Feeding Behavior

Three factors influencing feeding behavior of bass are prey vulnerability, competitive cupidity and intake-efficiency. Low light conditions help bass catch threadfin because the defence mechanism of the shad is compromised in low light conditions. The fact that zooplankton will rise closer to the surface in low light/low pressure conditions makes it doubly advantious for the predator bass. Shad rely on their "mirror-like" coloration and silvery complexion to move about in open water without detection during sunlight hours. At night the sad move into deeper water so they are not silhouetted against a lighter sky as bass swim under them. During dusk or stormy conditions when dark clouds block the sunlight, shad must adjust to the chaning light conditions. Being bass adjust faster to the changing light conditions than do the shad, gives bass an advantage to feed.

Competitive cupidity (greed) is what makes bass fishing exciting. I am sure you have caught a bass with a full stomach or even spitting out shad as you boat the fish. Bass can be highly vicious competators and will strike when full, just from instinct (reaction strick), or just for the fun of it. Bass will also fight one another for the same prey.

Bass and especially big bass are "intake-efficient" feeders. They are interested in effectient foraging by catching their prey by ambushing their prey with the least amout of energy expended. This is why more big bass are caught around deep water structure or in shallow weedbeds. Even the smaller active bass will school up and corral prey to save energy. Intake-efficiency also means as bass get larger they adjust their feeding habits to expend energy on prey of significant size. Bass most of the time will prefer a larger baitfish over a smaller one, thus maximizing their intake while minimizing the energy used to catch their prey.

However, that does not mean a big bass will not go after a small baitfish because one of my biggest bass (8.2 lbs) was caught on a small crappie minnow. Food for thought!

[QUOTE=Bonefish;306941]Bass and especially big bass are "intake-efficient" feeders. They are interested in effectient foraging by catching their prey by ambushing their prey with the least amout of energy expended. This is why more big bass are caught around deep water structure or in shallow weedbeds. [/QUOTE]

Reading this reminded me of watching them feed the fish at BPS. They have some big bass in that aquarium, including a 12 lb-er, and they always just hang by the edge of the tank and wait for something to drift their way, while everything else is out in the middle fighting over scraps.

Thanks for the interesting posts. Makes nice reading on a rainy evening.

Great Discussion:
We often don't look at sunlight from the Bass's point of view.

The bass are looking up while we are looking down at them. Everything is reversed from the bass's point of view.

The bass at the bottom of the lake are looking up at a bright sky above or a dark sky above at night or during cloudy conditions.

Have you ever wondered why fish are dark on the dorsal side (TOP) and lighter on the Ventral Side (Bottom). Think about this for a few minutes..........................................................................





If you want to blend in with the back ground you take on the color and brightness of that background. Bass looking up at the surface see a bright light ... the sunlight penetrating down into the water from above. If you are a shad you want to have a light colored bottom (ventral Side) to blend in with the background. Background being a light color.

Now think about what happens to the shad when all of a sudden the sky becomes cloudy and dark? That light colored ventral side of the shad will stick out like a sore thumb against the dark sky. Now think from the bass's point of view not the Hyman's point of view.

It helps to scuba dive to actually see the sky from the bass's point of view. If you can't scuba dive you can free dive with a snorkel and mask. find a clear lake or strip pit and give dive down to 10 ft deep on a bright sunny day and then look back up to the surface. This is how fish view the sky their entire life.

Changing light conditions make the shad more vulnerable to the bass below.

Have you guys watched the shows on the Discovery Channel where they are looking for Great White Sharks. They tow seal shaped decoys behind a boat over the areas where the Sharks frequent. The sharks are patrolling around the Channel Islands looking for seals. They see the dark object being towed by the boat and swim upward at great speed to attack the object on the surface. Now if that object was white colored on it's ventral side the sharks would have a harder time seeing it. White ventral color blends in with the light or white sky above. Just like green camo blends in with the green forest around you while hunting deer.

Bone: I am so glad that you combined the low light/low pressure together. That is good! It's hard to separate the two variables.


[quote=Bonefish;306941]Three factors influencing feeding behavior of bass are prey vulnerability, competitive cupidity and intake-efficiency. Low light conditions help bass catch threadfin because the defence mechanism of the shad is compromised in low light conditions. The fact that zooplankton will rise closer to the surface in low light/low pressure conditions makes it doubly advantious for the predator bass. Shad rely on their "mirror-like" coloration and silvery complexion to move about in open water without detection during sunlight hours. At night the sad move into deeper water so they are not silhouetted against a lighter sky as bass swim under them. During dusk or stormy conditions when dark clouds block the sunlight, shad must adjust to the chaning light conditions. Being bass adjust faster to the changing light conditions than do the shad, gives bass an advantage to feed.

Competitive cupidity (greed) is what makes bass fishing exciting. I am sure you have caught a bass with a full stomach or even spitting out shad as you boat the fish. Bass can be highly vicious competators and will strike when full, just from instinct (reaction strick), or just for the fun of it. Bass will also fight one another for the same prey.

Bass and especially big bass are "intake-efficient" feeders. They are interested in effectient foraging by catching their prey by ambushing their prey with the least amout of energy expended. This is why more big bass are caught around deep water structure or in shallow weedbeds. Even the smaller active bass will school up and corral prey to save energy. Intake-efficiency also means as bass get larger they adjust their feeding habits to expend energy on prey of significant size. Bass most of the time will prefer a larger baitfish over a smaller one, thus maximizing their intake while minimizing the energy used to catch their prey.

However, that does not mean a big bass will not go after a small baitfish because one of my biggest bass (8.2 lbs) was caught on a small crappie minnow. Food for thought![/quote]

Thanks for your input, Moose. As you can tell I have been an educator for over 40 years. I can't help but figure out what makes things tick. Good information helps everyone. I am glad we live in America where we can express our thoughts without repression. I have always enjoyed your posts.

Moose1am and Bonefish you two are starting to scare people on the board......:D lol

Hey BIGGW, we are just dragging some information around C-Rig style to see if we get any bites. You have to use those brain cells before they disappear altogether.

[quote=Bonefish;307021]Hey BIGGW, we are just dragging some information around C-Rig style to see if we get any bites. You have to use those brain cells before they disappear altogether.[/quote]

Which is better for them Cells ? When i read something or when i say something ? :)

[QUOTE=Moose1am;306982]Great Discussion:
We often don't look at sunlight from the Bass's point of view.

The bass are looking up while we are looking down at them. Everything is reversed from the bass's point of view.

The bass at the bottom of the lake are looking up at a bright sky above or a dark sky above at night or during cloudy conditions.

Have you ever wondered why fish are dark on the dorsal side (TOP) and lighter on the Ventral Side (Bottom). Think about this for a few minutes..........................................................................

If you want to blend in with the back ground you take on the color and brightness of that background. Bass looking up at the surface see a bright light ... the sunlight penetrating down into the water from above. If you are a shad you want to have a light colored bottom (ventral Side) to blend in with the background. Background being a light color.

Now think about what happens to the shad when all of a sudden the sky becomes cloudy and dark? That light colored ventral side of the shad will stick out like a sore thumb against the dark sky. Now think from the bass's point of view not the Hyman's point of view.

It helps to scuba dive to actually see the sky from the bass's point of view. If you can't scuba dive you can free dive with a snorkel and mask. find a clear lake or strip pit and give dive down to 10 ft deep on a bright sunny day and then look back up to the surface. This is how fish view the sky their entire life.

Changing light conditions make the shad more vulnerable to the bass below.

Have you guys watched the shows on the Discovery Channel where they are looking for Great White Sharks. They tow seal shaped decoys behind a boat over the areas where the Sharks frequent. The sharks are patrolling around the Channel Islands looking for seals. They see the dark object being towed by the boat and swim upward at great speed to attack the object on the surface. Now if that object was white colored on it's ventral side the sharks would have a harder time seeing it. White ventral color blends in with the light or white sky above. Just like green camo blends in with the green forest around you while hunting deer.[/QUOTE]

I have to call "foul" on this one. The camo comparison is not a valid one. If you are an opaque object it doesn't matter what color you are, you will still cast a shadow and appear dark from underneath against a light background (sky). Think of a bassboat with a white or blue bottom sitting on Dale Hollow on the middle of a sunny day . If you were in the water underneath that bassboat looking up, would it magically blend in and/or disappear because of it's light colored bottom? Absolutely not. That sucker will cast a dark shadow and stand out like a sore thumb. It is not that different from the acoustic shadows created on a Hummingbird Sidescan unit.

Do a google search for pictures underwater showing fish swimming along the surface above a photographer and everyone of them will look dark and be clearly visible. It is only when light is reflected off a surface (which gives it its color properties) that it can then blend in with a back ground. So a shad seen from an angle up high could blend in, or even one deep enough that light has scattered to the point of losing direction.

Changing light conditions makes a shad more vulnerable because of the visual advantage afforded the predator. Think of looking into a lit room through a window at night while standing outside in the dark. Or ponder why we wear ballcaps and visors or use our hand to shade our eyes on a sunny day...to give us a visual advantage.

Didn't mean to get on a rant with this one or single anyone out...:D just wanted to clarify some points and add to the discussion :cool: . Oh ya, another term as relates to bonefish's post is Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT).

Thanks, Small Boat Basser. That's all I am trying to do its create some discussion on the board. I for sure don't have all the answers. Thanks again for your input.

This is an opinion, not scientific fact...

I would think that if you are directly under the boat, with the boat between you and the sun, the coloring on the bottom of the boat would not make a difference because of the shadow cast by the boat. On the other hand, if you are not in the direct line of the sun, the coloring would make a difference. How much of a difference is debateable, butt, I think that any little bit would help when it is the difference between being eaten or escaping with your life.