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| jlong- you asked what caused the 6" strike zone trigger in the previous post "Strike Zone" by Cast-n-Blast. Well that one seemed to get off track. So here's just my humble opinion about what caused the strike reflex.
I think it was a territorial reflex, I know the fish could see the lure approaching her, especially up to the 2' mark. From that point it was twitch, twitch, in about 6" movements. She didn't react at all until it was within 6" of her nose. Did her lateral line trigger the strike reflex? The bait was about where I'd say she may have not been able to visually see it very well. Maybe the lateral line sven image was the trigger?
http://www.parmly.luc.edu/parmly/lat_line_behav_demo.html
Al Warner
www.youdontknowhowtowatchtv.com
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| Al, glad to see people are using the links on www.esoxresearch.com to view some of this technical stuff. I've spent way too much time reading an entire box of publications that Sheryl Coombs sent to me pertaining to her studies of the lateral line. My head is still spinning from her analysis. How much of it is useful for fisherman remains to be seen.
In another post DougJ questioned me on what I have FOUND to support my belief that a muskie strike can be triggered.... or in his words... FORCED. I think forced is a little strong of a description.... but it makes a point. The idea that a fish will strike a VIBRATING SPHERE is what has made me question the "forced" strike. Are these fish in the studies just that HUNGRY that they strike at the sphere thinking it is food? I think they strike it because they THINK it is food... but not necessarily because they are hungry. They just can't help themselves. Bottom line, I have no PROOF of anything.... just some crazy ideas and what appears to be some valid evidence.
Throw in this entire idea of SVENNING from the link you posted above and it now begins to explain why some lures that visually look so UNNATURAL can be so productive. I bet the bucktail produces a SVEN image of a typical forage. In past discussions when I say the thump thump thump of a bucktail blade resembles the kick kick kick of the tail of a forage fish.... it may just create a "mental image" of a real meal. A meal the fish has eaten repeatedly throughout its lifetime.... with a positive reward.... a full tummy.
Keep in mind, that I am not a biologist, just a crazed musky fisherman who got his hands on some interesting literature. In an attempt to better understand the literature and apply it to muskie fishing, Esox Research Company has contacted some of the professors at Loyola University to get their interpretations of the data. Its exciting to think of the possibilities of such a relationship.
What I am trying to do here is get EVERYONE'S unique interpretations of this kind of information. The more people we have combining hard science with real life experiences... the more useful the info becomes... and hopefully the fisherman applying that info produce BETTER results.
Some people may think this stuff is nonsense and to think about it is just complicating a simple pastime. But, you gotta admit that after reading some of that material... it puts an entirely different perspective on your "anectodal experience" of triggering that strike with a husky jerk only 6 inches from the beasts nose. |
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| jlong- I think my Grandson Xavier (3) solved some of the mystery of what a bucktail simulates or how it visually stimulates a Muskie or any other fish for that matter.
I agree 100% it has strong stimulation of the lateral line and also lot's of visual flash. But also when viewed from the side it has the illusional profile of a bait fish. I observed this at the Mepps demo tank at the Milwaukee Muskie Expo. They had some bucktails of differnt types in this tank of flowing water. My little Grandson Xavier was standing there fascinated with the tank, he turned and said "Papa fishy" and he pointed at the smallest Mepps in the tank, it was the only one spinning at normal fishing speed, i.e., lot's of flash. When I kneeled down to his level, I was shocked because I could see the same illusional fish profile that had fooled him.
Xavier also really liked the Radtkes Pikie Minnows in Mr Radtkes tank by the MF booth. [:bigsmile:]
Just some more speculation based on that observation. I think blade styles also have a significant impact on the visual illusion profile. It's already a give me that they change the lure vibration/thump. Add in varying blade colors and tail styles + tail colors, the illusion is complete. Bite Me!!!!
hee, hee. How about some reaserch? Maybe we could get Jason Smith in the pool at New London show w/scuba mask and have Dick Pearson run various styles of bucktails by him. Course we'd have to get Dick to promise not to set the hooks.[:bigsmile:]
Al Warner
www.youdontknowhowtowatchtv.com
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| The idea of a Muskie striking a lure because of a territorial instinct still doesnot sound right to me.Literally hundreds of times Ive visually observed Muskies in shallow water refuse to strike anything that was thrown in front of them,including hitting them with the lures. If a teritorial instinct existed wouldnt it be their instinct at all times to protect their space? These fish were probably up in the water column to speed the digestive process as pointed out in the Eagle lake studies.Another observation was a "tame" Muskie that was fed at the dock at Greers Pier Marina on the Manitowish chain. That fish was always under the pier complex and if that fish was not hungry it would not respond at all to ANYTHING.Muskies ,in my experience , take a up a "territory"sometimes as an ambush spot.A smaller Muskie will move off that spot if a bigger fish moves in because it will be eaten if it doesnt-The bigger fish is hungry when it moves to that ambush spot.Common sense would also suggest that if these relatively rare predators in any given biomass could be made to strike out of territoriality ,etc. a lake would never really "shut off " completely- which they most definately do.Are they not just as "territorial "in a cold front? As for what any artificial bait looks like to a Muskie- its only relevent when we impart a "human" brain component into the equation. A Muskies evolution has probably taught it that anything moving in the water is food and size would be the only self preservative factor that would influence it not to strike it if it were hungry.Im still open to persuasion though- just adding my personal thoughts to the discusion.PS> Muskies in Aquariums dont seem territorial either-As Im sure many have observed |
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| Al, sounds like a cool experiment... as long as Jason Smith doesn't wear his SPEEDO bikini!!!!![:0]
Oops, sorry for crackin' jokes... forgot this was the REASEARCH board (ha ha). |
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| I don't buy the territorialism theory either...... |
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| OKAY.......... You win- territoral was the wrong word! How about reflex strike ???? She certainly wasn't actively feeding. + I don't think she could have swallowed anything anyway as the # 11 Rapala was crosswise blocking her throat and almost into the gill rakers.
Al Warner
www.icantplayfindmyfoot.com
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| Don't give up so easily Al! When I say I'm not buying it.... I want you to try to SELL it to me. That's how we all learn!
I just wish MORE people would express their thoughts, opinions and observations on these subjects. I'll say it again... observation is a form of RESEARCH.... so we all can contribute on this forum. |
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Lateral Line and the 6" strike zone??