Thanks for the replies. Ewest I appreciate the links and will probably subscribe here shortly. Certainly a great resource worth supporting.

Snipe I appreciate the thought about the reaction strike being different than the more methodical proc as a cat goes through in seeking a meal. i am a bit curious why I only seem to see reference to channels becoming hook shy? Why would they be more apt to develop this trait than other cats? Or I s it simply a case that more channels are released in ponds than other cats - this we get more info about them.

I have been growing channels in a stock tank all summer and can see clearly that no two are alike. They all started out about the same size. Some are now exponentially larger than when I started. Others have grown very little. If growth rate is so variable it stands to reason that other traits like catchability or hook shyness could also be highly variable. Interesting stuff for sure and I appreciate the feedback on my question.