screen in real time are replacing the speculation about bass behavior with facts on their real actions . Right now , this new technology is rewriting the knowledge base of our sport . How could learning so many new things about the way fish behave ruin the life of anyone who likes to fish ?
what ffs is teaching me
For me , the biggest surprise FFS has revealed is just how comfortable bass are roaming around in open water without any cover . Free-swimming smallmouth and spotted bass are understandable , but it ’ s the pelagic nature of largemouth that has stunned me .
One of the very first “ rules ” we learn as anglers is that bass always relate to some kind of cover . I grew up reporting on bass pros who made their entire livings catching bass from shallow cover . These days , I find myself covering successful pros who are fishing out over 30 to 50 feet of water in areas where there ’ s not much cover or contour on the mapping . When I ask , “ What are they relating to ?” they laugh and say , “ Nothing !”
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER
Even more amazing is to watch a pro literally follow a group of largemouth around in the middle of nowhere on a lake in Florida or Texas with the trolling motor . It blows my mind , especially when there ’ s such enticing cover on the bank in 3 to 10 feet of water .
Perhaps the fallacy here is on my part for believing that “ relating to structure or cover ,” means having their nose stuck in it . If live beaming returns are any indication , maybe a bass ’ definition of “ relating to something ” is far looser than I assumed . I know saltwater pelagics will “ relate ” to reefs that are 200 yards away . I guess there ’ s no reason bass couldn ’ t be this way , too . But who knew ?
Also , it appears bass are not near as stationary as we once believed . Except for the spawn , another common beam theme is that bass swim around a lot , nearly in constant motion – and not just bass , either . Fish of all species mill around out in the middle of lakes , just as they often do in the ocean . “ I never knew there were so many fish in lakes ,” was a common refrain after anglers began utilizing FFS in the middle of nowhere .
Incidentally , bass seem to have symbiotic relationships with other species of fish in lakes , such as big stripers , white bass , carp and even drum . This , too , is a page out of the saltwater playbook : Certain species will follow or use other species for cover . I ’ ve never really considered the same possibilities in freshwater until pros began to tell me about seeing other species in conjunction with bass . These other species provoke feeding opportunities for bass . Forward-facing sonar now allows anglers ( for the first time ) to watch these symbiotic relationships play out in front of their eyes .
what i ’ m learning about pressure
Another undeniable advantage to this technology is watching the realities of fishing pressure on bass – seeing how close the boat can get to fish before they sense its presence and get “ pushed ” away . Or watching a school take cover in the shadow of the boat , “ hiding in plain sight ,” so to speak . There are times when bass are actually spooked by the very presence of a particular lure entering their realm . Many anglers are amazed by how often bass follow their lures and don ’ t bite , as if they are studying them , leaving us to wonder how they get so smart in terms of knowing what ’ s fake and what ’ s food .
Along those same lines , anglers are now getting a much better idea of exactly how big a strike zone is , depending on the water clarity , clouds , wind , etc . Present a lure too close and too fast and it spooks them . Present a lure too far away and they never see it . But present a lure in just the right zone – just barely detectable by feel or by sight – and suddenly a bass demonstrates a strong trait of curiosity and the winningness to investigate . Who knew ?
These are all things we had no idea about until the ability to see them in their mysterious underwater haunts became a reality . It ’ s an overall observation of how bass relate to everything in their environment : structure , cover , bait , other species , fishing pressure , water color , current and wind . Are these not the very things we have wondered about for years ? I ’ ve seen some things that can truly ruin my life , and a screen that provides a real-time look at how fish behave in their underwater world is simply not one of them .
APRIL-MAY 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 19