Post by fish2win on Jan 17, 2022 8:02:19 GMT -5
Most Fisherman realize very early in their fishing time that bass have a full variety of ways to detect and track down their prey, They have excellent sight, a tremendous hearing with both an inner ear and the ability to hear vibrations and a sophisticated since of smell, In fact scientist tell us that a bass since of smell is 200 times stronger than a beagles.
It is easy to deal with the since of smell with all the attractants and cover up type sprays that are on the market. It is also easy to deal with since of sound with all the different vibrations that have been built into lures, The question is how do you deal with the since of sight?
We all fish Norris, It is not the only lake around with extreme clarity but it certainly has more than its fair share, The times we can get stained or even muddy water are few and far between, This single factor effects the bass more than any other at Norris,
Bass are opportunistic feeders, This simply means they select the easiest locations with the most food source and then feed on the weakest of the species, How many times have you provoked a strike by mimicking a wounded or dying minnow, The bass uses all of its abilities to locate and detect that wounded minnow but in very clear water the ability to see is the most heavily relied on. Scientist tell us that a bass can see much better underwater than we can above the water.
These fish hide in order to make a sneak attack on their prey and one thing the rely heavily of is diminish light. They want to be in a dark place, This means when there is 10 or 15 or even at times in the summer 20 feet of visibility that the fish will hold much deeper than in stained or muddy water where the light penetration is limited. I personally think this is why fisherman who produce good catches at Loudon, Watt Bas or Douglas struggle at Norris, When fishing a spinnerbait in clear water I have one rule, At what ever depth I can see the blades flash I try to put my bait a foot of more deeper,
On some days the fish may blast a lure several feet from their hiding place but others they may only move a foot of two to take a bait, It makes since to try to place your lure as close to that hiding place as possible.
Have you ever actually taken they time to look at a bass, Notice that its eyes are on either side of its head and slightly above center. This both expands but at the same time restricts their line of sight, A bass can see from behind its gill plate to and area beside and out ahead of its body. There is an area directly in front of the fishes face where it cannot see, The bigger the fish the further that area is, After a certain distance based on its head width it
has full forward vision, Each eye has a 180 degree range of vision, This all adds up to this bass will see you often long before you can detect there presence, Because of this it may be essential to wear darker less bright or colorful clothing, Make you self hard to see, Fast movements in the boat can also attract attention, We are stalking our prey aren't we.
This all adds up to this, When fishing for bass in shallow water , lets say 10 feet or less Make longer cast, Usually these fish are using visible cover, Next retrieve your lure and little faster than you would in deeper water , This gives them less time to study the lure, Three hold all noise down, Don't attract attention to your self and try not to make any unnecessary or fast moves that may attract their attention. The exception would be if you are fishing very heavy cover such as reeds, cattails or mill foil. We don't have any of these at Norris so stealth is always best. F2W
It is easy to deal with the since of smell with all the attractants and cover up type sprays that are on the market. It is also easy to deal with since of sound with all the different vibrations that have been built into lures, The question is how do you deal with the since of sight?
We all fish Norris, It is not the only lake around with extreme clarity but it certainly has more than its fair share, The times we can get stained or even muddy water are few and far between, This single factor effects the bass more than any other at Norris,
Bass are opportunistic feeders, This simply means they select the easiest locations with the most food source and then feed on the weakest of the species, How many times have you provoked a strike by mimicking a wounded or dying minnow, The bass uses all of its abilities to locate and detect that wounded minnow but in very clear water the ability to see is the most heavily relied on. Scientist tell us that a bass can see much better underwater than we can above the water.
These fish hide in order to make a sneak attack on their prey and one thing the rely heavily of is diminish light. They want to be in a dark place, This means when there is 10 or 15 or even at times in the summer 20 feet of visibility that the fish will hold much deeper than in stained or muddy water where the light penetration is limited. I personally think this is why fisherman who produce good catches at Loudon, Watt Bas or Douglas struggle at Norris, When fishing a spinnerbait in clear water I have one rule, At what ever depth I can see the blades flash I try to put my bait a foot of more deeper,
On some days the fish may blast a lure several feet from their hiding place but others they may only move a foot of two to take a bait, It makes since to try to place your lure as close to that hiding place as possible.
Have you ever actually taken they time to look at a bass, Notice that its eyes are on either side of its head and slightly above center. This both expands but at the same time restricts their line of sight, A bass can see from behind its gill plate to and area beside and out ahead of its body. There is an area directly in front of the fishes face where it cannot see, The bigger the fish the further that area is, After a certain distance based on its head width it
has full forward vision, Each eye has a 180 degree range of vision, This all adds up to this bass will see you often long before you can detect there presence, Because of this it may be essential to wear darker less bright or colorful clothing, Make you self hard to see, Fast movements in the boat can also attract attention, We are stalking our prey aren't we.
This all adds up to this, When fishing for bass in shallow water , lets say 10 feet or less Make longer cast, Usually these fish are using visible cover, Next retrieve your lure and little faster than you would in deeper water , This gives them less time to study the lure, Three hold all noise down, Don't attract attention to your self and try not to make any unnecessary or fast moves that may attract their attention. The exception would be if you are fishing very heavy cover such as reeds, cattails or mill foil. We don't have any of these at Norris so stealth is always best. F2W