Can fish see you?

[Grant]

Been doing a bit of spinning recently, and with my polaroids, have been watching the fish follow the lure, look at me (I think), then swim off.

 

I am not changing the pace or action of the lure right up to my feet, but the water is quite shallow (10 - 15 feet) so can't relly avoid being 'seen'.

 

I know the ususal advice about keeping low etc, but what are people's views on this? Is it a delusionary state caused through frustration?

 

Trying to avoid fishing while covered in seaweed as a disguise!

[Artfulfisher]

Good Question Grant...

 

from my personal experience with Bass and Trout in Still Water...it doesn't pay to be too obvious...however if you have the right lure and you're working it well...the fish get so focused on the 'prey' that they completely ignore you!

 

Only when my technique has let me down or the lure is not quite right, have I noticed that the slightly less enthusiastic fish have noticed me and headed for cover.

 

On one occassion with a regill on the end, I was unwittingly 'dabbling' it in the water as I untangled a mess I'd somehow created at the reel end...as I turned around I was confronted with a 3lb bass snatching at the redgill just inches below the surface and 6ft away while I stood in plain view!!! ...of course the second I turned my attention to the bass and working the eel 'correctly' the fish saw me and retreated to the depths!!!

 

My point being...the fish could easily see me but still carried on it's hunt, because the eel and it's action (however accidental!) was irresistable!

 

So don't get hung up on trying to make yourself too stealthy...cause it's not always necessary, but by the same token, being stealthy won't loose you fish!!! ...unless of course that weed you're hiding in gets tangled in the reel!!!

 

Tite Lines

 

Art

[Chippy]

Grant

 

For what it's worth, when I've been diving you can easily see someone stood on the pier from 5-6m down if the surface is fairly calm and the viz is good.

 

P.S. I did a dive at Bouley on Sunday - saw 4 nice bass chasing the sand smelt around the rocks by the road. I went down the next evening plugging - not a sausage! I was chatting to some other divers and they were all saying that they'd seen lots of Bass in the bay during last week too - might be worth a bash.

[Grant]

A few people have told me the same, but they seem to be a fairly small school.

 

Hopefully if anyone does catch one they will release it to keep the integrity of the group, and maybe in a few years they will become a resident school of large bass that people try and catch for sport..... some hope!

 

I am supposed to be trying a sea kayak with Dave at the weekend, but will give it a go.

 

Going to have to develop some code words or something for these spots!!

[Guest jay_con]

on a slightly different note do u think fish see your headlight when you night fishing?

 

how many people here creep about in the dark?

[Spur-Hound]

I always hate when fishing at night and lots of people are shining there powerfull headlights into the bit yopur fishing on, I believe it can affect the fishng particularlyat a shallow mark,

[chesters1]

i think they just realise it not a real fish or whatever and just not bother.

my mrs was fishing next to me in gin clear water if she (and she is a bit erratic) casted 2 feet from the weeds although the fish charged out to get the bait none took it and returned ,if she landed 1ft from the weed she immediatly got a bite ,i think if the fish have time to "think" they see the bait for what it is and leave it alone maybe your following fish also cotton on ,maybe varying the retrieve may fool them although course fish are far more wary as sea fish are eaten rather than learn by their mistakes

i think sea fish arnt bothered in the slightest by humans or human interaction ,noise is normal as is lights and not having the chance to learn after being cooked cannot warn their siblings of human kind

 

[ 04. August 2004, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[chappers]

I don't think most fish are bothered by lights in general (bass will often stalk prey from the shadows surrounding harbourside lightsbut they can definitely be scared by lights or shadows moving on the water.

I always try to keep my lights to a minimum, for just baiting up, when fishing close in at night

[Salar]

If lights are in their normal places (harbours) they won't affect fish but I am sure lights on beaches and rocks will have an effect. Fish know where they are and don't like the unusual. If a fish doesn't take but follows a lure, he is either suspicious or not really hungry. He'll turn away if he can't be bothered to eat it or if one final thing doesn't look right (like you!). In trout fishing if a fish follows it can often be induced to take if you speed up the retrieve at the last minute, it triggers at auto-response which makes them grab. Can be interesting if that happens six feet from your rod top so don't do that with the rod in line with the line or you'll be smashed for sure - make sure the rod can cushion the take.

 

[ 04. August 2004, 11:49 PM: Message edited by: Salar ]