Do Fish Remember? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

bloocrab · 08-30-2002, 11:16 AM

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~

GBOUTDOORS · 08-30-2002, 11:24 AM

Lets ask Goose he tried to get away from a smackit poper last month and could not throw the hook. Goose do you still remember how that hook felt and are you now shy of smackits???

Welcome home Bloo are you still on for next weekend??

bloocrab · 08-30-2002, 11:34 AM

I ain't giving up my spot just yet GB......your outta luck

GBOUTDOORS · 08-30-2002, 11:59 AM

Great I was not sure with your new work and all. I need some one to help with the dishes and the cooking

redcrbbr · 08-30-2002, 10:59 PM

yep..

fishweewee · 09-01-2002, 07:19 AM

Bloo,

I dunno, I guess the younger the fish, the dumber they are. Late last fall (November) I could have sworn I was catching the same schoolie over and over again (judging by the hook holes in its mouth

) on the same black jointed Gabs Grabber plug. Three or four times, darndest thing.

-Fish Poo Poo

bloocrab · 09-01-2002, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GBOUTDOORS
I need some one to help with the dishes and the cooking

GB,

This time I'll try cooking faster than I eat...When a BIG eater is cooking.....people go hungry!!!

bloocrab · 09-01-2002, 09:21 AM

WeeWee,

If you've read any of my books, you may have seen this before

"I've had plenty of fish tanks in my day and done lots of studying and tests...yeah, my fisheeez went through (

) with me..

..dragging tiny lure-like objects through the tank ..watching their behavior...taking a fish out of the tank, then 15 seconds later..putting him back in and watching his actions...and the actions of the others..

...when you put the fish back in, he finds the closest safe structure...and catches his breath. I imagine a Striper to do the same, especially after a hard battle with the rod. They also won't feed right away or chase the lure-like object. The others also appeared to watch him for a bit before pursuing the lure-like object..almost like they were thinking, "what got into him?"

...I think they felt the vibrations he was giving off while breathing heavy and from the initial shock of being out of the water..and felt a bit nervous. The exception to this observation was when I put one back, while they were being fed real food. At that time, they only reacted to the initial release, then continued feeding and payed no attentin to the released fish.

As far as lure retention...they chased the same lure-like object...everyday I tested. What seemed to happen was, after so many attempts to swallow this object with no success and probably no taste (scent), they paid less attention to it, showing the possibility of some short term memory...very short though. 10 minute interval, and they were back at it again. This may not be the case with their salt-water cousins in their natural environment, these were just some tests and observations I recorded while the snow melted outside.

These notes have been taken and edited from the Bloocrab Chronicles, Copywritten and protected by the (FCA) Federal Claws Act."

fishweewee · 09-01-2002, 11:43 AM

Bloo...

Where can I get an autographed copy?

Goose · 09-01-2002, 08:52 PM

Did you write this book in Ohio?.....lolol You realy where bored. While you where doing that we where stickin mad lip.(hee hee)You got some catchin up ta do. Can't say 4 shore I caught the same fish twice but if your lure is a close imitation of the available bait then there's no reason why you wouldn't catch that fish again.....my 2 scents

Jenn · 09-02-2002, 08:59 PM

um...ok....not been behind my puter for a while and I come back to THIS??????!!!! what is this????? huh?????? wha---????

I dont know WHY I thought of it in these terms (I think your "thoughts" written above messed my head up).......but anyway......you know when you are driving your car and some butthead almost runs right into you and kills you????? well....you often remeber and are skittish driving for a little while after that right?????? well even though you remember the incident.....do you remember what the car looked like?????? hmmmmm.......

FFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTZZZZZssssssssssstttttTTTTTT T!

oops....last brain cell finally went......

bloocrab · 09-02-2002, 11:13 PM

OK...Jenn,

...where did this start?

I've heard this more than once. "Fish will remember what they were caught on and not chase the same style/color pattern year after year. They "Get Smart" to the lure and thats why some lures don't work when you think they should."

I think its a bunch of HOOPLA!!

...the tests I conducted in my fish tanks showed me little to none ... short term memory on African Cichlids. I know I can't compare a cichlid to a striper....I never said I was. I was just sharing some of my Looney-ness with y'all..

...so now, do you think a fish remembers which lure he was caught and released on? Do you think he learns from his mistakes? Do you think he shares that knowledge with the rest of his tribe? Do you think Fish travel in tribes or schools? Do you think they have a bloocrab draw a picture of the lure so they can hang on the weeds with a warning on it? Or do you think he'll hit it again knowing that your going to release him because you released him last time? Or do you think he'll remember you more if you cook em' up?

....I know you'll sure remember em' more.....

Confused yet?

Spare Spool · 09-03-2002, 01:46 PM

I've "heard" that fish will rememeber being hooked for 30 seconds after they are realeased. Not sure where and when I heard this and how valid it is. Because of the size of a fish's brain, it could be true.

From my freshwater days on Champlain, this is one thing that I observed about LM bass. Someone once told me at a bait shop that bass will not eat for up to 24 hours after being caught. After catching a 3 lb LMB I put him in a live well that was full of shiners and lo and behold he went straight for the bottom and just sat there relaxing. After a 1/2 hour I didn't want to potentially lose any bait, so I released him, so I don't know how long before he would have gone nuts with all of that food around him. There are a lot of reasons why he might not have been eating, the primary one being the shock of a completely new environment being on the top of the list, so I'm not sure exactly what this all means, but I did think it was very interseting.

Swimming lures for African cichlids. Hmm.... hope they were barbless!!

bloocrab · 09-03-2002, 08:21 PM

Eugene,

..worry knot!!!

..they weren't actually lures, just small lure-like objects tied to 6# mono...

...no hooking intended!!.....I LOVED MY CICHLIDS

Jenn · 09-03-2002, 10:33 PM

Quote:

!!.....I LOVED MY CICHLIDS

I had a few tanks going...one with my beloved Oscars.....they were my "buds" ...believe it or not...they would start "crashing" the surface every morning when they knew it was feeding time......(also lead to a wet floor and a very heavy oak hood

) I too loved my fishies.....but I lost them both to hole in the head disease....

....then moved and didnt have the room for any more...

....now as far as teasing them with "lures"???!!!!!!!! can say I ever did that!!!!

ok back to the original question....do fish remember?????? hard to say.....I think they have patterns....but thats probably more instint....and instinct is to EAT!!!!! so if the are hungry....and see food.........well...you know!!!!

people are kinda stupid that way too if you think about it......how many times have YOU eaten something you KNEW you were going to pay for later.....but STILL ate it anyway??????

hey weve ALL done it....so dont lie!