“If you get one on, whatever you do, don’t lose him.”
Such were the words of a prominent bass pro to his co-angler partner in a major FLW event, televised years ago. The casual viewer likely never caught the inside message. But I’m no casual viewer.
The pro insinuated that the area’s bass population would instantly “shut down” if a hooked fish was lost during the fight, preventing any more from being caught.
Many casual fishermen scoff at such a theory, claiming a bass can’t possibly be that “smart”, thanks to it’s pea-sized brain.
Yet later I would experience a great bite end many times over, as would friends and other fishing fanatics. But why? Was it all just in our minds?
A review of literature may help explain such phenomena, as well as illustrate how advanced fish truly are.
The findings were originally reported to the fishing community via In-Fisherman magazine. Many of you know that I’m a big In-Fish fan, and have worked with their print, television and radio media for decades. Nowhere can hardcore fishermen find so many scientific explanations for what we all see on a daily basis, mixed with true angling experience from some of the country’s most knowledgeable anglers.
As reported in late 2014, scientific experiments have been conducted on northern pike and their prey fish, including fathead minnows, at the University of Saskatchewan. Findings regarding this predator/prey relationship have been nothing short of shocking.
To summarize, scientists have found that these prey species produce a chemical alarm pheromone in their skin cells and release it into the water when the cells are ruptured, i.e when a pike eats a minnow. This “alarm” is then received by surrounding baitfish and signals them to flee. Other minnows in the area can later sense the alarm and avoid areas where predation had once occurred.
Truly amazing. But even more astonishing are further details of the study.
These same minnows are apparently able to not only detect the alarm pheromone in the water, they can also detect it in the feces of the predator fish. Meaning, after a pike eats a minnow and poops it out, other minnows know it. From there, test minnows were shown to avoid areas containing fecal matter of minnow-eating pike, but not locations containing the fecal matter of pike fed other diets.
Think about that for a minute: A minnow knows that a predator was once in the area and adjusts its behavior accordingly, based on pheromones produced by its long-digested kin.
What does all of this mean?
It’s likely that baitfish avoid areas of high predator concentration due to chemical traits of the water. This would likely cause a transition in all fish movements, and therefore the productivity of a given area during certain times. That certainly doesn’t seem like a stretch.
But what about bass? Nothing perturbs me more than theorizing based on experiments conducted on subjects other than what we wish to learn more about. However, even though it loathes me, in many cases of fish behavior, that’s all we have to work with.
Can prey fish sense bass and alter their behavior? One would think that, at least in the case of open-water schooling fish, prey species might very well be able to. But what about sensing resident bass around those really good lay-downs or boat docks? Surely, by now, such locations are covered in predator sign.
Conversely, can bass sense prey based on things like pheromones? Old-time fishermen along the Tennessee River claim to be able to smell schools of shad; certainly the finned predators of the same locale can, right?
And how about this: Can bass sense us, and adjust their behaviors accordingly, when we catch a few of their cohorts?
I think so. And, not only that, I think bass can, and do, adjust behavior as a whole based on man’s influence. Personally, through the years I have seen dozens of prized bass locations “go cold” after once being some of the greatest spots I’ve ever fished. Some were massive, far offshore locales, others productive cover items, even more just “spots” that offered something immeasurable to the untrained eye.
And, despite their now lack of bass appeal, through scanning with an Aqua-Vu, I’ve confirmed their attraction still holds: plenty of baitfish, good bottom content, perhaps strong weed growth.
Many of these locations hold one common variable – they produced incredible catches for months, sometimes years at a time, then just went dormant.
I think part of the explanation may be the bass’ ability to adjust to fishing pressure. In other words, the fish simply said enough’s enough, despite how good their home territory was.
Maybe I’m all wrong. Maybe I’m guilty of trying to explain something that just can’t be. Maybe I’m not giving the fish enough credit, or perhaps too much. Maybe fathead minnows are the only smart ones.
In some ways, I wish I knew more. In others, I’m glad I don’t.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
