SPOONMINNOW
Member
<span style="font-size: 12px">The most common reason given is that fish strike because of the feeding instinct and that they</span><em style="font-size: 12px">know[/i]<span style="font-size: 12px">what they're striking. A fish's brain is pea size with no grey matter to speak of. The rest of the post reflects that.</span><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">First off, fish senses are incredible underwater. Even at night in total darkness some fish species (bass and crappie especially) can feed using the lateral line and some lures do very well because of it. As you've all seen over the years, there are a huge number of lures that resemble no prey a fish eats or attacks. So why do they attack? !</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Possible reason: fish have evolved like any other predator species and are able to track and then attack prey. Somewhere in that simple fish's brain is an area programmed to know the difference between a rock and a plastic worm dropping to the bottom. The reasons bass attack a plastic worm vary widely among anglers but in any case attacks happen.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Physical lure properties ofshape, action, size and colorcan vary widely on any day and still catch fish but not all fish can be provoked regardless the bait used. The combination of those four features - like the combination to a lock - are many that provoke a fish's aggression. Any one of those properties can be changed for fish to attack which is why matching a prey animal is unnecessary. The following are my favorite bass lures: the jig & trailers - none of which resemble even remotely any critter ever consumed by a bass:</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Another example where a claw from one lure was added to a grub body that catches 4 fish species:</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Most important of the four factors islure action and profile. In the examples shown,quiver & flap as a function of shape arethe actions I believe provoke fish.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">1. The jig skirt expands and contracts quivering at rest tickling the lateral line, while the trailer tails flap when the jig is hopped.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">2. The fat grub tail bobs up, down and sideways. </div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">3. The claw flaps subtly.</div><div style="font-size: 12px"></div><div style="font-size: 12px">Something in a fish's brain isprogrammedto evaluate the lure as a whole and then try it out forsize- the size of its mouth. I nor anyone else can know for certain that a fish attacks a lure to eat it. The attack simply is what it is - an aggressive reaction to a man made object thatpush's its buttons.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">One final note: On a daily basis I feed a school ofthirtyor so sunfish andfourturtles bread balls I make from a slice of bread which I throw to them within five feet of where I sit. The fish and turtles swim to where I usually sit after seeing me approach the pond. Why would these animals highly value bread no matter the time of day? The turtles and/or fish at times fight each other for best position and the turtles will crawl on shore no further away than 4' beneath me to pick up a tiny piece of bread before backing away. Fish will at times steal the bread from the turtles' mouths if the turtles don't duck their heads in fast enough. Starch is not a natural food for aquatic animals but in any case</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Foodfor thought.</div>
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">First off, fish senses are incredible underwater. Even at night in total darkness some fish species (bass and crappie especially) can feed using the lateral line and some lures do very well because of it. As you've all seen over the years, there are a huge number of lures that resemble no prey a fish eats or attacks. So why do they attack? !</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Possible reason: fish have evolved like any other predator species and are able to track and then attack prey. Somewhere in that simple fish's brain is an area programmed to know the difference between a rock and a plastic worm dropping to the bottom. The reasons bass attack a plastic worm vary widely among anglers but in any case attacks happen.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Physical lure properties ofshape, action, size and colorcan vary widely on any day and still catch fish but not all fish can be provoked regardless the bait used. The combination of those four features - like the combination to a lock - are many that provoke a fish's aggression. Any one of those properties can be changed for fish to attack which is why matching a prey animal is unnecessary. The following are my favorite bass lures: the jig & trailers - none of which resemble even remotely any critter ever consumed by a bass:</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Another example where a claw from one lure was added to a grub body that catches 4 fish species:</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Most important of the four factors islure action and profile. In the examples shown,quiver & flap as a function of shape arethe actions I believe provoke fish.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">1. The jig skirt expands and contracts quivering at rest tickling the lateral line, while the trailer tails flap when the jig is hopped.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">2. The fat grub tail bobs up, down and sideways. </div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">3. The claw flaps subtly.</div><div style="font-size: 12px"></div><div style="font-size: 12px">Something in a fish's brain isprogrammedto evaluate the lure as a whole and then try it out forsize- the size of its mouth. I nor anyone else can know for certain that a fish attacks a lure to eat it. The attack simply is what it is - an aggressive reaction to a man made object thatpush's its buttons.</div><div style="font-size: 12px">
</div><div style="font-size: 12px">One final note: On a daily basis I feed a school ofthirtyor so sunfish andfourturtles bread balls I make from a slice of bread which I throw to them within five feet of where I sit. The fish and turtles swim to where I usually sit after seeing me approach the pond. Why would these animals highly value bread no matter the time of day? The turtles and/or fish at times fight each other for best position and the turtles will crawl on shore no further away than 4' beneath me to pick up a tiny piece of bread before backing away. Fish will at times steal the bread from the turtles' mouths if the turtles don't duck their heads in fast enough. Starch is not a natural food for aquatic animals but in any case</div><div style="font-size: 12px">Foodfor thought.</div>
