Its Senses

Bass are extremely near sighted; even in clear water their vision is limited to around 15 to 20 feet. But close up, and within this range, their vision is extremely good. Vision range is wide: they can see straight ahead, to the side, below and above, and partially behind them. Their ability to see upwards means that under the right conditions the bass can actually see the angler moving along the bank or shoreline in clear, calm, shallow water.

Bass are also sensitive to bright light and will hold tighter to cover under bright, sunny conditions. Under low light conditions the opposite is true and bass tend to roam around more. An angler has more chances of success on cloudy or overcast days.

Bass do have ears which are invisible, located inside their head under the skin. Their ears can detect noises from quite a distance. A bass's sense of hearing is much sharper than a human's and since sound is transmitted better and further under water, it is a good idea to be extra quiet when fishing for bass in shallow water. Bass in deep water (ten feet and deeper) are not as affected by loud noises although they do hear them.

Bass also rely on their radar-like lateral line to pick up the exact direction from which the sound is coming and to home in on the exact location of the disturbance. The lateral line can pick up underwater vibrations as subtle as a crippled minnow.

Their sense of smell is important when feeding, especially in dirty water. When drawing water over their sensory nerve endings in the nostrils, bass can detect a smell and determine its source. In the past couple of years this topic has been explored at great length by scientists, biologists, and anglers. Many manufacturers are producing products with bass-attracting scents, including lures with scents built into them. Since a bass can detect scents, an angler should keep in mind that there are odors which will repel them: human odor, the smell of gasoline and oil, or perhaps a scent of a predator such as muskie or pike. It is a good idea to keep your hands and lures as clean and odor-free as possible.

Bass use their senses of taste and touch basically to determine whether to reject or accept an object. They will hold onto something that feels soft and natural such as a plastic worm or pork chunk much longer than they will a hard object like a metal spoon or crank bait.

Click to Listen!