Live Scope signal affecting fish behavior?

[missoulafish]

Saw this brought up in the other Live Scope thread and was going to post about it any way. Figured id break out the conversation here for ease of finding in the future.  Anyone have any first hand evidence that the LS signal moves fish out of the area its deployed?   While it doesn't always seem to affect fish behavior, I have watched  the screen enough now to feel pretty confident that it 100% affects fish behavior but not 100% of the time.
Latest anecdotal evidence I have is from last Saturday. I was in 25' of water and could see a school of about 20 kokes coming my direction. They got about 10' away, did a 180 and went back the direction they came from. 

[Scranton Joe]

Interesting .

[LingEater]

It well could be a thing and may apply to regular sonar units as well:

"The mechanosensory lateral line system of fishes detects unidirectional and oscillatory water flows. It is found in all 30 000 + species of living fishes: the ‘Agnatha’ (the jawless fishes, the hagfishes and lampreys), the Chondrichthyes (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras), and the Osteichthyes (the bony fishes). It is composed of a spatial array of water flow detectors (neuromasts receptor organs) located on the head, trunk, and tail, and plays critical roles in a variety of behavioral contexts, including prey detection, predator avoidance, communication, and navigation. The lateral line systems of the Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes are particularly well developed, with superficial neuromasts on the skin and canal neuromasts in a series of lateral line canals on the head and trunk."

[thomasthepikehunter]

This is something people have been debating for decades. Maybe the sound effects them, maybe it doesn't. There's no way it effects them more than a spud bar, or drilling a hole. Nothing seems to send fish scattering quite like scratching your cleats on the ice when they are just a few feet below.

[jerryfishing]

I have definitely seen where fish react to Livescope transmissions. Especially in shallow water or fish swimming higher in water column close to transducer. I purposely drill separate hole for my Livescope transducer a few feet away from holes with poles or tip ups when fishing shallow. I have also learned how many fish react to "boat noise" when open water fishing too. You can watch fish heading straight for boat or hole and then immediately and aggressively turn away.

[Walks on Water]

I'm sure the fish hear the signal. Many of us have seen a burb swim up to check out a transducer, for example.

Fish have moods. I've seen perch scatter on the camera when people walk on the ice, but I've seen them not react at all, later the same day, in the same spot.

It is absolutely possible that the livescope will chase fish away sometimes.

[BUCKSKI]

I have noticed on my fl-18 that when I mark fish they often come up the water column like their being pulled

[FishDoktor]

Looking up frequencies, the Livescope appears to operate at 530-1100 kHz. Vexilar, Marcum, and Humminbrid CHIRP are in the 160-300 kHz range depending on the model. And some Hummbird (the MEGA) opperate at 455/800 kHz. Looking around at other forums where people have reported the same kind of "Livescope scaring the fish" question, it appears that most see it in that shallow water situation. Perhaps some sort of combination of the frequency and water depth (and maybe other water chemistry/conditions/weather/whatever), could possibly be contributing to it. Without a proper study, it will just be anecdotal. Like many things with ice fishing (and fishing in general), it will take some adjusting if you see/think there is a problem and you will probably find a way around the issue and still catch fish just fine.

[Iceicemike]

Coincidental? I have no idea yet! Seen that quite a few times with 34. Much more than with the 22! Everytime I scratch my head lol or is it just mood? Haven’t had much ice here last few years to really know lol.

[sdr27]

Great…. And I just got a live scope…..

Now I’m actually trying to not catch fish!!!!

[wyfrabill]

Hey SDR if your wanting to get rid of that live scope just leave it outback and Ill swing by and get it.

[lowaccord66]

Ive fished with friends and alone with multiple livescope ducers in the water and never had an issue.  Shallow or deep. 

[Whytie]

This summer I was casting for shallow lakers in 10-12ft of water. Was using a bow mount trolling motor to spot lock and every time it was running we could see follow ups but no bite commitment. I turned it off and let the wind drift us and we would get bit almost instantly.

At first I thought I was the location we spot locked in wasn't good but by the third time turning it off and catch right away I realized they were getting spoked by the bow mount running. The wind was only moving us 0.1 to 0.3mile/hr.

I'm a firm believer now that sounds can scare off shallow water trout, can't say the same for other species.

[missoulafish]

Friends fished Cascade several times last winter, general consensus was that catch rates were noticeably higher when the Scopes were turned off. (((shrug)))

[lowaccord66]

Less livescope users would make me smile for days.

[missoulafish]

cant disagree!

[ice4066]

X2

[lowaccord66]

Since reading about the topic here I smelled smoke and went looking for the fire.  Based on the reading Ive been digging into...science calls BS on fish being disturbed by sonar....some below.  More on the www if you are inclined to read the studies.....

"Hearing in fish has until a few years ago been considered to cover a sound frequency
range from 20-30 Hz up to below 1000 Hz in most species. It is now known that the
frequency spectrum extends down in the infrasound range (below 20 Hz). For cod,
plaice, perch, roach, and salmon, hearing thresholds have been established by a
conditioning technique for sound frequencies down to below 1 Hz. Tests on the
behavioural reaction to sound in juvenile salmon have been performed in a large tank.
Infrasound (10 Hz) produced spontaneous avoidance responses, while no such
responses could be seen at 150 Hz. Tests on down-river migrating salmon smolts have
also been performed. During a stimulation period of 170 min, only six fish passed the
operating 10 Hz sound source, whereas 338 fish passed during a silent period of the
same duration. The 150 Hz stimulation had no evident effect on the migration."

[thomasthepikehunter]

This summer I was casting for shallow lakers in 10-12ft of water. Was using a bow mount trolling motor to spot lock and every time it was running we could see follow ups but no bite commitment. I turned it off and let the wind drift us and we would get bit almost instantly.

At first I thought I was the location we spot locked in wasn't good but by the third time turning it off and catch right away I realized they were getting spoked by the bow mount running. The wind was only moving us 0.1 to 0.3mile/hr.

I'm a firm believer now that sounds can scare off shallow water trout, can't say the same for other species.

How can you be sure it was the sonar, and not the trolling motor scaring them? Or the radio, or one of the million other noises from a boat for that matter?

[HWeber]

I can agree it probably has some effect but imo it's exaggerated by most making the claim. At one point there was a person promoting vex over marcum because marcum uses a "stronger signal that scared fish". Is this another vex marketing claim?

[thomasthepikehunter]

I can agree it probably has some effect but imo it's exaggerated by most making the claim. At one point there was a person promoting vex over marcum because marcum uses a "stronger signal that scared fish". Is this another vex marketing claim?

Probably. I am too young to remember, but I know this argument existed since before the FL-8.

[eriksat1]

At least in a boat it's easier to follow fish, through the ice chasing them and drilling holes is hard. And I do know in shallow water less than 8 ft. A flasher can effect them. I know guys you say a down pointed camera is better than a flasher in shallow. If I can hear the transducer clicking, I'm sure the fish can.

[esox_xtm]

And for open water, if you're in a metal boat fishing for muskies gotta play Metallica really loud. Game changer... 

I actually know a guy that believes this (not me necessarily). Though when we fish from his boat, he does play Metallica (plenty loud) and we most often catch fish (usually more than one).

[michianafisherman]

I may never be able to find out unless the price of Livescopes comes down to my range.

My camera on a cable transfers sound from my shanty better than a sonar.
Have to keep from moving around our feet and scaring the fish.
A loud exclamation when a large fish pops into view does the same.

When they make a unit that will send the gps data to my mobile phone, then ill get one.
Set it up and walk away. You get the idea.

[lowaccord66]

At least in a boat it's easier to follow fish, through the ice chasing them and drilling holes is hard. And I do know in shallow water less than 8 ft. A flasher can effect them. I know guys you say a down pointed camera is better than a flasher in shallow. If I can hear the transducer clicking, I'm sure the fish can.

Scientifically a flasher and its frequencies do not affect fish.

[Timmer]

Great…. And I just got a live scope…..

Now I’m actually trying to not catch fish!!!!

That is exactly what I was just going to say!  Haven't even put my Mega Live through an ice hole yet.

[Fry Flier]

And for open water, if you're in a metal boat fishing for muskies gotta play Metallica really loud. Game changer... 

I actually know a guy that believes this (not me necessarily). Though when we fish from his boat, he does play Metallica (plenty loud) and we most often catch fish (usually more than one).

Not me I have a leaker 14' aluminum so I need to take some 9 Inch Nails.

[Scranton Joe]

Not me I have a leaker 14' aluminum so I need to take some 9 Inch Nails.

Slayer....

[BurbotsNBourbon]

Slayer....

Barracuda by Heart was written for this

[filetandrelease]

 Zombie in my boat