Tracking bass with radio telemetry

[Catt]

This should be an interesting series with Biologist Todd Driscoll by Ken Smith 

 

 

[scaleface]

I subscribed . 

[Sam]

Wow! Just what we all need to view and listen to so we can understand bass behavior.

 

Thanks for sharing, Catt.

[NHBull]

Thanks for sharing!

[Sam]

 

Catt, in his videos, Bigmouth, Bigmouth Forever and Feeding Habits of Bass, Uncle Homer Circle found that the big ladies would shy away and hide when they heard a trolling motor.

 

The video you posted confirmed this fact.

 

John Hope's Trackin Trophies by Jesse Miller is also a great read and I think this series you have posted by UL-Monroe Ken Smith will present updated information for us to consider.

 

I suggest everyone find the three Uncle Homer Circle videos as Uncle Homer and Glenn Lau watch bass in their own habitat as they were the first to study bass on a scientific level by a non-scientific person.

 

Here is the preview from Bigmouth Forever. Enjoy!

 

 

[Catt]

@Sam That's just the first video in the series ?

[Sam]

9 minutes ago, Catt said:

@Sam That's just the first video in the series ?

Right. Can't wait to see them all.

 

Only suggestion I have is for Ken Smith to wear an LSU cap.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Sam said:

Right. Can't wait to see them all.

 

Only suggestion I have is for Ken Smith to wear an LSU cap.

 

I know he's from Dallas, not sure if he's a Aggie or Horns fan.

 

After being voted the #1 lake two yrs in a row it suffered drastic changes since then.

 

The lake level reached historic lows, then historic flooding, & spraying for Gaint Salvinia. As a result the lake lost all the grass it was famous for.

 

Many anglers believed the loss of grass caused a fish kill but zero evidence supports this.

 

Many anglers believe after being #1 for two yrs in a row brought so many anglers the lake fished out. Surveys show the fish are still there.

 

Many of us older anglers believe lakes success rates fuluate yearly. And with the lack of grass the bass adapted but the anglers haven't!

 

This research will shed some light on what happened.

[Catt]

#2 is up ?

[txchaser]

 

[Catt]

Alright guys I want some feed back on this one, @WRB

& others!

 

Blew my mind ?

 

 

[Paul Roberts]

On 10/17/2020 at 9:07 AM, Catt said:

The lake level reached historic lows, then historic flooding, & spraying for Gaint Salvinia. As a result the lake lost all the grass it was famous for. Many anglers believed the loss of grass caused a fish kill but zero evidence supports this.

 

Many anglers believe after being #1 for two yrs in a row brought so many anglers the lake fished out. Surveys show the fish are still there.

 

Many of us older anglers believe lakes success rates fuluate yearly. And with the lack of grass the bass adapted but the anglers haven't!

 

This research will shed some light on what happened.

Thanks for posting this, Tommy. And I think your assessment is dead on.

 

Loss of vegetation is not a new thing, and it's been studied. Responses by bass are not to up and die. They stay but relate to other objects, and/or suspend. Suspended bass can be tough, in part bc of their demeanor, the visibility of lures, but also bc many anglers just aren't adept at knowing where in the water column their lures are. One study, on Lake Seminole, showed bass stayed put and suspended and used wood cover. Local anglers complained about the fishing in the treatment areas. What was really interesting were the results of a tournament following the treatment, in which Shinichi Fukae (I believe it was) either won or placed high, fishing in the treatment area, using finesse gear. He knew exactly where his lures were in the water column.

 

The biologist being interviewed is hypothesizing that fishing pressure, esp boat and sonar noise, is a culprit. I doubt it's a major one. Will be interesting to see what data they take, whether it solves the dilemma or not.

 

[Catt]

@Paul Roberts What blew my mind was the fact that when Todd sat back & cast to the bass it spooked them but when he got directly over them drop shooting didn't.

 

Another curious point was the 8# bass was related to a none discript flat on a single stump.

[A-Jay]

 

 Could be hard to know whether a fish that has been handled (and has an implanted transmitter)

is behaving the same as one that has/does not. 

Making the inference that a basses instincts will have it moving away from  

any stimuli that it deems unfamiliar, unnatural or threating might not be that much of a stretch

Hard for me to call that 'data'. 

Finally not a surprise to me at least, that bass use flats. 

I camp out on a at least two for weeks at a time. 

Sometimes it pays off.

Going with "for entertainment purposes only" on this one. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Catt]

@A-Jay & @Sam To me this study affirmed some of what we believed we knew.

[A-Jay]

51 minutes ago, Catt said:

@A-Jay & @Sam To me this study affirmed some of what we believed we knew.

I can see that @Catt

Just wish I could keep up with ever changing 'rules'.

A-Jay 

 

[Catt]

One reason I'm interested in this study is not only is being conducted on Toledo Bend but in Housen' Bayou.

 

Housen' has been my home range for the last 35+ years. I can pretty much tell ya were the 6# & 8# bass are hanging out.

[Paul Roberts]

On 11/5/2020 at 4:30 PM, A-Jay said:

I can see that @Catt

Just wish I could keep up with ever changing 'rules'.

A-Jay 

 

Gotta stop looking for "rules". Probabilities is more like it. What science is making clear is that it's not about answers as much as more refined questions. Yeah, it's tough to wrap our predatory brains around. At least it is for me.

 

Wish I could keep up with this conversation, I just can't clear the time to even see those videos through. Too much on my plate. ? Priorities.

[A-Jay]

6 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Gotta stop looking for "rules". Probabilities is more like it. What science is making clear is that it's not about answers as much as more refined questions. Yeah, it's tough to wrap our predatory brains around. At least it is for me.

 

Wish I could keep up with this conversation, I just can't clear the time to even see those videos through. Too much on my plate. ? Priorities.

Semantics 

A-Jay

[Paul Roberts]

17 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Semantics 

A-Jay

Yeah... It's the explainer in me.

[A-Jay]

Just now, Paul Roberts said:

Yeah... It's the explainer in me.

I got ya ~

A-Jay 

[king fisher]

The biologist gives lots of statistical data that he hopes will eventually help anglers catch big bass at Toledo Bend, when all he really needs to do to help anglers catch a big bass there, is give anglers the radio frequency of that 8 pounder lol.

   I once witnessed two biologists tracking a moving radio transmitter they had put in a king salmon through thick brush in Alaska.  I asked them if they were aware that king salmon don't swim on bear trails.  They replied the tags were very expensive and as long as one was transmitting they were required to recover it.  Lucky for them the signal quit before they caught up with it.  They were great guys, that were very dedicated to their research.

[RoLo]

 

Radio-tracking is always fascinating, especially when it’s able to replace conjecture.

Trouble being, when telemetry studies only 'challenge' conjecture, it simply raises new questions.

There were a couple things I did find a little puzzling.

For instance, 100% mortality rate to me is staggering, unprecedented and needs closure.

 

The natural niche of Micropterus salmoides is the shallow flats of natural lakes

(Something that's impervious to change).

Lake Kissimmee, Istokpoga, Tohopekalega and Okeechobee may all be described

as a maze of "Nondescript Flats”. Largemouth bass have been transplanted

into manmade impoundments throughout the world, but apples don’t fall

far from the tree. I guess what I’m saying is:  I’m surprised that they are surprised.

 

Threadfin shad feed exclusively on plankton, which is carried by water currents.

It doesn’t seem all that puzzling why threadfin shad would suspend over a creek channel.

 

Roger

[WRB]

Waiting to see the final video with the 8lb bass behavior.

So far the study supports my experience that individual bass behavior is unique but general overall behavior indicates these green fish will surprise you. Good series.

Tom

[txchaser]

More episodes are out...