Do Bass get conditioned to baits?

[kybassangler]

I have noticed a decline in baits I have always used to great effectiveness. It seems as though they have learned from the first encounter with the bait. Any body else get the same feeling about their favorite lure?

[fishingfourfun]

I believe that they get conditioned on heavily pressured lakes.  When on a pressured lake I throw ols school baits and have good success.

[Jimzee]

I honestly think they do get a little used to seeing the the same things throwed at them all the time.  The lake I fish the most has so much pressure on it,  it has to happen.

[RWHusker.]

I believe they have to.  In my opinion its why Wacky Style has been my most successful rig this year.  I think it's overlooked by a lot of fisherman.

GO BIG RED

[Upside]

I believe they do. While they may not have a memory like you or I do, I would think that when they have an extremely violent encounter with a given bait, they're going to remember it for a bit. It might be for only a short period of time which would explain the new hot bait syndrome and why the old tried and true doesn't produce all that well on pressured waters.

[justfishin]

I don't know what to think about that question anymore. I always thought they did but, the Susquehanna smallmouth don't seem to be. I mean that river has gotten pounded with tubes for many years, and they still whack them. Tubes by far are the best and most popular bait there. I have not been there in awhile because of my health but, last fall I went up with a friend of mine and we had 126 and I counted 21 boats through out the day. Who knows?

[ww2farmer]

I don't know either. Like justfishim said, bass where I fish don't seem to be. I still catch them as good now as I did 15 years ago, on pretty much the same things. Jigs, and worms have been around along time and still are probably the best bass catchers. Rapalas, spinnerbaits, tubes, curly tail grubs, all of them have been around forever and continue to fool fish.

[Matt Fly]

I have pounded bass in an area to think the bite slowed or the school has moved on, only to change colors or types of bait and continued to catch them in the same spot.

Any one ever crappie fish?   Ever kill them on jig, only to have them quit hitting that color, but as soon as you changed colors, their hitting again.

Conditioned may be only short term.  

Matt

[senile1]

Conditioned may be only short term.    

Matt

I agree.  On a small body of water you can watch your success deteriorate when using the same baits day after day.  If you wait a few weeks and come back, using the same baits, it's all new again.  

[Raul]

Or just by changing the presentation you start catching them again with the same bait. My uncles ' ponds got bombed almost on a daily basis by me, at first I whupped them good with lipless cranks reeled in steadily at high speed, the first 3 or 4 outings I made a killing, then my catch ratio began to diminish, instead of changing the bait all I did was to change the way I retrieved them, the catch ratio increased to normality immediately to fall down again, reeled them in steadily at high speed again and began whupping them again.  

[.ghoti.]

I remember reading about a study which suggested that the plastic worm was the only lure bass would not become conditioned to. As I remember, the study also suggested that the conditioning was a short term thing, and that rattling cranks were the lures most affected by conditioning.

I've been googling that topic, and have yet to find the original study. I'll keep looking, as time permits.

Cheers,

GK

[Catt]

I've been fishing Toledo Bend for 35+ years using the same baits in the same location  

ghoti here's results of the study but I can't remember who did it

Doug Hannon's Answer

Plastic Worm (Texas rigged) It's a long, thin shape resembles the profile of a wide variety of forage in the world of the bass, including earthworms, snakes, eels, and baitfish. Its action is almost entirely dependent on the contours of the bottom; and the rod movements of the fisherman, making it very random. It moves with little noise; the noise that it does make comes mostly from the random clicking of the sinker as it hits bottom. Bright colors and larger size can be used to increase its attracting qualities. Because of its basic resemblance to a wide array of living forage, this lure presents very few negative cues, and is hard for big bass to learn not to hit.

Here is the official answer:

Studies have proven that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!

That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That's why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.

[bass109]

depends on how high an area gets pressured, if its daily then the fish become very spooky. Great worm theory Catt. I know that bass dont go after same spinnerbait or crankbait.