HYDROWAVE GIMMICK OR NOT

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on December 4, 2011 at 9:19pm

I'm not saying it lives up to the hype, or not; but I will say it is developed to mimic schools of threadfin shad.  Since we don't have threadfin shad as a forage in our lakes, I cannot see that this would be that useful in Washington.  Now if they want to send one for me to test, I would give it a try. 

 

ciao,

Marc

Permalink Reply by Jim Smith on December 5, 2011 at 1:38pm

I should have one after the Portland Show Marc.  We recently picked them up as a vendor and Mike is going to get one for me.

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on December 5, 2011 at 4:41pm

Good deal, I will be interested to see how you like it. At least you have small shad in the columbia so it will likely be more useful there.

Permalink Reply by Ronald Hobbs, Jr. on December 6, 2011 at 8:08pm

I have had one since last year, has it made a difference, I don't know but I defiinetely don't think it hurt either. I talked to hydrowave personally before purchasing and answered all the questions I had for them.  They are a great company, that stand behind there product 100%  I did notice some "different" things, like fish all the sudden appearing on or near the surface in 20' of water.  I also think that it kept schooling fish up longer.

Lets think of it this way, does a Rattle Bait call in fish to bite? How many come to the noise and bite, how many come to the noise but don't bite? The jury is still out with me, but since it doesnt hurt why not use it.  Kind of like scent, does it make a diffence, maybe, maybe not, sometimes, sometimes not.

Permalink Reply by Ronald Hobbs, Jr. on December 6, 2011 at 8:19pm

Honestly the sounds that it produces, sound alot like a rattle bait, shad sound like an LV-100, or yo zuri, where as the shiner is a much deeper sound.  You will have to hear it, to me it doesn't really sound like fish at all.  How do fish detect noise? Is noise, really a wave, does this mean underwater it is more like a vibration that can be felt too?

I think the same baits rattlebaits etc. that are suppose to mimic sounds and vibrations of fleeing shad work great up here so why not just a shad sound?  Do you think that a school of small perch or smolt sound differently than shad or shiners? Enough of a difference to really be detected?

 

2 rocks clanged together underwater by a scuba diver attracts alot of smallies, they are curious in my opinion, will this noise maker make these fish curious enough to start looking in the direction that your baits are coming from, and will this noise not solicite a negative cue but a positive one? Who knows?

 

I would like to hear what all the fish underwater sound like, I bet most sound quite similar to either a shad or a shiner. If they had school of perch, smolt, stickleback, or kokanee It would inspire more confidance in the machine, but until then I will keep using my hydrowave, like I said it hasn't hurt yet.
Marc Marcantonio said:

Good deal, I will be interested to see how you like it. At least you have small shad in the columbia so it will likely be more useful there.

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on December 7, 2011 at 6:37pm

There is no doubt in my mind that a school of shad will sound different to a predatory fish than a school of yellow perch.  The shape of the bodies, the freqency of tail beats, the slick vs. rough texture of the scales, the fin shapes, the shape of the schools, and many other factors all make a difference.

 

That being said, the only way to know if the "difference" makes a difference is to let the bass tell you.  Barbancourt and Cuervo Gold don't look or taste the same, but I like to drink either one.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ronald Hobbs, Jr. on December 8, 2011 at 4:59am

LOL I like tequila!  The Hydro wave has like 7 sounds some from shad some from shiners.  I was told that the shiner sounds were more universal when it came to perch, smolt, etc. it was one of the many questions I asked before I purchased mine.

Marc Marcantonio said:

There is no doubt in my mind that a school of shad will sound different to a predatory fish than a school of yellow perch.  The shape of the bodies, the freqency of tail beats, the slick vs. rough texture of the scales, the fin shapes, the shape of the schools, and many other factors all make a difference.

 

That being said, the only way to know if the "difference" makes a difference is to let the bass tell you.  Barbancourt and Cuervo Gold don't look or taste the same, but I like to drink either one.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on December 10, 2011 at 6:10pm

Any truth to the rumor that the Hydrowave gets smallies to bite unpainted football heads better than painted ones?!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Rodney Heupel on December 10, 2011 at 8:58pm

Only if the unpainted football heads are lead free! ;-) Had one take a painted lead football head without the Hydorwave today on Lake Washington. 

Permalink Reply by Chad Simon on December 10, 2011 at 9:00pm

I've also heard that; however, if you mask the chemical scent on the painted jigheads with some Tinks Vanish then results are indistinguishable. For a minute I thought I was confusing myself, but really it all makes logical sense! In my honest opinion I believe the only reason this Hydrowave device works is because of the curiosity factor of bass. It will be an after-thought in three years once everyone has one. I've heard some crazy stories about attracting fish with similar methods. I've heard of one guy attracting stripers by tapping a the bottom of his aluminum boat with a pool cue.

Permalink Reply by Phil Mehrtens on December 11, 2011 at 8:27am

LOL!