Fish Think Their Way Out of Being caught

[cow tamer]

I was fighting an albie this am and it was more like he was in charge. After he tried several runs to break my line, he headed in to create slack. I kept up with him, so he started fluttering beneath the water and with this motion and using his body as a tool, cut through the line. On another day, one found that it couldn't out fight me so it made a run along the jetty and cut me off.
I've had other experiences with blues and stripers.
Do you think its all fight and luck on their part or do you think they actually figure out how to get away?

[luds]

animal instinct. nothing more.

[eastendlu]

Wear a mask they recognize you.

[FishermanTim]

Genetic Memory.
Ever wonder how some animals "instintively" know how to do certain things?
How does a cat know how to use a litter box?

[justplugit]

The large always know, they are older and have a bigger memory bank

[EricM]

Instinct.

[baldwin]

Cats instinctively buried their feces to hide evidence of their presence. Short modification to teach them to use a litter box. My dog buries hers, pushing leaves over them.