When does salt become fresh?

[Sean]

How can you tell if the water is fresh or salt....apart from tasting it?

[agnes_jack]

1. splash it in your eyes- if it stings its salt [smiley=bigcry.gif]
2. throw your pet goldfish in- if it floats belly up its salt

Sorry Tony [smiley=idea.gif]

[Sean]

No offence to anyone but it seems to me that freshwater fishermen are a bit less helpful on what they see as 'trivial' subjects, this is not the first post I have put up here that has not had a reply!! ???

[Fitzy]

I didn't think it was trivial, however the question is a bit self explanatory. When the salt content of water gets to almost zero it is then fresh. Id say probably about 3 ppm.
If you mean how far up any given waterway well it will be different for each one depending upon flow, tide, or anything that will hold the water up eg rock bars, bends, sandbars, snags. THere's no set rule.
Maybe expand your question a bit it might help.

If you meant how do you test the water to see if its salt or fresh, you can get a meter for it. Think a hydrometer will work as well. Also the higher the salt content the more buoyant it becomes.
Me? I can just feel it when I'm getting close to that salty stuff!
Fitzy..

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Sean,
Drop a fresh chicken egg in.
If the egg floats its salty (or the egg is rotten ) if it sinks, its fresh.
Might look like a bit of a loon though.
Think I read somehwere, that you get a layering effect as well at the transition point due to the different densities of fresh and salt water. So what you are tasting or testing on the surface, isn't necessarily whats on the bottom.
Forget which way around it is, but I think it is fresh on top of salt.
Cheers
Jeff

[Sean]

Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate it, I guess what I mean is, I have heard in a creek in Ballina they get bass in it but it joins the richmond river not all that far from the mouth, so I was wondering how far up the creek I need to go before I encounter Bass regularly...I know at times of the year they do move into the salt but I didn't think now was one. I just thought there would be a way of looking at the surroundings and knowing if it was salt or fresh. If you were in a place you didn't know, and there was a river how do you know if it is salt or fresh? I hope this clears the question up a bit....Thanks guys.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Sean,
Check this thread.
http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfis...num=1069490466
Might be worth sending matty a pm as he sound like he is pretty familiar with ballina area.
If you are looking for fresh, think Teven rather than Ballina.
Cheers,
Jeff

[Fitzy]

I do know that if you see water lillies its pure fresh, but cant think of anything else really. Think some mangrove species prefer more salt than others. Could ID the ones & use that as a rough guide.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

I'd rather see him out there with the chicken eggs.

[TimNQ]

None of this complicated stuff guys, just taste the damn water, if its fresh you will enjoy, if its brackish you will not so much enjoy and if its salty you will spit. Why try and scientifically examine it or something why not just bend down and dip your finger in, its really easy and if your back is the worry then dip your rod tip in and then have a taste of that.
Tim

[Sean]

Thanks for all the help guys, I take it back I think I will just taste it, that will be great just near the sewer outlets!!! Thanks again.