A professor holds plastic bait next to an aquarium containing largemouth bass. ( MCT file photo )

After a frustrating day on the water, many fishermen return to the dock and make the bass out to be the Ph.D of the fish world.

But here's some news for you: The largemouth isn't nearly as smart as it might seem.

"Some fishermen give the bass far too much credit," said Keith Jones, who is in charge of research at the Berkley Fish Research Station in Iowa. "The bass doesn't have the ability to reason. As soon as it hatches, it is genetically pre programmed to follow certain behavior.

"It relies on its senses to guide its actions. Its vision, hearing, sense of smell and taste . . . . that all plays a part. It's a sensory machine, and the sooner we as fishermen learn how those senses guide the bass's behavior, the more fish we will catch."

When it's time to feed, that sensory machine is fully operational.

The bass relies on its vision as its No. 1 asset. It has eyes that are specially adapted for underwater use, allowing for a wide range of vision. Jones said the bass has a maximum viewing distance of about 50 feet. But it has small binocular fields for close-up viewing to scrutinize its prey.

"We have seen many times in our research where a bass will rush across a tank at something, then stop to study it, then it will veer off," said Jones, who wrote the book

Whatever the case, the bass' s eyesight isn't nearly as sharp as a human's.

"The sharpness of their vision is only 10 percent of ours," Jones said. "When they look at an object, they don't see nearly the detail we do." That's why bass often rely on their unique hearing system to help. They have a lateral line that runs across the body to pick up vibrations.

Originally posted here:
Understanding biology of the largemouth is key to catching them