How Fish Communicate

[Sam]

From time to time we have had our debates on the Forum regarding the question of one bass telling another bass that it has been caught and not to take our baits. We have argued about the impact a trolling motor has on the bass plus we try to be quiet on the boat so we don't make any noise that can travel from the boat into the water to warn the bass we are around.

 

The BSX unit was invented and it was supposed to mimic baitfish and shad in different patterns and call the bass to your area. Now we have the Hydrowave that KVD swears by which puts out more specific sounds and I think it also may send out vibrations. I am not up to par with what the Hydrowave does or does not do so please let us know what you know about the unit.

 

So you can imagine my surprise when I opened my November, 2013 Bass Times and read the headline "Scientists are studying how fish communicate."

 

The article is fantastic. The research is being conducted by Matt Gruntorad of Texas Tech University with both salt and fresh water fish. The article documents some of the findings which I find to be extremely informative.

 

The study has taken the position that "bass can hear underwater and they are capable of generating sounds that communicate to other fish."

 

I am not going to go into the article's details but if you can find it on the Internet or subscribe to Bass Times (its cheap!) I think you will enjoy the article and the publication itself. I read it from front to back and have found it to be on the leading edge of techniques and baits plus the publication covers the various professional tournaments around the country.

 

One last item to share with you. Here are two paragraphs in the story that I thought everyone would get a kick out of. I can see you guys eating gassy veggies before a tournament; taking you pants and draws down; squatting over the side; and communicating with the bass based on the following:

 

"Even so, though their calls would be difficult for the human ear to detect.

 

"They don't croak," the graduate student said. "Their calls are very simple, very quiet. They release gas through the anal duct. It's like a fish fart."

 

OK you guys who are winning your club and local tournaments. Its time to fess up!!!

[.ghoti.]

I've always called a flatus a fish call. Looks like I was more right than I thought..

[slonezp]

I've always called a flatus a fish call. Looks like I was more right than I thought..

We refer to them as duck calls

[tatertester]

So its kinda like this....Hey Bass Dude , that was a good one, I'll watch out for that wackyrigged worm coming in at 4 o'clock, and, PLEASE , no more beans, OK.

[slonezp]

I wonder if JJ's makes an IBS friendly scent

[ww2farmer]

I swear they give me the finger sometimes.

[Montanaro]

Ever watch aquaman?

[tomustang]

They have big mouths, would think you could hear them easily

[bigbill]

What happens when it's a bass biting frenzy going on. When I hook each bass does it pass gas under the stress and send out a miss message to the other bass telling them the soups on. At this time my lure becomes an amusement ride and there lined up for a ride. It's that intense of a bite. 

 

Now I'll have to watch for bubbles behind my lures too.

 

I know that fish talk somehow as mammals do too. I had a sunfish hooked while reeling it in a big bass came across from the opposite side of the pond to eat it. I was about 4' above the shore watching this live action unfold.

 

I'm playing with one of my two kittens on a string in one room. I had no clue as to where the other kitten was at. The kitten looks at the door opening and says something I can't hear by its expressions.

Right after it does this the other kitten runs into the room to play too. Some how they talk and we can't hear them. I seen my three feral cats outside and as I let one in the house he turns and makes the same quiet gesture to call his brothers in too. Seeing this over and over has me thinking they all can talk to each other some how, in some way? Your going to realize that all gods creations can talk to each other.

 

 

 

 

[Wayne P.]

I have a bass hanging on my wall that sings. His name is Billy.

[Long Mike]

I thought they used Morse Code. 

[KyakR]

It's true that 3/4 of human communication is non-verbal. Maybe the anglers that are anal catch the most fish, though 

[.ghoti.]

I swear they give me the finger sometimes.

Never had one give me the finger..

I have had several give me the fin.

[bigbill]

I do believe they can hear as well as feel vibrations. They can send out distress calls too. I know there are times when there vision is limited to certain colors. And there are times they can see colors like we do. So far I've seen all the animals talk so why not the fish too. 

 

Even black bears hoot from mountaintop to mountaintop, why? Because they can't dial 1 800 collect. There looking for a mate. It's different than a owls hoot and if you mimic it perfectly I can call bears into my camp at 1am. It's three short hoots followed by one long one. When the sow gets separated from the cubs she hoots for them. I can hear the hootin from different directions at night. That's how they talk and get together. I find a lot of people who don't know this. When night fishing I hear these hoots all night till dawn. There were bear sightings near where I fish for bass. For that week early in the am just before dawn I heard the hootin. Then it stopped I believe they relocated it. I had one 100feet from me near where my car was parked in the dark. I just stayed fishing and by dawn it was gone. I'm fishing with my buddy and his six friends anyway at night(357). I'm never alone.

 

 

The beavers swim in front of me in the day lite slapping there tails.

 

The deer , does with fawns freeze and look at me or others play with otters if I don't make any quick moves. I freeze and watch them too. If the does tail goes up that's the danger warning white flag and there gone.

[Insanity]

Lol I was just telling my son last week. Even though we wasn't catching them I new we where on them cause you could see the fart bubbles coming up.

Gassing bottom. But il swear it fish farts from now on. Lol