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| If so, do big muskies rule the lake like a dominant buck?[;)] [:)] | |
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| The only way they would have an indication of their size would be if there was a total lack of wind and the surface was as glass, then perchance they might see their reflection, gaining some insight as to how big they were. Other fish would be a better judge of another fishes size than the actual "big fish" him/herself. To actually have "realization" pertaining to their actual size would require them to have the ability to "REASON", which in my opinion is not possible...unless they "instinctively" could somehow know; in summary, an interesting thought provoking question, but one w/ no undisputable answer!
Almost forgot...Mr. Limpett, a fish that came to know himself as more than a man.... | |
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| Sponge covered it pretty well. The important thing here is that since the fish has no reasoning capacity as we know it, nor has any territorial breeding requirements, they simply don't care.
From the survival of the fittest angle, your dominant buck example works because the dominant buck has, probably, the best genetics to pass along if other things are right. Fish pretty much use more of a shotgun approach, as most spawning females have no trouble getting several mates, who then move on to the next female ready to drop her spawn. | |
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| How does a 6" muskie "know" that he can't eat a 12" northern, but instead may be the meal himself? On the other hand, does a 50" muskie have these same issues? | |
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Posts: 105
Location: Kawartha Lakes, Ontario | Muskies don't know if they're 36" or 52", and they don't know if they're big or small. What they do know is what size of forage they can consume. They learn this through trial and error, and experience. Laws of energy dictate that bigger forage provides muskies with more energy than smaller forage because it takes less energy to catch one 15" sucker than it does to catch ten 4" perch. Because they are looking for larger forage, they will be constantly testing and adjusting their maximum forage size.
Does this mean that a fish "thinks" that it is big if it can eat a 21" whitefish? No. It just means that it will eat a 21" whitefish.
Just some thoughts on the subject. Keep your hooks sharp. | |
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Posts: 346
| I think CC is correct. Assuming pike and muskie have the same RELATIVE behavior when it comes to choosing the size of their meal; I have seen two pike of the same approximate size thrashing on the surface because one tried to eat the other (One was stuck down the other's throat). Trial and error. Infisherman had an article about each musky bait type (last year??) and he gave a brief story how a 9" smallmouth hit a 9" spinnerbait or something like that. I'm sure we have all caught smaller fish then what we should have when fishing. Crappies have been know to hit fairly large bass baits.
MJB | |
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Does a muskie really know how big he is?