Consider all the factors of fish behavior when putting together a solid fish catching pattern

Behavior in fish is nothing but a pattern of responses to external stimuli. No matter what you think fish are really "short" on brains. Fish are creatures of habit and instinct; they react! Believe it or not the smartest fish can't outthink the dumbest fisherman!!. So relax your are much smarter than the wisest old fish. A fish's list of response patterns is fairly limited, but when you consider the sensory organs and their effectiveness it can multiply the complexity of the response patterns. This is why fishing live bait is so effective for catching fish, it appeals to all of a fish's senses. BUT, fishing with live bait is not always practical or desirable. A piece of plastic might not smell, feel or look like anything a fish has seen before but it can be made to appear "right" to the fish's senses by proper techniques and presentation of your lure.

Fish strike at lures for many reasons other than hunger. Other factors are involved in strikes against lures. These are curiosity, fear, anger, self-defense, and territorial defense. Fishermen shouldn't be too concerned whether a fish strikes out of hunger or anger, etc. But, fishermen should be aware of the pattern of behavior of what caused or triggered the fish to strike and the conditions surrounding the action. In other words, the speed and variance of retrieve, deflection off of a piece of cover, or other lure related consideration. Also we must consider other factors such as weather conditions, sunlight, wind, water clarity etc., on the presentation and overall look of the lure as to why a fish struck a lure.

There are 4 sensory organs that a fish uses to put together a "picture" of the surrounding environment and the creatures in that environment. These are hearing, sight, smell, and taste.

Hearing: Fish seem to have more sensitive hearing than humans. Some species of fish have true ears and some do not. But, all fish can hear by detecting vibrations and pressure wave in the water. This is done by the use of lateral lines which is a sensory organ found on the sides of fish. Lures create vibrations and pressure waves, which is felt or "heard" by fish but not heard by humans. Fish seem to be most attracted by low frequency vibrations, which resemble a fish in distress.

Vision: Some species of fish see well while others do not. Whether fish have good color vision is a question that has been debated for several years. There is a large range of color vision in species that has been tested. Bass have for years been noted for their fondness of the color red, while some trout species are fond of silver or pearl.

Smell: All fish have nostrils. Few lures have built in odors, but some soft plastics have various smells molded into them. Whether the smells actually attract fish or covers human odor has been questioned for years. Anglers who smoke are said to deposit the most fish repelling odors. Also sunscreens and insect repellants are known to repel fish.

Taste: Fish probably don't taste their food the same way we do. But when a fish takes a bait it can quickly determine if the lure is edible. Some saltwater and freshwater species of fish (like cod and catfish) have barbels (taste organs located on the outside of their mouth).

So if you feel a strike but miss the fish, the lure may not have appealed to one of the above sensory organs. A change in retrieve, look of the lure, smell/taste, lures vibration, or sound may be in order if you’re missing fish. All these factors must be considered when putting together a solid fish catching pattern, especially when the fish catching conditions are tough. Knowing the how and why of the strike of the fish you're trying to fool is an important part of the fish catching puzzle.

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