I have a creek/canal in my backyard and I notice different water movement and wonder what it is and how it affects fishing.

 

Sometimes it is completely calm and other times it has current in certain areas:

 

current mainly toward the center and calm toward the shore but not dispersed equal

 

Is this a channel, growth under water or what is it?

 

Any help appreciated

The study of instream hydrology is deep and a topic of doctoral thesis. Go online and find what you are looking.

Notice when you flush a toilet the water turns (coriolis effect) counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere. Water flowing in a stream bed also wants to spin counter cockwise, doesn't want to flow in a straight path.

The coriolis effect causes stream, rivers, creeks to meander or zig zag disrupting the flow of the water.

The shallow water at the edge (toe) of the stream bed flows at a different rate of speed then the deeper water.

There is a seam where the slower shallower water meets the deeper faster flowing water, this zone usually has ripples, smooth slower shallow meets faster deeper water. You may be looking at these transition zones. Transition zone seams have little current and for this reason fish prefer to position in these areas.

Tom

Really depends on the strength of current.. I'd look for cover or weeds along the edges and even bottom where current is reduced depending upon its strength.  If its strong current, look for breaks in that or bends in the creek or where the creek transitions from a narrower area to a wider area where current will subside some.

"Generally" barring chaotic effects, flow will be more visible on the top and middle of the channel since its the path of least resistance..similar to water pipe flow I'd expect the flow to be laminar.. if the current is strong then turbulent flow may occur and the effect is similar but the path is more varied and chaotic and the current cant be judge from surface inspection alone as the current underneath may vary..then all bets are off whats going on subsurface

Not sure what body of water you're referring to, but it's possible that it might be the movement of the tides that you are observing.

 

Hydrology is a huge topic as WRB said, but learning about it can help you become a much better angler.

Likely your canal, considering where you are, is a manmade or man-altered one. It shouldn't be complicated. Find out where it comes from and where it goes. Google Earth it, and/or ask around at marinas, your local USGS office, state waterworks, DNR, etc... Water flow is related to something, and therefore predictable at some level -probably precipitation, possibly ground water, possibly tides, and/or some sort of artificial regulation.

 

As to the fishing, current has a major influence on fish activity as it can corral fish, esp prey fishes, and make them predictable/vulnerable in places.

 

An example:

 

I used to fish a canal that had current issued by locks that moved boat traffic at irregular times throughout the day. When a lock opened and discharged its water (and boat) a surge would be sent on down the canal. When the surge came through (current increased) in my particular area I'd make good use of it. Some specific examples:

 

Pike are really sensitive to current as places to hunt from. I would fish bends in the channel that created eddies that sucked in prey fish, the pike set up there in ambush. Without current things "loosened up" enough that the fishing wasn't there. But when a current ran, things "tightened up" and BANG! 

 

Another spot on the same canal was a backwater lagoon that was separated from the main canal by a small channel cut between two rip-rap lined bars. Fishing was slow until the current picked up creating an oscillating current into the lagoon then out, like a giant lung inhaling and exhaling. This current sucked silversides into the eddies tight along the downcurrent ends of the rip rap bars and smallmouths, walleyes, white bass, and crappies were on them! The hot fishing was along the downcurrent ends of the bars, where the swimming ability of the little minnows was compromised. The current, again, oscillated, changing direction every hour or so, and the fishing with it, until the current subsided (until the next lock opened).

 

Another current story … I know of a small channel in a local pond, all of 30 feet long, that gets wind generated current through it strong enough to impact bluegill swimming ability. The largemouths take advantage, and so do I in turn. Give me enough wind from the right wind direction and it becomes part of a milk run.

 

I could tell a lot of stories of such current induced opportunities. Start hoofing, have fun, and find your own! They are there. You just have to see them.

Taking a closer look the the original ? location, Miami, FL, this is more than likely tidal flow in a corps of engineers channel. The bass would be LMB and like all fish they prefer to face into current. Man made channels were not engineered for the benefit of fish, so little mid channel structure elements other than a smooth bottom. The channel sides and vegetation over hanging become places where the bass can ambush prey.

Channels were made to straighten out natures zig zag waterways for ease of navigation and increase water flow between lakes or rivers.

Tom

Likely your canal, considering where you are, is a manmade or man-altered one. It shouldn't be complicated. Find out where it comes from and where it goes. Google Earth it, and/or ask around at marinas, your local USGS office, state waterworks, DNR, etc... Water flow is related to something, and therefore predictable at some level -probably precipitation, possibly ground water, possibly tides, and/or some sort of artificial regulation.

What we mostly have in South Florida are man made canals.  Water is regulated from Lake O, and these canals have very little current and a times no current, much of the water movement is caused by the wind.  Tidal canals are different than the freshwater ones, water level and current changes with the ocean tide, in some places fresh and saltwater canals do meet.  I've got canal in Boca where I can catch snook, jacks, snapper, tarpon and LMB.

These canals are a marvel to engineering, South Florida is a swamp, areas have been dried out for farming and building of cities, these canals direct the water, you can't get rid of it.  At one time the Glades went nearly to the ocean, now in many places it's more than 10 miles from the coast.