7 Keys To Triggering More Strikes

Have you ever wondered how important the sound of an artificial lure is to a bass? If you're fishing in dingy, stained or muddy water, the sound of a lure can be very important.
Bass living in a stained or muddy water environment rely on sound to locate baitfish, crayfish and other forms of food. Bass locate food with the help of their lateral line, which is located just behind the fish's gill flaps and extending down both sides of the body.

Keep in mind that lures retrieved within 20 to 30 feet of a bass are detected by the bass's lateral line. Lures fished beyond this range are located by another hearing mechanism — the inner ear. The bass's inner ear works much better in clear water, but bass can also use it in stained or muddy water.

In off-colored water, fish become more object-oriented. It's smart to make several casts to the same stump, fallen tree or treetop. Throwing to the same area repeatedly will increase your odds of success.

Water is a better conductor of sound than air, and sound travels through water five times faster than air. This means bass can hear much better in their environment than we can.

Below the surface, it's hardly a quiet world. All the aquatic creatures make noises, and fish are capable of hearing most of them. Keep in mind that the lateral line also provides the fish with a sense of distance.

Consider what we've discussed on your next fishing outing and use lures than are highly visible in color and create plenty of vibration, especially when you are fishing in off-colored water.

I have listed several reasons why fish will take an artificial offering. These seven important elements are worth remembering, as they are the keys to triggering more strikes.

Hunger — This is the easiest to understand because every creature must eat to survive. Young bass are growing fast and eat often, which makes them the easiest to catch. Sometimes when the fish are hungry, it doesn't matter what you throw at them.

Gluttony — When you catch a bass with its stomach packed full of food (sometimes spewing out small minnows or shad in the livewell), you know it took your lure because of gluttony. I've seen fish gorge and gorge some more. Of course, you probably know a few people who are the same way.

Competitive Drive — When you see a smaller fish go for your lure and a larger one bullies it out of the way, chances are the larger fish is motivated by competition, even though it may not be looking for a meal.

Curiosity — A fish follows your lure repeatedly, but its stomach is full of food and it's not hungry. You finally trick the bass into striking by suddenly stopping the lure or changing the action. Why? This works because the fish is curious.

Protective Instinct — Nesting or bedding fish will grab anything that invades their beds — anything within reason. They're not feeding at this stage, just protecting the eggs.

Anger — You see a fish patrolling an area around an old stump. It's not feeding, so it ignores your lure. But if you keep casting to the stump long enough, you can sometimes trigger the bass into striking out of irritation.

Territorial Aggression — Some fish are belligerent. When they take over a particular piece of cover, they will defend it and chase away intruders. A lure is an intruder, so they will attack it.

Understanding why sounds are important to bass, and when and why they strike, will help you boat more keepers.