I don't think theres a way to "prove" or "disprove" this, but...
Do fish remember?
I've often heard that the same plug only works for so long. The fish become accustomed to seeing it, and being released after being caught on it.
Do they actually remember which plug caused them pain?
Do they know not to attack it again?
What do they think is happening when we "Lip" em' and release them? What are they thinking? Can they think, because you have to think to be able to remember...are they thinking that we're a bigger fish who lives in a waterless environment?
If some lures work under certain conditions or when certain types of bait are present (like match the hatch) how can we prove that its the fact that a certain fish class remembers the style of our lures? Why is it that sometimes the bait-fisher-person out fishes the plugger, no matter what he tosses out there? Is it that the present school has seen everything he has in his bag?
I don't think they remember at all. With brains the size of peas, there's not enough RAM in there!!
If our lures are built to look like baitfish, then they wouldn't hunt down the species that our lures are designed to look like...Right??
...so, do they remember? What do you think?
crabby minds wanna know~