tyrius.

How does a fish bend the hooks like that? Do they get leverage against the body of the lure? Are the hooks weaker than your line? Would be nice to get to the root cause so that you can prepare appropriately to ensure that it does not happen again (or ever to me)!

[quote author=557A607B7A7D7451667760130 link=1253666097/50#50 date=1253913655 Is there any facts that back this up???

Are you allergic to anything?

Hmm 90% or more hazardous ingredients by weight. Let's put that in that water!!!

Repeat: You CAN NOT get the flu from the flu vaccine. The flu viruses in the vaccine are dead and can not infect someone with the flu.

It sounds to me like you should major in accounting and try and minor in finance (then you'll know if you can handle the math). Then depending on how many credits you would have (if you're able to sit for the CPA yet or not) pass the CPA then work as a consultant for a couple of years. If finance still calls to you then go back for your MBA in finance. If you don't have the credits to sit for the CPA then start on your MBA. Your MBA will be better if you have a few years of experience before you get it. You'll be better able to network that way. I was an accounting major before the CPA increased their requirements for credits. Haven't went for my MBA yet and still haven't even decided if I want to. It's all up to you and your interests though.

Is there a "Dry water"...? Nope, but we've get the frozen kind up here.

And in rare cases people die from a severe reaction to aspirin. People also die from the flu in rare cases. So, you're taking a chance either way, but that's life.

I fish motor oil powerworms in any water that is wet.

From someone who's wife gives the flu shot, it is impossible to get the flu from the shot. The shot is a dead virus and will NOT make you sick. As far as I know, the only vaccine that contains the live virus is the Flu Mist (nasal one). The antibodies that your body develops also do not become effective for 2 weeks after the shot, so you can get the flu strain that you were vaccinated for in that time frame. It's not instant. That being said there are thousands of versions of the flu. The flu shot is scientists best guess of what the prevalent strains of the flu will be for the next year. I have gotten the flu shot in the past few years, not really because I want to go out of my way to get it, but because my wife has given it to me at home. Convenient. For those that "get the flu" right after the shot, you are likely having a reaction to the vaccine and are not getting the flu.

Why wouldn't I accept it? I've spent time trying to track down the true answer and have come up with nothing that states that bass are incapable of being conditioned (of learning through their experiences). In fact, what I have found is the complete opposite. All studies that have appeared in my limited searches have supported the position that bass and other fish can learn through their experiences. I don't understand why you keep posting dismissive and sarcastic comments in response to legitimate questions. If you aren't interested in a meaningful conversation on this topic then why do you keep posting here? I am not going to take your position at face value. You said which is a pretty precise statement that should be able to be backed by something. You keep talking about peer review and degrees of manipulation and other aspects of the scientific method, why don't you apply it to your side of this discussion and show us the information that supports your quote above.

For jigs, I fish GMAN's. He makes some great jigs and has an option to design your own jigs (select style, size, head color, weedguard color, color type, and 3 different colors. You get all those choices for like $2.50 per jig! His stock jigs are even less.

No one is saying that that won't happen. But, to draw any conclusions one would need more data. Such as time between catches, presentation used to catch the fish, date of catch, etc, etc.

Bass aren't going to learn from each other. They will only respond to direct stimuli. You have to catch a specific bass for it to experience the negative stimuli associated with attempting to eat something (your lure) that was not food and then getting caught. Then you have to repeat that stimulus to that specific bass enough times for it to become conditioned to that specific presentation. Then you have to repeat the stimulus regularly or the bass will "forget". Like I've said, they're not smart but they are capable of adapting to external stimulus. If you really want to explore this try tagging the fish that you catch and logging repeat catches of the same exact fish.

We can cut out the sarcasm by agreeing that the fish you caught in year 1 are most certainly not the fish you caught in year 30 and you are likely not catching the same fish year after year or even trip and trip. No one is equating bass with Einstein or that they have an eidetic memory. What people are saying is that bass are capable of being conditioned by external stimuli. This can be equated to learning. They can learn to avoid certain lures for a period of time. Other studies have shown that some bass are more vulnerable to angling than others. So, a bass's ability to become conditioned and then to retain that conditioning varies. This has been shown through numerous scientific studies. Some of which have been linked in this thread. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, bass are capable of becoming condtioned therefore they are capable of learning. But, as I've said much earlier in this thread, they're still pretty dumb. I also don't understand why some people are so dismissive of other's points or why they try and deliberately try and take another's points so far out of context that it no longer matches what that person said. Strange really, if you are so sure of your knowledge then why not post that as response and be constructive?

Somehow I expected more of a response than drab sarcasm. Until I see some studies that refute what they say then I'll put my faith in them and in my experiences. You have stated that such studies exist, but have not posted them. As I stated the degree of manipulation is not relevant in that you stated that a bass's brain is not sufficient to allow it to learn. A study that shows that the bass can learn that a lure is not a food source is relavent regardless of where it takes place (unless the scientist doing the study somehow implanted a different brain). Bass either have the ability or they don't and the location of the study is irrelavent. This study showed that they do.

Catt, I still haven't seen any of the studies that support your position here. I've even googled to attempt to find them myself and nearly everything I read supports the position that bass DO learn. Even in aquariums it has been shown that bass will become conditioned to artificial lures. They will strike them to see if they are edible and when they find that they are not they no longer strike them. This is in repeated presentations to the same fish with no hooking of the fish. You may say that aquarium studies are different and they are, but in this instance (bass's ability to learn) that difference is not relevant. They show that physically bass are able to "learn" what is food and what isn't. The studies that I have read did not cover retention of that "knowledge". "Smart Bass" is even covered here. http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/smart_bass.html Another point to consider in a bass's ability to become conditioned, to "learn", is pond owners with fish feeders. When these feeders are set to dispense food at a defined time the fish will become conditioned to this food source. They will "learn" what time to be there. They will all gather where the food will be and will be there before the food shows up. All of the above shows that bass have the physical ability (the brain function) to learn from both positive and negative stilumi. They aren't going to be able to do addition or subtraction though.

I'd love to. Can you point me to some?

Make a BIG change. If you still are having problems then try and downsize to VERY small lures. Beetle spings, in-line spinners, crappie tubes, etc all have been very effective for me when I have had problems coaxing pond fish to bite.

It's not a theory. It's a proven fact that our drinking water contains estrogen and other pharmaceuticals. http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=87781 The question that remains is "What is the effect of this on humans, animals, and the environment in general?" There is no question about it's occurrence.

Just make it up as you go along. I "wrote" my speech for my brother's wedding while the pictures were being taken after the wedding. And who in their right mind has a wedding with no alcohol?

Where are these studies? I'm not saying that you're wrong but we could likely be talking about two different things.

I REALLY need to get me one of them kayaks!!

Sweet!!! Maybe I can get increase my supply of gammies at rock bottom prices!!!! I've got some smoking deals on hooks from Wal-Mart and if they put all Gammies on clearence I'll stock up even more.

What kind of weird 13 month calendar are you Missourians using? ;D