Fishing Humor

[Koz]

So I was out fishing today and got to thinking: If bass see one of their buddies being dragged away do they call an “Angler Alert”?

[Finessegenics]

In all seriousness though, I've heard of people keeping caught schooling bass in their livewells and only releasing them once they have fished around the school for a while, and the bite has died down. Supposedly releasing the fish can turn off the school.  Almost as if the fish was telling his buddies that he just got caught. Seemed like pseudoscience to me...or is there some sort of stress pheromone at play or something? I can't remember where I heard/saw/read this but it was most likely on youtube. Anyone know anything about that lol ??

[DitchPanda]

34 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

In all seriousness though, I've heard of people keeping caught schooling bass in their livewells and only releasing them once they have fished around the school for a while, and the bite has died down. Supposedly releasing the fish can turn off the school.  Almost as if the fish was telling his buddies that he just got caught. Seemed like pseudoscience to me...or is there some sort of stress pheromone at play or something? I can't remember where I heard/saw/read this but it was most likely on youtube. Anyone know anything about that lol ??

I've heard this too. But I've also caught a crazy amount of bass from the same small area. A few summers back I got on some bass at my local lake schooling on shad at the mouth of a channel. I caught 27 in less than 2 hours from the same spot. Also have a lake close to my house that I've caught over 100 in the same small cove on a jerk bait in spring.

[Finessegenics]

26 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

I've heard this too. But I've also caught a crazy amount of bass from the same small area. A few summers back I got on some bass at my local lake schooling on shad at the mouth of a channel. I caught 27 in less than 2 hours from the same spot. Also have a lake close to my house that I've caught over 100 in the same small cove on a jerk bait in spring.

Exactly. I’ve never seen the effects first hand either. Early this summer, I caught a dozen or so smallmouth in an hour, all on the same patch of hard bottom within a huge flat. 

[Sam]

11 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

In all seriousness though, I've heard of people keeping caught schooling bass in their livewells and only releasing them once they have fished around the school for a while, and the bite has died down. Supposedly releasing the fish can turn off the school.  Almost as if the fish was telling his buddies that he just got caught. Seemed like pseudoscience to me...or is there some sort of stress pheromone at play or something? I can't remember where I heard/saw/read this but it was most likely on youtube. Anyone know anything about that lol ??

Finesse, many years ago I fished with a semi-pro bass guy who was banned from tournaments on the Historic James and the Chickahominy rivers in Virginia. He finally settled to fish tournaments on Chickahominy lake but quit as the lake was too small for him.

 

His name is Jim, and he was also a guide on the James and Chick.

 

Jim told me that he went to "guide school" back in the day to learn the secrets to being a good guide.

 

He also told me that when a bass was caught, it gave off a scent to warn the other bass of its situation. This scent was supposed to turn off the other bass.

 

True? I have no idea. If this theory is true then why do we catch two or three bass off one piece of structure? Or watch other bass follow in the one we have hooked?

 

I saw lately a video from Bass University that the pro told us to fish the front of docks first and then go towards the bank so not to spook the bass in those areas. And that is what I do.

 

Maybe some of the pros know the answer to your question. Very interesting topic. Thanks for posting.

[Steveo-1969]

If you are a fan of "Zona's Awesome Fishing Show" you've probably seen Mark Zona do this with smallmouth bass. He will keep them in the livewell until finished with a spot so the released fish don't somehow turn the rest of the school off the bite. 

[.ghoti.]

Look up schreckstoff.

[N Florida Mike]

Maybe when they’re in the mood to eat it overpowers the turn off from the caught fish.

 

[Bird]

Not sure about the scent warning..... " hey don't do what I just did " lol

 

BUT I'm not a pro and actually do throw in front of docks first. 

 

My youngest brother caught 7 keeper largemouth bass out of my boat on 1 single blow-down tree. Idk 

[Finessegenics]

6 hours ago, .ghoti. said:

Look up schreckstoff.

This is what I suspected, some sort of chemical release when they are stressed. I was thinking more about this subject and realized I've heard the same things about bees (or was it wasps? heck I don't know). When a bee is agitated and stings, it releases a pheromone to let other bees know danger is nearby and to be on high alert. It's the same sort of thing but I cannot find if it is a proven thing for black bass...

[schplurg]

I would think catching the fish would release more "whatevers" than releasing it. "HEEEEELP! Oh my GAAAAWD this worm is STRONG! Whoa there's a giant MONSTER picking me up!!!!! I'M DEAD!!! SWIM FOR YOUR LIIIIIVES BROTHERS!!!!!!!"

 

The other fish probably think everything is fine when they see their friend dropped back into the water. "False alarm folks!!!"