Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations How fast do fish get "wise"????

I once caught the same CC 3 days in a row on my pond. I could tell it was the same fish because the first time he got a hook thru the eye. I guess he was real hungry.

I have a little trouble with the "fear chemical" theory. I'm not saying fish don't give off those chemicals, but I can't imagine it's a big factor in itself. The reason I think that is because of my experience fishing Mr. H's big pond for the last few months. I would say that on average I hear and/or see fish preying on each other about every 15 minutes, and that's just the ones that make noise. Wouldn't the prey fish constantly give off similar chemicals? Just recently I was landing a 6 inch LMB when a 3 - 4 lb LMB tried to take it. I suppose it all depends.

It is hard for a small BG once ambushed to give off a chemical response from the stomach of a LMB. :p It is in an acid bath before it knows what happened.

Your LMB example is a good one of hunger overcoming a warning. For all that big LMB knew the small one was giving off that chemical because it (large one) was chasing the small one. Also a good example of how many factors are at work at the same time , why we often don't know why an event occured and why it would be very difficult to measure.

Regarding one of Bruce's earlier posts, I usually catch the largest fish first, not always but usually.
I gotta give the PHD a hats off for being able to discuss anything while seated in a dentist's chair.

Ob courde, he wad kide-a hawed to udderstadd ad de tibe.