| If you think that you know everything that is to be | | | | Lie Number 4: Weeds Cool Water |
| known on florida bass fishing, striped bass fishing | | | | The sun's warmth is absorbed by water only within a |
| start reading the article to remove your confusion. | | | | few inches of the surface. Underwater shaded areas |
| During the last years and past decade many romours | | | | are the same temperature as sunlit areas unless |
| and myths has been created but today many of | | | | other factors are involved. Weeds collect heat. |
| these myths or lies about bass behavior has been | | | | If weds are all near the surface, they can warm the |
| dispelled by scientific evidence. Some of these myths | | | | surface. If currents don't dissipate this heat, water |
| are the following... | | | | under shallow weeds often is warmer, though |
| Lie Number 1: Bass Kill Prey for Fun | | | | shadier, than nearby open water. |
| It's tempting to exaggerate the characteristics of | | | | Lie Number 5: Bass Hover in Shade in Deep Water |
| bass to make them seem fierce and more worthy of | | | | As light scatters, shade eventually disappears in |
| capture. But some bass don't even kill one prey per | | | | deeper water. Double the depth at which you can |
| day. | | | | see a white object under your boat to estimate the |
| The times they run into enough vulnerable prey to | | | | depth at which shade ceases to be a factor in bass |
| gorge themselves are few indeed. In some feeding | | | | behavior. Below that depth, there's no significant |
| incidents, bass continue to feed even though they | | | | shade, except inside underwater caves or under thick |
| seem to have eaten all they can hold. | | | | cover. |
| This may result because bass so seldom encounter | | | | Lie Number 6: Bass Fear and Avoid Human Odors |
| the possibility of eating too many prey that they lack | | | | Scientists found that trout and salmon react to the |
| a mechanism to indicate they're full. | | | | L-serine found on wolf and bear paws and seal skin. |
| Lie Number 2: Sun Hurts Bass Eyes | | | | Trout and salmon frequently spawn on shallow shoals |
| This myth continues, despite being obviously false. | | | | where wolves and bears may attack them. So these |
| Experienced anglers, including bass pros and writers | | | | fish species instinctively avoid L-serine. Human skin |
| who keep this myth alive, routinely see bass cruising | | | | also produces L-serine that can scare trout and |
| about (seldom feeding) in ultraclear water under | | | | salmon. |
| direct midsummer sunlight. Bass have neither eyelids | | | | As of this writing there is no known scientific study, |
| nor expandable pupils. | | | | however, that shows bass react negatively to |
| They don't need them. Their eyes contain pigments | | | | L-serine or any other chemical produced by humans. |
| that shield eye cells from bright light. Water rapidly | | | | Predators that produce L-serine or other humanlike |
| absorbs, reflects, and reduces light intensity, so | | | | odors seldom attack bass underwater. Bas may learn |
| sudden light changes and bright light usually aren't a | | | | to fear human scents only in waters where |
| problem underwater. Shady spots are good places to | | | | catch-and-release is frequently practiced, but such |
| cast for bass, but not because shade protects their | | | | avoidance could become instinctive only after many |
| eyes. | | | | generations of natural selection. |
| Instead, bass use shade for protection and to | | | | Scents may tempt bass to hold artificial lures a few |
| camouflage their stalking of prey. Fish in shade can | | | | seconds longer to taste them, or perhaps scents |
| see better into sunlit areas than from direct sunlight | | | | stimulate feeding. But human L-serine isn't naturally |
| looking into shade. | | | | feared by bass and doesn't need to be masked. |
| Lie Number 3: Bass Hear Anglers Talking | | | | Lie Number 7: 90 % of the Bass Are Caught by 10 |
| Sound travels well through air, water and solid | | | | % of the Anglers |
| objects. But it doesn't transfer easily from air to | | | | This myth may have been accurate in the 1960s |
| water. | | | | when few anglers knew how to fish for bass. At the |
| Sounds above the surface are too weak to affect | | | | present time, many anglers are proficient, and the |
| bass. In contrast, sounds and pressure waves from | | | | total catch is shared by more fishermen. |
| movements of the boat and noise against a boat | | | | A better guess might be that in typical fished-down |
| bottom are rapidly passed through water to bass | | | | waters, 10 percent of the anglers catch 50 percent |
| ears and lateral lines. Anglers may talk, but should | | | | of the fish, 30 percent of the anglers catch 70 |
| avoid rocking, banging scraping and stomping in a | | | | percent; while the remaining 70 percent get only 30 |
| boat. | | | | percent of the total catch. |