
https://islandfishermanmagazine.com/is-your-boat-voltage-tuned-for-fishing/

 

[G-Auto]

Very interesting read.

 

[Foxsea]

This is a very similar argument to that posed for black boxes. Unless there is some serious stray current issues (which should be otherwise corrected) working around your boat there is no significant benefit to a black box. I'm skeptical of there being any benefit to "voltage tuned" lures, either. Some of the stuff he proposes such as marine anodes "spraying out excess ions" is simply wrong. More fishing voodoo.

 

[G-Auto]

This is a very similar argument to that posed for black boxes. Unless there is some serious stray current issues (which should be otherwise corrected) working around your boat there is no significant benefit to a black box. I'm skeptical of there being any benefit to "voltage tuned" lures, either. Some of the stuff he proposes such as marine anodes "spraying out excess ions" is simply wrong. More fishing voodoo.

It's not wrong... All metal releases electrons when in contact with water.. That is what creates rust and corrosion. I'm not saying this has anything to do with fishing, but it does happen.

 

[Foxsea]

It's not wrong... All metal releases electrons when in contact with water.. That is what creates rust and corrosion. I'm not saying this has anything to do with fishing, but it does happen.

It's wrong. Galvanic corrosion may occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact with one another in the presence of an electrolyte creating an electronic pathway for the movement of electrons. Similarly, if using metals which have a large potential difference, galvanic corrosion will occur faster. The reaction requires dissimilar metals such as aluminum (cathode) and zinc (anode). The electrolyte is salt water. Metal moves from the less noble anode to protect the cathode. Excess anode metal is simply not consumed but ions are definitely not "sprayed" out into the electrolyte as he suggests.

What it has to do with fishing is that some believe an electrically charged boat can attract or repel fish. Any field influence will diminish very rapidly as one's gear moves away from the boat. However, there are many other more important factors that will affect fishing success.

 

[G-Auto]

It's wrong. Galvanic corrosion may occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact with one another in the presence of an electrolyte creating an electronic pathway for the movement of electrons. Similarly, if using metals which have a large potential difference, galvanic corrosion will occur faster. The reaction requires dissimilar metals such as aluminum (cathode) and zinc (anode). The electrolyte is salt water. Metal moves from the less noble anode to protect the cathode. Excess anode metal is simply not consumed but ions are definitely not "sprayed" out into the electrolyte as he suggests.

What it has to do with fishing is that some believe an electrically charged boat can attract or repel fish. Any field influence will diminish very rapidly as one's gear moves away from the boat. However, there are many other more important factors that will affect fishing success.

Neither one of you are wrong. He said he was keeping it in "layman's terms". What your describing is electrolysis. There is always an in-balance in voltage. (similar to over charging a battery, acid will boil and that electricity charges the air with the evaporated acid) The same thing happens with electrolysis, the excess voltage is being released into the water looking for somewhere to go. Depending on how much it is this field can increase or decrease.

I also understand the "theory" of what it has to do with fishing, I'm just saying I don't know if I buy it either, but the sciences behind his study are correct.

 

[fishchaser]

I was a firm believer in currents put out by boats helped improve or reduce fish numbers. The old saying some boats catch fish others don't. But after switching from the old stainless downrigger cable to the new braided line I think the problem has been eliminated. Braided line does not conduct or carry current. Before your boat current was carried through the stainless cable as well as generated its own current with the resistance of trolling.

 

[agentaqua]

Thanks for the article, Iwannagofishin. The author could have benefited from an understanding of where stats fit into a study. He states:
Boat with negative (repelling) signature: 72% of the fish strike the 100-ft lure
Boat with positive (attracting) signature: 75% of the fish strike the 30-ft lure

-72% & +75% plus or minus what number? are the -72 & +75% statistically different? Seems pretty close to me. Was that randomness? This sure doesn't seem to be anything like a "conclusive" study to me.

But the commercial trollers sure take this stuff seriously, anyways. I haven't yet made-up my mind one way or the other. It could be possible that extra electricity causes extra electrolysis and that causes extra leaching/erosion (i.e. "galvanic corrosion") of zincs and other exposed metals that fish could smell.

I would seriously doubt if the rather minor amounts of electrical current themselves had any impacts on the at least salmon as those EMO fields would be exceeding small - especially given the distance fish are from the hulls. Maybe sharks and elasmobranchs - it could be different - they are often finely tuned to small electric fields and hunt using their electromagnetic sensitivity.

And even a 12v DC electric field is very small in area. The 0.5-07v difference is even smaller.

AND, on top of that...

Freshwater is a poor conductor of electricity - which is where that author's study was - a lake.

I'm not seeing where a salmon @ 30 or 100 feet from the author's boat could sense it.

 

[Purplemonkeydishwasher]

Sharks have an organ at the front of their nose(lift up the tip of a dogfish' nose and you can see the holes) called "lampullae of loranzini(sorry for the spelling). It specifically picks up electrical feilds and is used for feeding and avoidance. Salmon lack this organ, and from my perspective cannot sense electrical fields.

 

[Aces]

Scotty sold a lot of Black Boxes on this premise

 

[Foxsea]

Sharks have an organ at the front of their nose(lift up the tip of a dogfish' nose and you can see the holes) called "lampullae of loranzini(sorry for the spelling). It specifically picks up electrical feilds and is used for feeding and avoidance. Salmon lack this organ, and from my perspective cannot sense electrical fields.

Apparently, salmonids can detect weak electrical fields through their lateral line. However, the actual science to suggest that the weak fields generated by galvanic corrosion either attract or repel salmon is non-existant.

 

[Purplemonkeydishwasher]

Apparently, salmonids can detect weak electrical fields through their lateral line. However, the actual science to suggest that the weak fields generated by galvanic corrosion either attract or repel salmon is non-existant.

That is interesting that the lateral line can detect electrical fields. I had assumed that the lateral line was strictly used to detect current changes while swimming. I will look into that, thanks

 

[profisher]

I have had previous boats go completely off for days at a time...fish being caught all around me. Brought a meter out to the boat...got high readings...went fishing and nothing again. Hauled the boat up onto the ramp for 30 minutes after explaining to my afternoon charter clients that the delay would be worth it...made the changes to get the readings back into the desired range, splashed the boat and was back onto the bites with everyone else. More than once this occurred. A Victoria guide came up to Bamfield back in the 90's (August) during the peak of the Robertson creek run. We fished just outside the harbour and up towards Brady's Beach. All the boats were doing well all morning long...we ended up with 9 springs and lost more. (this was back in the 4 a day limits) He was right there with the crowd and not even a hit. He wwas pissed, frustrated and ready to puke. I asked him if he had done a reading on his lines...he wasn't a believer. I said no matter it won't hurt during lunch at the dock to check it...you have nothing to loose. His reading were just under 1 volt...way to high. I sent him to Ostrum's to get a few things that would help get the readings down without pulling the boat out of the water...which he couldn't do because his trailer wasn't in town. We got the lines down to around .65 volts. He went out that afternoon and did as well as the others around him. I have always found that when your reading are off...it becomes almost impossible to catch springs if fishing shallow. We were fishing 20-40 ft deep most of the time along the beach at the time. I've had detailed conversations with Malcolm Russel over the years (inventded the black box) and I know its not fish Voodoo.

 

[scott craven]

All the more reason to switch to braid !

 

[KCW]

Pure Voodoo ( I have mine set at 0.585)

 

[Viking]

i really doubt switching to braid makes all the difference in catching or not. i ve never run braid and always caught fish if they where there. imo i think stray or leaked voltage has more of an effect. more so when fishing shallow. if you fish with steel cable, you can catch em just as good!

 

[agentaqua]

There may be something to this voltage thing - but I am skeptical of the explanation that the salmon can sense the voltage difference. The electric field has to be incident upon the fish - which it is not unless they are within centimeters of the boat - even if they could sense it. I think the more likely explanation is that they may instead smell leaching zincs and other exposed metals from galvanic corrosion. That potential "plume" of metallic ions could extend hundreds of meters behind the boat until it gets diluted & mixed.

 

[Rayvon]

I use braid now ,but for many years used stainless with a black box.The top rods in our area have alway's been big believers in the black box and tuning for species.I consider Rollie (Profisher) one of them and can tell you I've been frustrated trolling beside him off Otter point while he pulled fish after fish while I struggled to get one.I think anyone would have a hard time convincing all the commercial troll fleet that they don't need black boxes.

 

[greenhornet]

Hello fellow fishers

I use the Black box and believe in tuning your boat to catch more fish !!! I know Malcom Russel personally and I’m telling you he’s the outmost expert on electrolysis. I had him tune in my boat about 7 yrs ago when I took it to him and he did some testing found out my field circumference was putting 12 volts directly into the water I had a shitload of leakage happening. He says to me when you have your springs on and there beside the boat are they launching out of the water and ripping under the boat etc I said yes !! He said that’s because your actually electrocuting the fish as it gets in the field because of the leakage. He went through all the wireing and metal to hull voltages found and repaired all my leaks to bring my field down to .800 of a volt. This is what you want. The box is designed to take the voltage and pull it down the desired voltage on the rigger line and is set to attract fish into thinking it’s a bait ball or food. Fish comes in sees the flasher thinks it’s his buddy eating and see the lure bait etc and grabs it. Each ball of feed depending on the size ie herring large,small, anchovies have a voltage that the salmon feel that’s how they locate their food source. I have the pulse digital box and set it to .345 on pulse mode. So the box drags it down to .345 then releases it it climbs back up to what your boat field is produceing. It covers all the voltages of the different feed bait balls. Believe me it works !! I order my stainless wire from Florida it’s a 7 strand wire and it doesn’t kink like the Scotty or other brands. Anyways I’m a firm believer in the box wouldnt run a boat without it !! Malcom did a few things to my boat as far as changeing zinc anodes and adding an aluminum plates on transom etc that I wont get into,When they say your boat is HOT that means your voltage is up around .800-.999. Of one volt. Our sports fishing boats are like little tonka toys to him,he dials in massive commercial tuna and salmon vessels and is known as the Doctor in the industry. The guy is a phenom and I recommended you get your boat dialed for unreal success !!

tight lines
Billydoo

 

[Canso]

I've got a hot boat, and the fish always seem to swim to the same side when they come in close before landing them. Before switching to braid I would clip off 30' back to get the lines away from the cables, worked great to get me catchiong again, Ive since repaired the voltage leak.