Ya really thing bass think about what a lure is as the primary reason it strikes

[saltystick]

Ever since I decided long ago that the stated motives behind fish attacking lures were unprovable, I gotten strictly technical when it comes to tackle and especially lures. You and I know of certain lure designs that catch fish more so than many in the same category. Many of us recognize what it is about certain lure designs that demonstrate a certain action fish seem to be more easily provoked by.  The universal strike sequence for any good lure includes:
1. casting a proven lure and manipulating it with the best presentation(s) that must always include:
   a. a lure action which is defined and descriptive of the lure. (IE of one finesse design: thin prong tail grub with thin streamlined body that must be rigged straight on the jig hook, a soft plastic grade used such that the tail quivers the most with the least action applied.)

   b. certain colors seem to work all of the time, others not so much. (IE Glitter or a fluorescent color is a consideration to produce a glow in murky water or under a cloudy sky. In any case, lure contrast - a specific combination that includes shape/action/color, is key!!!  (lure contrast is something I define as unnatural and out of place in a fish's world and that is at times more easily detected/ tracked and attacked more than anything else in a fish's environment.)

   c. lure size range and dimensions are critical: not too small nor too large

2. Fish take notice; intently watches the object, feeling and seeing it's motion, become more irritated the longer it watches it until an aggression switch is flipped in its brain forcing a fish to attack - an attack involuntarily brought about without thought, motive (to eat,anger) or sense of danger.

***Most times the slowest presentation flips the switch, but only using specific lures that produce specific action(s). See more on this idea below.

The above is like a recipe for the best pie crust you ever ate. The ingredients and measurements are specific; time in the oven crucial; an aroma (specific stimuli) that stimulates involuntary salivation and enhances taste like the aroma of a wonderful blend of perked coffee. Hunger is not the issue but the appreciation of a specific food (lure by design and specific presentation).

When you think of it, all lure designers over the last 100 years discovered all of the above and proved those ideas on the water. The only way companies could mass produce and sell lures is to convince anglers fish attack lures for reasonably believable reasons such as hunger, anger, bullying, territoriality, natural appearing, etc.

Crankbaits with bbs when first introduced boasted color patterns such as shad, crawfish, minnow - none of which were similar in any way to the real prey animal. Just because you offer me a picture of a pen makes me want to write with it. Crankbait shape and rattles along with treble hooks should have been clues that the unnaturally wobbling, noisy object wasn't a prey animal - at least not of this earth. 

Anglers bought the myth and therefore the lure. A large numbers of writers became famous gurus based on lure myths, spouted with absolute certainty, thereby creating generations of anglers more than willing to believe the myths of why lures work while disregarding the reasons some work so much better than others.

Another example. When I caught my first bass on a jig and pork frog, it never occurred to me that the overall appearance and movement was like nothing that ever lived - not even the spots against a green background or the delta shaped tails. Josh discovered the combination of a rubber skirt and flapping tails worked SIMPLY BECAUSE IT DID and for none of the reasons given later in fishing magazines and on TV shows. The lure looks like nothing in nature yet catches bass and has done so for decades.

I happened to watch the lure swimming horizontally back to the boat and a 100W bulb lit up  as I witnessed the delta tails flapping ever so subtly. Once I got into making lure copies using  plaster molds, I copied an actual pork frog. I made sure the tails were thin and watched them in the water to be sure they had the same action. They did! From that moment on I never used pork again and experimented with jig skirt colors seeing whether unnatural colors would catch bass. They did! So much for a skirted jig & trailer having to simulate something a fish would normally eat.

Point being, regardless of what was in a fish's brain (if anything) before it attacked such an unnatural simulation of life, it has plainly done so year after year and with many modifications and variations of skirt and trailer design.

Here's another example.
The spinnerbait (nothing but a skirted jig with a blade) became my next challenge. Why did it catch bass and pickerel? After watching Roland Martin win a Hudson River tournament using a giant willow leaf bladed spinnerbait, that was all it took to find out why - technically. I observed the bright flash and unique skirt flutter caused by the spinning blade  and figured those features  had to be the reason for bass attacking an object totally dissimilar to any prey fish that ever swam! I made one for myself and immediately caught bass and pickerel in lake and river.

All I'm saying is that lure choice can be simply based on fish senses and an irritability natural to its being alive; and that some lures work better because they irritate better than so many others by-design. 

Now, when we think of finesse, we think small lures light line. But taking all of the above into consideration, most lures and the presentations they work best with demonstrate finesse action at the slowest speed retrieve. It doesn't matter what type of lure - though size is usually not in the mega size category. Even a 4" wacky rigged Senko demonstrates finesse action with tip and body wobbles bass can't seem to pass up at times. I even made a 2 3/4" soft stick, wacky rigged it on a 1/32 oz jighead and immediately caught sunfish, bass and pickerel. Tip wobble was the same but what also enticed strikes was adding more action with rapid rod twitches - shaky style.

Recently I've been contemplating fish aggression as a function of time, irritability and object vulnerability. As we may both agree: the length of time in the strike zone  (distance from a lure) - is crucial and in most cases, the longer in the zone, the better. What is also a possibility is that most fish are inactive when a lure begins its job of provoking fish to strike vs convincing it that it represents anything it normally eats, waiting in expectation of that animal just passing by.

In order to prompt a state of temporary aggression, a lure must include a combination of design factors fish are sensitive to: size, action, speed and visual aspects such as shape and color/ flash that contrasts with the water or other backgrounds. All animals are super aware of moving objects via super-sensitive senses. My dogs go crazy when they spot a heron getting ready to raid my pond for fish and do so from over 50 yds. away and through the back door glass no less! Owls spot mice in total darkness and are alerted instantly, leading to an aggression that is unavoidable and opportunistic. Fish are no different when it comes to senses and moving objects no matter how subtle the movement. If opportunity knocks, fish may respond aggressively no matter real or a UMO. (Bet you can't guess what that stands for!  )

We both have the tactile sensitivity of feel. We immediately react to stinging insects that tickle the skin before stinging and become more sensitive with each insect attack. Fish I believe fall into the same awareness category and increase in sensitivity that irritates it into striking and object - not to eat it but to stop the irritation of its senses. Sometimes we get a second chance to increase that sensitivity with another cast; sometimes only one cast is possible and then the fish turns back off, no longer interested though still aware.

Time-in-place (slow moving) and subtle lure action account for the increase in aggressiveness we strive for. A fish ignores everything (even nearby live prey) but focuses all attention on the object causing its discomfort and then attacks it - sometimes multiple times on the same retrieve.

It makes sense to me the reasons why fish are vulnerable to unnatural objects that may or may not move naturally or look natural. We don't fool fish with our lures - we simply irritate fish into striking them and accept the fact that fish sense real prey and man made objects equally and at times attacks lures over real animals, more so at times because its simple brain is wired to.

[BrandonK]

Great post, and I agree. Well stated

[Wizard]

Bass have a brain smaller than a finger nail. A micro processor with only with only limited memory and no cognitive ability. Most of their functions are pre determined. Much like firmware on a computer. Bass recognize their prey. i believe it is mostly by shape. Long and thin or small and chunky. Bait fish, craws, frogs, worms, bugs all fall into those categories. They recognize predators and have a fight or flee response. Bass use smell and vibration to help locate food. Add in normal life activities such as breathing and excreting and the micro processor is close to it's limits. When you think of bass in these terms and don't attribute cognitive thought to them, they are much easier to catch. If you use baits with shapes they recognize and meet current conditions of their environment, you will catch bass.
A good thought invoking read, saltystick.

Wizard

[SFL BassHunter]

Thank you for the great read Saltystick! I enjoyed reading that very much. Your thoughts and observations make sense.

You mentioned the wacky 4" senko as one of your examples and to add to what you said, I also feel that competition is also a great factor for catching fish. Some fish may be triggered by competition to eat something before another fish does.
For example recently at a local urban canal I threw a 4" wacky stick bait at a large Peacock bass near the bank. This Peacock was intrigued by my offering, but not fully committed. Normally they prefer fast erratic moving baits and the wacky rig was a slow sinking bait. I did keep it interested by jolting the sticko around from time to time and when the Peacock was clearly becoming aggravated a big 5-6lb bass came out of the depths of the canal bumped the big peacock out of the way looked at the sticko that was now sitting on a rock and one more twitch set the bass off.
Would this bass have been interested in my offering had it not been for the Peacock that was going to potentially strike any moment? Maybe, maybe not.

Something similar happened with a ribbon tail not long ago. Again casting at a big peacock trying to aggravate it, the peacock kept bumping the work and tail slapping it. After 6 or 7 casts in the same area the peacock was angry and out of nowhere a bass came out of the depths and pushed the peacock out of the way to eat the ribbon tail worm. The aggression of one fish seems to trigger the aggression of other fish, even if they aren't the same species.

Going back to the wacky rig, I caught a nice 4 lber at one of the urban canals, hooked it, started reeling, bass came loose, I let the worm drop again and same bass swung back around and went for round 2. Set, fought it a bit more and again the wacky hook became dislodged from it's mouth, I repeated the same letting it fall, and the bass swung back around took the worm, and soon it was on the bank. Even though it was hooked 2 times and it fought, that bass was so angry at that 4" wacky stick bait that it kept coming back for more. Determined to eat the stick bait.

This is also seen in schooling bass. Where you may trigger the temporary anger that you mentioned in 1 bass, then suddenly the other 2 or 3 bass with it are trying to steal the lure from the one that was caught.

[saltystick]

If you use baits with shapes they recognize and meet current conditions of their environment, you will catch bass.

They recognize predators and have a fight or flee response.

Would you expand on these statements?

We are on the same page with your other statements:

If you use baits with shapes they recognize and meet current conditions of their environment, you will catch bass.Most of their functions are pre determined. Much like firmware on a computer.

Add in normal life activities such as breathing and excreting and the micro processor is close to it's limits. When you think of bass in these terms and don't attribute cognitive thought to them, they are much easier to catch.

Up until now, I couldn't think of the correlation of a bass's brain to a basic computer. Then I remembered binary numbers (1's and 0's) as the most basic language a computer can function using on/off combinations. Some would like to think fish learn or that some are born smarter. Could be but not likely. IMO it's all to simple yet complicated at the same time; get the latter out of the way and the rest is a no-brainer (no pun intended  ) .

One other question,
Do me a favor? Compare any two lures that you've used that are in the same category - IE two creature baits or a favorite plastic worm as compared to another you don't use or two crankbaits that dive to the same depth but differ some way or two surface lures, etc. Why does one seem to do better on average from your observations.

Do lures need be recognized as some animal to get struck?

Lastly, do bass always flee from the presence of predators as in a flight or fright response?

[saltystick]

Going back to the wacky rig, I caught a nice 4 lber at one of the urban canals, hooked it, started reeling, bass came loose, I let the worm drop again and same bass swung back around and went for round 2. Set, fought it a bit more and again the wacky hook became dislodged from it's mouth, I repeated the same letting it fall, and the bass swung back around took the worm, and soon it was on the bank. Even though it was hooked 2 times and it fought, that bass was so angry at that 4" wacky stick bait that it kept coming back for more. Determined to eat the stick bait.

This is also seen in schooling bass. Where you may trigger the temporary anger that you mentioned in 1 bass, then suddenly the other 2 or 3 bass with it are trying to steal the lure from the one that was caught.

I like your observations that really speak volumes in many different ways. Not to contradict the reasoning and logic for what you saw, but here is a different take:

I observed yellow perch milling around near shore on a sunny day with a weed line not far in deeper water. The drop shot rig had just been introduced and I set one up using a very small plastic lure to give it a go. First one perch was caught and then three more in the same exact spot - completely ignoring me looking down at them or their buddies get hooked. From the weed line, a small 12" bass emerges and slams the bait having witnessed perch being caught on it.

Question 1
Your school fish example was right on as was a bass that seem incensed on getting a specific lure it missed. My question: do fish in general experience emotion? Are they even capable?

Question 2
When a school fish hits a lure and more follow in kind - fish after fish, can it be that a temporary strike excitement exhibited by one fish is contagious at times, turning the switches on in all those simple brains?

If a fish attacks your lure frenzy-like multiple times, could it be the switch is stuck? 
Ony after it's caught does it calm down, swearing to never strike that lure again!!    (or at least any lure for the foreseeable future.) But it will feed on real prey within a few days as instinct dictates.

[Wizard]

Last for first: bass do have a fight or flee instinct. Do they always flee? The answer is no. Predators show signs that they are feeding. Many also give off pheromones which indicate they are feeding. If the predator doesn't notice the prey, the prey seldom flees.
Is shape important? Yes! We have all seen a fish hit a twig, bobber or spinner bait blade. They are hitting at a shape. Long and thin or small and chunky. Two lures to observe. A traditional tear drop shape "Little George" and a longer, minnow shape "Little George". Both will catch bass but one always produces better than the other. The traditional lure is small and chunky while the other is long and slim. At times one will get eaten often while the other never gets a bite. It could change around the next day.
I've always felt a bass brain imitates a computer. 1 or 0. yes or no, bite or not bite. Simple decisions which are more instinct than cognitive reasoning.

Wizard

[analfisherman]

Ok salt, I like your reasoning and I've always enjoyed conversing with you and LOVE your over analyzing.....as you know (I think) I do the same. Different forum that basically doesn't function any more other than like 5 guys......different names were used by us both....maybe I'm wrong...yours had something to do with a worm ....PM me sometime...let me know....I missed your logic and your well thought out ideas and GREAT explanations! 

Keeping fishing simple is just boring for me. 
The quest for me isn't so much how to MAKE THEM bite or react as it is....how many DIFFERENT ways I can make them bite or react AND WHY they did.

Next I want to be able to do it again and understand the different environments they live in and how the systems/baits can provoke different responses in different waters and different conditions....I fish A LOT of completely different BOWs that basically have nothing in common.

So, I studied the actual physical characteristics bass possess and how they use them.
Soooooo....lateral lines are their go to when searching for food.
Followed by smell.
Everything ELSE IS simply reacting

And sight is used to actually BITE or eat......no matter how or what helped them locate their quarry or motivated the reaction to strike.

Schooling bass as a rule are 1-2 yearolds, maybe three year olds and they school to make catching food easier.
Reaction doesn't play a huge part in a young Bass' act of striking...hunger does.

As a Bass gets older they become more secluded by choice (actually instinct because they can't choose...just react)
They don't want to compete as much for food (just like we humans seem to act as we age.....simpler is always better if it can achieve the same results.  )

So now comes the anger or defensive actions/reactions from a Bass.....when young they bite due to wanting to eat and are just plain hungry most the time....just like most young animals, including humans.
They react fast because of crowds and they learned that the quickest is more frequently rewarded best/most.
(yes, although Bass can't think the CAN acquire 'learned behavior'...proven fact.
How long they 'retain' this learned behavior is somewhat debated and very hard to prove.....most studies are done with Bass in a 'set' and regulated to the extreme environments...in other words....the conditions rarely change and neither does their environment BUT in nature the fluctuations are severe and frequent.

So what makes a Bass strike.
Hunger number one....but as they age they eat larger quantities usually by eating larger prey....it's kind of instinctive, only work as hard as the reward dictates....and that is why as a Bass ages they become more of a ambush predator...they try and seclude themselves as much as possible and move around as little as they can. (this doesn't mean they/some don't cover vast distances but it's usually due to liking their home base due to comfort. (oxygen levels, shade, seclusion from competition, etc) and needing to move in order to find food...then return home again.
And as seasons change so can their 'home base'.

Next is territorial instincts.

They protect their 'home base' from competition which could be something smaller or something larger....they don't care......simply this is MY AREA and everything else has to be convinced to either leave or die.
Hence reaction strikes and where your above reasoning is most valuable...create aggression!!!!!!!
Illicit a REACTION.....other than FLEEING....a Bass only has ONE REACTION available to them, STRIKE.
(another 'learned' instinct that coincides with territorial.....is EAT when food is available because you don't know when it will be available again.
(ever over feed a tank of fish in an aquarium....they will it constantly till the food is gone...you will see them with long streams of waste/crap hanging from their rears and they will still be eating. You can actual over feed them to the point of them eating themselves to death)

So we as anglers need to figure out how to make them REACT....plain and simple!
Not 'think', not 'consider', not 'choose' BUT how to make them REACT cause that's all they are capable of doing AND THE FUN COMES FROM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW TO DO THAT!!!!

The real challenge we as anglers/humans have is NOT TO anthropomorphize (giving human traits to animals and inanimate objects).....it's simply hard for US to explain something to another person with out doing it.
Human nature simply makes us do it unless we put a GREAT deal of thought and effort into avoiding it.......an even an ANAL/DUMBA$$ like me is rarely going to put that much effort into an explanation!! 
As always...disclaimer;
this is simply ONE dumbass' point of view and thoughts and he isn't the sharpest hook in the tackle box!

GOOD THREAD MY FRIEND!!!!!

[saltystick]

Wizard - we are on the same page!!!! 

Two lures to observe. A traditional tear drop shape "Little George" and a longer, minnow shape "Little George". Both will catch bass but one always produces better than the other. The traditional lure is small and chunky while the other is long and slim. At times one will get eaten often while the other never gets a bite.

[/b]

In your example, shape matters! - just one aspect of a lure you've witnessed that does matter over what some would insist the lure simulates.

As a soft lure designer and modifier, I can show you proof with hundreds of photographs that the little things matter when it comes to even the same lure that is universal to LM, SM bass as well as any panfish species.

Take the Slider Worm. If I shorten it by 1/4" using a candle to fuse the parts back together, finicky fish bite that wouldn't have on certain days. I don't have a clue why nor would guess that fish suddenly are only feeding on smaller prey and therefore a small lure. But in general, the shortened modified Slider is one lure I can count on.

The Slider Worm tail tapers to a point when looking at it from the side. It makes a big difference in its subtle tail action as compared to thicker plumper tails. The difference is a real one that matters and even though both can catch fish - but not equally.

Here's a shot of a mythiolate colored, shortened Slider that all fish species hit any time:

[saltystick]

So we as anglers need to figure out how to make them REACT....plain and simple!
Not 'think', not 'consider', not 'choose' BUT how to make them REACT cause that's all they are capable of doing AND THE FUN COMES FROM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW TO DO THAT!!!!

The real challenge we as anglers/humans have is NOT TO anthropomorphize (giving human traits to animals and inanimate objects).....it's simply hard for US to explain something to another person with out doing it.

Those two statement in bold says it all!!!!!!!

From that point on, anglers can get down to unraveling the magic & mystery of fishing with lures - that which tempts (a person or an animal) to do something or to go somewhere. Simple as that (once we get beyond the nonsense.)

[saltystick]

I forgot to mention one thing about the idea fish avoiding lures they've been caught on. They don't - at least not forever. You and I would avoid making the same mistake twice (though some can't). Fish don't have that luxury when it comes to outstanding lure designs. I've caught bass with lures still stuck in their lips or throat, and as mentioned - coming out the other end. (that must have hurt the ol' hemorrhoids!  )

But we've all heard the saying, fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you. If fish could think and remember well into the future to avoid a lure - any lure - many of us would catch less fish. Problem is, lures don't fool bass, they provoke them. You'd need at least half a brain to be fooled and thereby believe anything about anything!

[SFL BassHunter]

I like your observations that really speak volumes in many different ways. Not to contradict the reasoning and logic for what you saw, but here is a different take:

I observed yellow perch milling around near shore on a sunny day with a weed line not far in deeper water. The drop shot rig had just been introduced and I set one up using a very small plastic lure to give it a go. First one perch was caught and then three more in the same exact spot - completely ignoring me looking down at them or their buddies get hooked. From the weed line, a small 12" bass emerges and slams the bait having witnessed perch being caught on it.

Question 1
Your school fish example was right on as was a bass that seem incensed on getting a specific lure it missed. My question: do fish in general experience emotion? Are they even capable?

By anger I don't mean anger the emotion, I meant it more as in the way you mentioned it. They seem to become aggravated, or annoyed. An instinctual reaction not an emotional one. Be it territorial, or competitiveness, or something else that triggers their instinct. Now can they feel emotion? I'm not sure. I believe many animals do, but not sure about fish. I doubt it, but who knows.
Here is a question for you, assuming they do, if a fish cries how can you tell? lol

Question 2
When a school fish hits a lure and more follow in kind - fish after fish, can it be that a temporary strike excitement exhibited by one fish is contagious at times, turning the switches on in all those simple brains?
I suppose it could very well be. Producing a bite when there may not actually be one. The majority of fish not interested but that 1 decides to hit, and the rest follow. Assuming there is no lure in the water when fish throughout a lake decide its time to feed, do they all get hungry at the same time? Or is it that switch like you say, it's contagious.

If a fish attacks your lure frenzy-like multiple times, could it be the switch is stuck? 
Ony after it's caught does it calm down, swearing to never strike that lure again!!    (or at least any lure for the foreseeable future.) But it will feed on real prey within a few days as instinct dictates.

Or will it take just hours? Does the fish remember for that long? I suspect a fish can probably be caught more than once in a day. Put the right lure there and trigger it all over again.

[Wizard]

I'll point out that the Slider worm falls into the long and slim category. Are bass biting it because it's a worm or because it resembles a minnow, which is long and slim.

Wizard

[Pacific NW Ron]

WOW, some of you guys put a lot of thought into this subject.  I've heard most of these theories before.  Everyone has their own and at times all of them seem to work and other times none work.  Unless I missed it the one I didn't see covered here is body odor ie. smoker or not.  I've fished with both and at times it seems it makes a difference.  How many times have you fished, for any species, using the same bait and one person is a smoker and seems to catch more fish?

Does smoking mask the human scent and/or does that really matter?

How about show them something they haven't seen before?

[analfisherman]

Well, here's the answer Ron. 

Spirit Lake-based Outdoor Technologies Group have devoted a great deal of time and effort into determining which chemicals and ingredients fish find attractive and unattractive.
Spirit Lake is where Berkley has their test facility and I'm NOT SURE....but OTG may actually be part of or funded by Berkley themselves.
Researchers name who made this report that I am making references to is  Chemist John Prochnow, O.T.G.'s Product Development Manager for baits. (that's why I think it's part of Berkley itself)

ALL CREDIT TO THIS KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROCHNOW AND HIS/OTGs RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!......Mr. Prochnow, I/we thank you for all your hard research and sharing you knowledge with us!!

He says, "Four of the biggest negative odors that can turn fish away are....

Sunscreen:
         "There are chemicals in sunscreens which fish perceive as a real negative. We're not saying not to use sunscreen, but be sure and rinse your hands well after you've applied it," said Prochnow.
Insect Repellent:   "There is a chemical found in insect repellent known as 'Deet' that can really turn fish off in a big way," Prochnow said. "If you want to catch more fish than your buddy, just spray his baits with insect repellents."
Fragrances:
   "Many of the various fragrances that are put into soaps, for instance, are synthetic. And most synthetic compounds are viewed negatively by fish," according to Prochnow, who worked in the fragrance industry before joining O.T.G. in 1986.
Nicotine:
   Ever heard the old myth that spitting a little tobacco on your lure makes it more appealing to the fish? Forget it, Prochnow says. "Smoke from cigarettes or spit from chewing tobacco can be a negative factor also.

"Many preservatives, alcohol towellettes and waterless washes should all be treated as suspect because of their inhierent ingredients."

"The bottom line is to just keep your hands clean and as 'odor free' as possible, and in tough fishing situations it will definitely increase your odds," the chemist says.

Now this is the short answer and avoiding the 'scientific data' to explain the reasonings of his thoughts.

HE ALSO STATES;
"Are the four factors listed above repulsive enough to keep from biting all the time? "Are they big enough factors to make a difference always? Probably not," Prochnow says. "When fish are aggressive, they'll slam the bait first and ask questions later. There you're dealing with how long they'll hang onto the bait. But when fish are negatively inclined to bite, that's when you have to pay attention to details. That's when you want to make sure you're not presenting any negatives to the fish."

https://www.outdoortechnologiesllc.com/

[Pacific NW Ron]

Well, that certainly answers most of my questions, but with my experience with anglers that smoke I'd dispute the finding on nicotine.  There is only one in our group that smokes and he continually catches more fish than the rest of us.  It very well could be something else but we always joke about it.

[saltystick]

Ron

"Are the four factors listed above repulsive enough to keep from biting all the time? "Are they big enough factors to make a difference always? Probably not," Prochnow says. "When fish are aggressive, they'll slam the bait first and ask questions later. There you're dealing with how long they'll hang onto the bait. But when fish are negatively inclined to bite, that's when you have to pay attention to details. That's when you want to make sure you're not presenting any negatives to the fish."

That's my experience and I smoke a pipe many hours on the water but never touch the ashes and the oils from the tobacco on the lure while rigging thereby they are minimal at best. But the statement in bold accounts for 99% of the fish I catch, never allowing the lure to sit on bottom very long or using the dropshot in one place,  but always jigging or zig zagging/ pausing. Fish usually go from being less mobile into the strike mode if not temporarily than for more than one strike.

[saltystick]

I'll point out that the Slider worm falls into the long and slim category. Are bass biting it because it's a worm or because it resembles a minnow, which is long and slim. Wizard

My opinion, but I don't think it matters what lures represent if anything. What matters to me are lure qualities that work time after time. (shape, size, action, dimensions, etc.)

How about show them something they haven't seen before?

I believe the smaller the lure, the more they hit it regardless how many times used. Larger lures seem to have more limitations when and where they can be used depending on the water and average size of bass. Of course the better the quality of a water and the more fish it contains on or in different structure, the less it matter how many times you catch fish on a lure.

[saltystick]

Or will it take just hours? Does the fish remember for that long? I suspect a fish can probably be caught more than once in a day. Put the right lure there and trigger it all over again.

I was fishing a jerk worm in a bass tournament and caught a pickerel. Came back to the area after an hour or two and caught the same fish with my lure still in its mouth!

[saltystick]

Keeping fishing simple is just boring for me. 
The quest for me isn't so much how to MAKE THEM bite or react as it is....how many DIFFERENT ways I can make them bite or react AND WHY they did.

That's me to a TEE! which is why I make my own lures and modify many out of the tons of soft plastics I've accumulated over 35 years. Man I love catching fish on mods!

[FloridaFishinFool]

It makes sense to me the reasons why fish are vulnerable to unnatural objects that may or may not move naturally or look natural. We don't fool fish with our lures - we simply irritate fish into striking them

I really enjoyed reading this and agree with it for the most part, but this line got me. I bolted at this line: "We don't fool fish with our lures - we simply irritate fish into striking them..."

Lures looking the same as something else in Nature is not necessary as we all know, but to conclude the only reason bass hit artificial is because they are irritated is not something I can agree with for every time a bass hits an artificial lure.

I truly believe we are able to fool bass into striking artificial as if it were a live prey. I do it all the time.

Out on the St. Johns river when the bass are schooling I can catch one after another as fast as I can cast. Those bass don't even know I am there when they are in a feeding frenzy hitting anything that moves.

I surely do not believe I am irritating them at all. They strike so fast they do not have time to get irritated. Those bass are feeding actively and hitting artificial because they are hungry not irritated by me.

In this situation I am indeed fooling those bass with each cast one of them hits on. Irritation is not even an issue from what I can tell.

I would say that irritated bass strikes make a smaller percentage of reasons why bass strike. I think hunger and compulsive instinctive reaction strikes make up the largest percent of reason why bass strike.

[SFL BassHunter]

A gentlemen that invites me to fish regularly, smokes the pipe and I would say 75% of the time, he catches more fish.
But there may be a discrepancy in experience lol. I think he might have like 40+ years of bass fishing experience and I have 4.

[saltystick]

If the reason an angler catches fish helps him or her have confidence in the lures he or she casts, so much the better. But I've used many many lures that look and move like nothing that ever lived and worked so slow, fish had a lot of time to stare at them. Maybe fish interpreted the designs as a the prey they've been exposed to. I can't know with any certainty - no one can. But I've found that there are small differences in like-type lures that can make all the difference and the search goes on for the best ones.

When it comes to feeding frenzies and reaction strikes, fish don't have time to identify what a lure represents. If it moves, it gets attacked along with other fish in the area that start striking. Underwater videos on YouTube have demonstrated that many times with many freshwater species.

One winter I fished a tube through a circle of holes in the ice and caught over 2 doz. crappie in less than an hour, going from hole to hole. Now that's catching fish like no tomorrow! The school turned on after one fish struck and then shut down just as fast.

[Bassin_VA]

I have to digest all this info. Pretty sure my head just exploded. I really enjoyed reading all the comments. Thanks guys.

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[analfisherman]

I was fishing a jerk worm in a bass tournament and caught a pickerel. Came back to the area after an hour or two and caught the same fish with my lure still in its mouth!

I don't want to get way off topic...BUT.....I feel this is kind of important fact that has CONFUSED PeopleEatingTastyAnimals AND anglers AND society as a WHOLE!
It also relates to a Bass' striking Lures as well.


The new research also referred to a study done on fish which were caught with a hook and then released.
The fish resumed feeding and normal activity immediately or within minutes and went on to show good long-term survival, which indicated they had not experienced pain.

So as not to BORE anyone, here's a couple of short very interesting articles.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9797948/Fish-cannot-feel-pain-say-scientists.html

https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/honest-angler/2013/01/its-official-fish-feel-no-pain-or-suffering



There are many OTHER research articles from SCIENTISTS that basically comes to the SAME conclusion.

So continue to preserve our valued resources and prized addictive behavior....BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TOO!

FISH ON MY FRIENDS!!!!!