Do Stripers Settle in for the Night?

[JohnR]

I think sometimes when the other fish see one of their member being dragged away from them in a storm of comotion it may spook some away. Think of how often you get whacked early on and everything shuts down right away. Was that the sole fish? Or did the others get spooked? Does the school (swarm) scatter and then regroup a little bit away at a rally point?

How does catching a fish impact other fish of that school? What is the tipping point between when fish will dive on bait even knowing that something strange is happening when some of their members are removed from the heard? A slew of bait? A new moon? Stormy water keep the fish? FAC scatter?

Think how sometimes when you bring in a fish others follow it right in, almost as if they are trying to find the source of what is dragging their partner away or as if they are trying to help spring free their pal...

I'm trying to learn / think how to approach an entire school versus a single fish. Sure you can only catch one at a time but how does that one impact the others?

[shadow]

yes I like to move around a bit,sometimes I'll catch a fish in one spot then nothing for a while so you move around a bit come back alittle while later and there's another fish in the some spot.As for as if there spooked I don't know mybe some times.I always felt that fish that follow do so becuse they want what the other fish grabed there waiting for the fish to drop it so they can grab it.If the current is really pulling in a inlet the fish will not move much.

[Adrian]

Bass certainly do station themselves where they can get the maximum amount of energy input for the least amount expended. Lazy or smart, or, just natural selection at work?. I think if the bait situation is good enough, fish will continue to move into a hot feeding spot and you can take a lot of fish without having to move. Or, they become super selective and drive you nuts tryiong to figure out what they're taking. How long the bite lasts seems to depend on the rising / falling tide. Some spots produce for a few hours and others only last an hour or so, if that . The stage of the moon can also make a big difference, even from one day to the next.

As far as a hooked fish spooking others in the school its possible. But I've also watched stripers following hooked fish on the cape flats, picking up bits of bait spat out by the thrashing fish. They seem to be very opportuntistic.

[tattoobob]

I think the bigger the ambush point the more fish are there, Bass tuck themselves in and wait for forage to pass by, and yes the move with the tide if they feel unsafe they move to deeper water

[riarcher]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I think sometimes when the other fish see one of their member being dragged away from them in a storm of comotion it may spook some away. Think of how often you get whacked early on and everything shuts down right away. Was that the sole fish? Or did the others get spooked? Does the school (swarm) scatter and then regroup a little bit away at a rally point?

How does catching a fish impact other fish of that school? What is the tipping point between when fish will dive on bait even knowing that something strange is happening when some of their members are removed from the heard? A slew of bait? A new moon? Stormy water keep the fish? FAC scatter?

Think how sometimes when you bring in a fish others follow it right in, almost as if they are trying to find the source of what is dragging their partner away or as if they are trying to help spring free their pal...

I'm trying to learn / think how to approach an entire school versus a single fish. Sure you can only catch one at a time but how does that one impact the others?

Had an Uncle that would swear like the #^&#^&#^&#^&ens if I reeled in a hooked fish too fast.
"What the he!! you doin? You're making that fish scream in agony reelin in so fast! You're making so much commotion you're scarin the others away! Smarten up or your as$ will stay the he!! home from now on!"
He'd always bring them in "slow & easy". Rarely lost a fish that way too.
Often when thinking back,,,,, I wonder.
Many times when he'd hook up he would say, "cast over here to me before I crank in". Ironicly, when I did it right, I'd often hooked up (when I didn't hook-up it was because I didn't "do it right" -?)and have to hold until he got set in beside me again. ("holding fish on point" ?) As I said, sometimes I have to wonder.
Seems stupid I know,,, but it did seem to work more often than not.
My uncle seemed to make simple fishing rather complicated with his rituals. But we caught fish when others got "skunked".

[cow tamer]

Might it also be a territorial thing?

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I think sometimes when the other fish see one of their member being dragged away from them in a storm of comotion it may spook some away. Think of how often you get whacked early on and everything shuts down right away. Was that the sole fish? Or did the others get spooked? Does the school (swarm) scatter and then regroup a little bit away at a rally point?

How does catching a fish impact other fish of that school? What is the tipping point between when fish will dive on bait even knowing that something strange is happening when some of their members are removed from the heard? A slew of bait? A new moon? Stormy water keep the fish? FAC scatter?

Think how sometimes when you bring in a fish others follow it right in, almost as if they are trying to find the source of what is dragging their partner away or as if they are trying to help spring free their pal...

I'm trying to learn / think how to approach an entire school versus a single fish. Sure you can only catch one at a time but how does that one impact the others?

Nice thinking JR

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I think sometimes when the other fish see one of their member being dragged away from them in a storm of comotion it may spook some away. Think of how often you get whacked early on and everything shuts down right away. Was that the sole fish? Or did the others get spooked? Does the school (swarm) scatter and then regroup a little bit away at a rally point?

?

me and JoeyG discuss this alot......when fishing a concentrated area ("local" rocky areas)where you are pretty much standing in the same spot...the fish do get spooked by the activity of one getting hooked and fought or the commotion of lures hitting the water.....when it goes dead after landing decent fish we will say to each other "break time" and take 10 minutes or so out of the water....I am always ready that first cast back...most times they are back again because things settled down...

[Raven]

that cruise the ocean 25,000 miles at a time....

bass are built for rapid bursts of speed.....
so they'll always stage....where thats possible....

the uncle saying screaming....may have been refering to stress hormones as aposed to sound being generated
but it amounts to the same thing.

great subject....