Florida Bass

[PSL]

Want to get some Feedback on fishing in Lake Okeechobee. Fishing with a guy today who's Opinion is that bass have little to no memory. And that is because they have a pea sized brain. That fishing pressure, nor lure repeatability mean absolutely nothing.

It is almost a mute discussion because you can find info online. Proof, why do guides use shiners ? It is just strange having the chat because I know the bigger bass in the lake are smarter, thus the reason they get caught less. In that, his opinion is that you catch more small one because there are so many more.


It is late summer, the bite is slow. We all know that much... I just dont think it is because they just are not hungry. It is much more, a combo of everything.

Is there any good read on this subject anywhere....

[FD]

Want to get some Feedback on fishing in Lake Okeechobee. Fishing with a guy today who's Opinion is that bass have little to no memory. And that is because they have a pea sized brain. That fishing pressure, nor lure repeatability mean absolutely nothing.

It is almost a mute discussion because you can find info online. Proof, why do guides use shiners ? It is just strange having the chat because I know the bigger bass in the lake are smarter, thus the reason they get caught less. In that, his opinion is that you catch more small one because there are so many more.


It is late summer, the bite is slow. We all know that much... I just dont think it is because they just are not hungry. It is much more, a combo of everything.

Is there any good read on this subject anywhere....

Nope, there is not.  I read an FWC article once that suggested that bass have a memory lasting 22 min or so.

The biggest issue in the summer are the high water temps.  Hotter water holds less dissolved O2 and make the bass sluggish.

CPF Lures Pro Staff
CPFLures.com

[Deadeye]

I once fished a Pond where in the one corner you could toss out a plastic worm and every day you did, you would catch a 3 lb Bass. It was there for over a year until one guy took it to a fishing contest on the Opening Day of Bass Fishing and that was that.

However, I have also fished in ponds where there was ZERO Pressure, in fact I was the 1st person to ever toss a line in it since the owner built it. I was able to catch a Bass on EVERY Cast for an hour or so, then it slowed down. I moved to the other side of the Pond (it had a small island built in it separating the pond into two sections) and repeated the process. Then once that side slowed down went back to the first and caught some more. And so it was until I had to leave.

BUT Once the pond started receiving Pressure from the owners Nephews it changed and changed quickly. Within weeks I had to sneak up to the edge on my hands and knees to even get a bite.

So, IMO do Bass have a Memory? Well Yes- But NOT LIKE WE DO. They can and do learn that certain things Hurt when they attempt to eat them and will shy away from them after a period of time. Yet they still have to eat, so we still Catch Bass on things we have used for years because well their hungry.

And YES there will always be more Smaller Bass in a given body of water than there are Large Bass in it. It is a real Rarity to achieve DD Status. It takes the proper Genes, Food, and Time to make it happen, and not getting tossed in the Grease really helps.

[PSL]

Nope, there is not.  I read an FWC article once that suggested that bass have a memory lasting 22 min or so.

The biggest issue in the summer are the high water temps.  Hotter water holds less dissolved O2 and make the bass sluggish.

CPF Lures Pro Staff
CPFLures.com

Then it is an interesting topic. https://www.outdoornews.com/2014/02/06/ponder-this-do-bass-remember-your-lures/
After googling there are a few study's that prove that they indeed do have memory. My experience has been like Deadeye's. After fishing the same ponds excessively you find they just wont bite a lure anymore. So either they live on bait fish alone, or all died off and the pond has no bass left.

I did read one study that showed even when presenting a Worm / Senko over and over again the bass would indeed hit it.  Think the suggestion is that after thousands of years, or since Noah's Ark landed, Bass have been eating worms with regularity.

The article above suggests that Bass Fisherman WISHFUL thinking would be no memory at all. So if you throw that same color sweet beaver over and over again it makes no difference.  That may be true with flipping / pitching and why the guys winning during the summer months are flippers. It is always the reaction bite.


Thanks for responding... Great trying to educate on everything, it can only make us better

[coldfront]

this conversation has relevance to the 'tiger bass' development.

some studies showing that some fish become conditioned quickly to avoid lures.  others stay much more catchable.

florida bass are just a lot more 'grumpy' to me.

[big g]

Want to get some Feedback on fishing in Lake Okeechobee. Fishing with a guy today who's Opinion is that bass have little to no memory. And that is because they have a pea sized brain. That fishing pressure, nor lure repeatability mean absolutely nothing.

It is almost a mute discussion because you can find info online. Proof, why do guides use shiners ? It is just strange having the chat because I know the bigger bass in the lake are smarter, thus the reason they get caught less. In that, his opinion is that you catch more small one because there are so many more.


It is late summer, the bite is slow. We all know that much... I just dont think it is because they just are not hungry. It is much more, a combo of everything.

Is there any good read on this subject anywhere....

I agree with your buddy 100%.  Big bass are not smarter than little ones.  Little ones are much more common in number.  They hang in groups of similar size, where big bass are more loners. 
Smaller bass are quicker to the bite because they compete for food from their comrades.  A big bass will also find smaller bass as a food source.  There is not much cognitive response from any fish.  They are programed to react to certain activities in the environment, and they do a good job of that.

[coldfront]

can I just continue to think big bass are smarter?  helps me feel much better about myself...

[big g]

can I just continue to think big bass are smarter?  helps me feel much better about myself...

Lol

[PSL]

can I just continue to think big bass are smarter?  helps me feel much better about myself...

There is plenty to prove they are... The studies show it... As with the other view, yes, Big bass and all bass are condition to respond. Think that is why flipping works well with the Bigger Loners. It is just the chance you drop it inside their view.

Look at the Mikey Ballz video where he lands 50lbs x 5 fish. A certain lake with ONLY one deep pocket at a depth of 17 feet during the winter when the group of Females heads down there to stay warm. Targeted fishing and they were going to hit that deep diving crankbait the second it went in front of them.

Opposite is the study's that show, they can condition. It doesn't mean every time, or every fish are always the same.

My view is it is somewhere inbetween and never just a simple answer ACB.