Great Article - Study Indicates Bass Can Identify, Avoid Lures

[Gotfishyfingers?]

Researchers deduce flashy baits more likely to be avoided by fish

RAY SASSER

Staff Writer

rsasser@dallasnews.com

Published: 25 June 2014 08:43 PM

Updated: 25 June 2014 08:43 PM

Catch-and-release fishing is a wonderful conservation tool.

Largemouth bass fishing is better today than ever before, even on venerable reservoirs that first filled in the 1950s.

The only downside to catch and release is that fish may learn to avoid a lure that tricked them.

That explains why the fishing can be slow on reservoirs like Lake Fork, where we know from regular Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sampling that the bass population remains high.

It also explains why new fishing lures are effective until the fish have seen them and been fooled by them, often multiple times. Now there’s scientific evidence that largemouth bass not only learn to avoid lures, they’re more likely to avoid loud, vibrating lures than lures that require a subtle presentation.

The University of Florida has released findings from a 2012 study that addressed the issue of lure avoidance. Graduate students did the research at a private, 27-acre lake over the course of four weeks (12 fishing days).

The study lake had historically received little fishing pressure from the owners. It was shallow (maximum depth 15 feet) and the water was clear. Two anglers did all the fishing and were restricted to using just two lures — a chrome and black Rat-L-Trap lipless crankbait and a four-inch soft stickbait (a Yamamoto Senko in plum with emerald flake) — fished weightless with a 3/0 worm hook.

Researchers first used an electro-shocking boat to capture, mark and release adult bass and estimated that the lake contained 347 total bass more than 10 inches long.

Both lures were always rigged the same. The anglers used 20-pound test-braided line with four feet of 20-pound test-fluorocarbon leader. To negate possible skill difference between the two anglers, they swapped lures every hour.

Each fish caught was tagged with a unique electronic marker so it could be identified upon recapture. After 12 fishing days, 260 fish had been caught. That represented about 75 percent of the estimated total population. About 25 percent of the population avoided being caught with either lure.

The catch rate dropped from 2.5 fish per angler hour when the experiment began to .25 fish per angler hour after 12 fishing days. After three days of fishing, catch rates for the Rat-L-Trap had fallen from 2.5 fish per angler hour to .5 fish per hour.

Catch rates for the soft stickbait declined from 1.8 fish per hour at the beginning of the experiment to 1 fish per hour at the end of 12 fishing days.

The Rat-L-Trap had the lowest incidence of recapture. Only two bass were fooled twice by the lipless crankbait. The soft, weightless worm recorded 25 recaptures. Five of the fish were tricked more than twice by the worm.

Researchers deduced that while the loud, flashy crankbait recorded higher catch rates when the fishing began, the same flash and vibrations that first attracted bass were easier for fish to identify and avoid a second time.

With a much slower, more subtle presentation, the bass had a harder time distinguishing the worm as a temptation best avoided.

Experienced anglers could have predicted these results. That’s why we keep searching tackle shops for a better, or at least different, fishing lure. It’s also why we can revert to an old favorite from time to time.

Bass, after all, don’t live all that long. The fish we’re casting to in 2014 have never seen lures or colors that were popular 10 years ago. There are also days when the fish won’t bite anything. Thankfully, there are days when they seem to bite everything.

CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JUNE 28 — Dallas Fly Fishers will conduct a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department basic fly-fishing class from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Frederick P. Herring Center, 191 Civic Circle, Lewisville. Details from Richard Johnson at 469-877-0695. All equipment is furnished, but there is an $8 service fee payable to the City of Lewisville.

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 — Texas Archery Indoor League open to members or public at Texas Archery Academy, 600 Accent Dr., Plano. Registration at 1 p.m., with competition at 2 p.m. Details at TexasArchery.info or 214-960-4088.

MONDAY, JULY 7 — Dallas Fly Fishers’ monthly meeting with casual dinner and social hour at 6 p.m. and a program at 7 p.m. at the Wyndham Hotel, 7800 Alpha Road, Dallas. Jerry Hamon’s program is fly fishing from a kayak in the DFW area . The meeting is free to visitors. Details at dffclub.shutterfly.com or Richard Johnson at 469-877-0695.

Weekend tip

Topwater plugs are just about every angler’s favorite technique for catching bass. Topwater bites are often aggressive to the point of being savage and are invariably exciting.

For best results, use a medium-action rod for topwater fishing. Whether the lure is designed to walk the dog, chug or gurgle, you’ll get more action from a lighter rod. After the bite, wait until you feel the fish before setting the hook. That’s easier said than done but it is effective.

Ray Sasser

 

 

[Choporoz]

I don't doubt the premise...or the hypothesis.  But drawing a conclusion from the 'test' as described in the article would be nuts. 

Every single reader of this forum knows that there are thousands of other variables that could be considered when trying to determine why a fish was or wasn't caught at any particular time.  This was an excuse to go fishing and get college credit for it.  Not science.

[Master Bait'r]

This was an excuse to go fishing and get college credit for it. 

 

 

I don't know about you but I think getting college credit for fishing is just about the smartest thing I've ever heard haha

[HeavyFisher]

This is a great read, thanks for posting

[gulfcaptain]

What time were they fishing, water temps, season....etc.  All of those will drop off a crankbait bite if the fish move or change forage and patterns.  But I do believe you can overfish a smaller population of fish and cause them to become fickle.  Fishing local city ponds in S. Cal well they get lots of pressure and being small you have to think outside the box to be productive.  A new lure or pattern different from everyone else will work for a few days and quickly dry up due to the smaller population of fish in that body of water.  27 acres isn't very big, so you could quickly run out of fish that are willing to follow a quicker rattle-trap style bait.  Only thing this shows is if you fish slow you will catch more fish.  Ummm, yeah we all already new that. But yes if you find something new they haven't seen or fish outside the box from other people you may catch fish that some missed with lures they have seen all the time.

[crazyjoeclemens]

I think I saw an article about that, some time ago in a copy of In-Fisherman.  I think the main point of the article was something like "dont be afraid to try something different."  If you're on a lake that's got moderate to heavy fishing pressure, you might do better throwing something a little different than everyone else.

[Raul]

It´s no secret that bass do avoid lures, specially when they get bombed every single day with certain lures. There´s several small lakes near my hometown that being close to the city get beat by everbody with pretty much the same stuff since there´s only two tackle stores which pretty much got the same stuff to sell, stuff that everybody has in their t-box.

 

Bass in those lakes has seen all the assortment everybody has in their t-box, so they do avoid most of it most of the times for most people, the catch there is the presentation. Same lure, different dudes, different presentations one dude catches the other one goes empty handed.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Mumbo jumbo.......

I've caught catch overs (identified by scars and markings) with the lures that were mentioned in the article. All the times I've used vibrating and "loud" lures, I've caught plenty of LMB.

Article is just opinion based. Can't draw a sure fire conclusion from it.

[F14A-B]

It's very easy to see that the study is easily Flawed, Land Surveying is a Exact Science, I can't imagine they consider that study as Exact Data collection either, it's simply impossible to suggest the data they suggest as Scientific, to have truthful merit. They did a study to teach basic data collection and failed to report it properly. The General Hypothesis has already been fairly understood.

[Catt]

ROFLMAO

12 straight days throwing the same lures & you didn't expect a dropoff?

Try fishing a 3 day tournament & see how well your pattern holds up!

[tomustang]

I'll have to remember this when I fish the same 27 acre pond..

[einscodek]

This study does not conflict with the things I know and experienced.

[Raul]

It's very easy to see that the study is easily Flawed, Land Surveying is a Exact Science, I can't imagine they consider that study as Exact Data collection either, it's simply impossible to suggest the data they suggest as Scientific, to have truthful merit. They did a study to teach basic data collection and failed to report it properly. The General Hypothesis has already been fairly understood.

 

In simple plain English for us dumb illeterate rednecks pleez ?  cuz we don´t read too good ya´know.

[Deleted account]

What was posted is synopsis of the study in an article. There is no way of knowing based on that was was actually done, or how scientifically valid it is. I have found from experience that bass do tend to avoid hard baits longer than soft baits. Also the two chosen baits are biased, as a T-rigged senko will catch bass most days, where as crankbaits are more day specific. Sure on days where they have the feed bag on, a reaction bait will outfish a slower presentation, but day in and day out the soft plastic will outfish it.

[Bankbeater]

They should have been using a jig and craw.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

I got one of those fancy shmancy new Livingston lures for my bday last month. You know, the Randy Howell one that makes the vibrating noise when both sets of trouble hooks are wet. I went to three bodies of water and that he was getting tore up. "Subtle" minnows. Nothing. There. Now let me write and article.......

[jigabooyah]

Just like Bass become conditioned to spinner baits. Yet, they consistently work at the right times.

Humans will always be fooled by fish. That is why fishing is so much fun.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

The only thing predictable about bass is their unpredictability.

[Bladesmith,]

I own and manage a small (1/2 acre) bass pond. I have spent time studying the behavior of the bass in this pond. These bass can give you the catalog order no. and retail price of any lure in my box. I find that they will remember a particular lure for a couple weeks. In other words, if I catch a few on a spinner bait this week, I had just as well not use a spinner bait for a couple weeks. I am not saying the bass recognize the particular bait but that type of bait will not catch them for a couple weeks. An interesting point is that I will only catch a few at a time and all the others seem to avoid that type of bait. The exception to this is a plastic worm. Worms seem to produce regardless of how often I use them. Not exactly a scientific experiment just experience with my particular pond.

[Hyrule Bass]

i used to live on a farm for about 7 years that had a small pond maybe 1/2 to 3/4s of an acre big, it was full of bass and bluegill. at one time all i fished was berkeley red shad worms. the bass never got tired of them. eventually i wanted to try different things and it became my test pond for new lures and techniques, it was pretty clear so i could see my baits action a lot of the time. but when nothing else worked, the berkeley red shad worm always did(except in winter, then the bass liked silver husky jerks and silver manns minus 1s). the berkeley worked on days when the zoom red shad worm didnt, and red shad kinami flash senkos didnt. one thing i can say, ive only had one successful day on that pond where lipless cranks(red eye shads) were the hot bite. there were two more baits ranked closely to the berkeley red shad worm but not quite as good in that pond, 2. was the baby rage craw in summer craw and 3. any shade of green colored lizards, i used rage tail and zoom mostly. Havoc Pit Boss could be one of those baits maybe, havent fished it there but twice though. oh, and ive never caught a bass in that pond with a popper, they just dont work there lol.

 

Whether or not bass can or cannot identify and avoid lures, im not sure thats what i pull from that article. theres something there to be learned im sure, just not sure if it what the title of the article claims...

[hoosierbass07]

 This is only my second year fishing as an adult and I've been trying to read and study up on bass fishing since I started fishing.  One thing I've noticed - there are lots of "wives tales" out there, even so called "studies" by "university student PHDs" and end the end they are still "wives tales."   Only thing that is almost a fact - soft plastics (worms) are the a great all around producer of catching bass because so many people have confirmed this is true, including me.  Everything else should be taken with a big grain of salt.