Do fish learn?

[theoldfart2]

Back in the day when men were men and the TV was in black and white with two channels, we used to fish for Bass with white feathers or photographic paper.

Later it was the Red Gills, then Stingsildrs ( spelling) then wagglers, now lead heads or whatever they are called.

But do the fish learn not to take a lure? And are modern lures more efficient at catching?

Is it natural selection that generations of fish get used to lures or marketing from the tackle manufactures that tell us the old type are no good anymore?

So assuming that fish do not pass it on from one to another about which lures to avoid, why do we as anglers keep updating our tackle at considerable expense if the old gear we have in the tackle box is just as efficient? 

Or do we all believe the hype that the grass is allways greener and newer is better?

[loopy78]

I've found certain lures work for certain areas TOF, it doesn't change with fashion, example being fishing off of the forts a delta lure beats the granny out of anything else.
I just think some of the more modern lures are better designed for casting/not picking up weed etc i doubt that the fish learn what not to take!!

[zebedee111]

To be honest I think a lot of it boils down to tackle tartiness, I have some latest gen yozuri lures but only end up using them in really clear areas! Found I end up going back to the old Toby lures and end up having brilliant results! Confidence? I don't know but I have always caught on them they cost pence compared to the tsunamis and rapala offerings and if I lose one it's not an issue....... So I end up casting into areas I normally would not bother

[eccles]

Well gold fish (mine) certainly do. If I knock on the edge of their pond they soon come running because they know that it's grubs up time. But that is only because it happens regularly (every day) and I doubt if the average bass is going to see a toby and get caught every day or every week for that matter.

[theoldfart2]

Well that has blown the fantacy that goldfish have a 30 second memory span don't it!

[Sunny]

Toby lures were deadly for queenfish, but completely ignored by kingfish, even when in a feeding frenzy.

Yet the kings went bonkers for red & white Yozuris.

small micro rapalas would get instant hits from yellow spot travalley and snappers.

I reckon the different lures bring out the attack reaction in different species. So experimentation with new designs could find one that gives better results with a species ?

[theoldfart2]

Good and valid point.

But as the newer and ' better' lures come on the market, do we forget the old tried and trusted ones that we used years ago?

thing is how many guys now would be seen using a 'Mackerel' spinner to catch bass?

Best fisherman I ever know was Danny Barnes, used to stroll up Yarmouth Pier with a length of Bamboo and bit of catgut with a hook, look over the side then pick his spot, put something on the hook, drop it over the side, and pull in a nice Bass.

Many a time I saw him leaning over Yarmouth bridge, fishing for Mullet , with his drop net there to pull them up, after he hooked them.

I asked him one day , what he used to catch all his fish.

As he stood there looking at his float, he just said.


'My brains'

Lesson for us all there I think