Fishing and Sound

Fishing and sound is often a topic with little thought. Fish do hear and uses sounds for many purposes. A fish use sound for locating prey, avoiding danger, orientation, and communicating. Fish will move towards certain sound ranges and flee from others. The big question is how do the different sound levels and ranges affect fishing?

Look at nature in general. People use sounds to lure in foxes, turkeys, and other animals using calls and electronic devices. In some situations sounds repel or drive off the animals also. The same technology or science applies to fish. There are sounds that will attract a fish. Plus, sounds that drive fish away or cause potential harm to them.

All sound is made through vibrations of various frequencies and levels in the spectrum. The majority of fish have a similar range to mammals. The lower ranges cause fish to flee. Predators emit low-frequency sounds. The higher ranges alert fish to other activities in the water. Fish detect sound by the vibrations traveling through the water.

Fish lack the ability to use visual cues except for close range. The same applies to chemicals released by fish. Sound travels far and fast underwater. It will travel farther underwater than in the air. Plus it will move at 1500 meters per second. In other words, a fish a 1/2 mile away will hear the sound in a second or less.

How Fish Hear Sounds

Saying a fish can hear is a little incorrect. They feel sounds with specialized organs or cells in the body. People know of the lateral line for close sounds. The sound farther away, a fish uses different small organs known as Otoliths. These are located in the head. These organs and cells are denser than the fish’s body. Fish have a similar density to water. The hearing organs and cells need to be denser. Otherwise, the sound would pass through a fish undetected.

Whe fishing a fish uses sound to locate prey, a mate or flee danger

Communication Sounds for Fish

Fish use various sounds to communicate. Some fish chirp, grunt, crackle, or whoop. The sounds may be for luring a mate during the spawn. This is when fish use sounds to communicate the most. During the spawn, males emit sounds trying to bring a mate to the nest. Spawning areas are full of sound during this period.

Have you ever caught a catfish and heard it grunt? This is a distress sound from the fish. If in the water, other fish would see this as a warning to flee or an opportunity to catch an injured fish. Few people look at fish sounds in this manner. Fish will use sounds to alert others in the school to the presence of a predator.

Sounds for Orientation

Predators listen for distress sounds to locate prey and can target the spot accurately. Bass will hear baitfish or another fish splashing on the surface. These are instances where it is like a dinner bell. When you hear a sound. You automatically know the direction and approximate distance often. Fish can do the same in the water.

The sounds of drilling a hole in the ice and other sounds made by people fishing. Usually have little or no impact on the fish. The sounds in some cases will attract fish. Consider if the sounds are offensive or somewhat natural in nature. A hole in the ice will crackle. Fish see this as a possible food source.

Motors are a topic of contention in some cases. Bass anglers avoid running the outboard when approaching a spot to fish. Yet, musky anglers troll in the wake of the outboard at times. A musky sees this as a food opportunity at times.

Sounds That Fish Sense Danger

As mentioned, a predator makes a sound that makes fish flee. There are other sounds that do the same. Ever had a child throwing rocks around you? How about a person with a boat clanging and banging stuff off the floor of the boat? These sounds chase fish away. The sounds are not natural and fish will leave an area with an unnatural sound close. Although these sounds are going to hurt your chances. There are sounds worse for fish.

In some cases, a sound will harm or kill a fish if they cannot get away from the sound. Look at construction activity on the water. Pile driving for docks, dams and other structures falls into this category.

Conclusion

Fish use sounds to locate prey, attract a mate, and flee from danger. Sounds fall into natural or unnatural sounds to fish. A natural sound is usually of little concern. The unnatural sounds are the problem. Pay attention to sounds when fishing and determine if they affect your fishing.


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