SHaugh

I think cold blooded animals can still have a temperature variation from air or water. While not significant it will still be there. Especially against water which becomes an almost perfect blackbody. Note the snake and the mouse... I would not dismiss the idea that an animals eye could evolve to be much more sensitive than our current camera technology as well. While not generating the intense hot spot that a warm blooded animal does, it could still be a very discernible difference.

One behavior I've noticed in larger fish is that they will sometimes be driven to bite by the actions of smaller fish. Quite often I've observed larger fish ignore a bait, but as soon as a smaller fish approaches a lure with some intent it wakes up the larger fish and that fish immediately drives off the smaller to strike. But then the question comes to mind if the smaller fish wins the race does that preclude catching the larger on subsequent casts ? So the results are probably not as clear cut as they could be, but IMO I think a smaller bait that excites the maximum number of fish is what you should try to use.

It's nice heavy stuff.. and seals up well just like plumbing pipe... I wouldn't mess with anything less for something you want to sink in water and remain in good condition.

you will need to order on the internet... Amazon has it... ebay too http://www.amazon.com/Pipe-Schedule-PVC-Feet-Long/dp/B00E2X88SC/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1413217641&sr=1-1&keywords=clear+schedule+40#productDetails

Caught a bucket of crappies this weekend. Raining all day long but I don't mind... I have a roof...

I think it makes perfect sense that a creature evolving in a murky underwater world will be constantly developing ways to see better in that world. Developing an ability to better distinguish things in darkness or low light conditions would be an obvious evolutionary driver. Fish spend most of their days in low light to total darkness. Because of the reflective powers of water the amount of sunlight that can penetrate their environment is significantly less than the air environment. It also stands to reason that eyes and brains that have evolved and are predisposed to vision in those conditions will be less tolerant of conditions that are significantly brighter. Like when direct sunlight is in that small blue window overhead. That by far explains a fishes desire for shade during those times much better than raptors or hunting advantages imo. UV and infrared vision is probably something fish scientist should spend more time on. I've had some experience with night vision gear. Isn't it also possible that fish eyes have some ability to see the infrared spectrum ? The concepts of emissivity and background emissivity probably goes a long way toward explaining different color performance. Some color / material combinations probably register as much warmer or cooler than the background, thereby enhancing their visibility in lower light conditions. Here's an interesting article that explains emissivity pretty well. http://x26.com/irpaper_emissivity.htm It seems to me that in a lower light environment infrared would be the chosen evolutionary path rather than UV. It might not have the range of UV underwater, but in the up close personal world of a fish it could be very useful. I found a good read for science types.... I'm going fishing.... http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0064429

I've made my own too... but only 3 feet long ... that thing is a monster... I haven't had the chance to test it, but it sounds like the cats whiskers for night fishing crappies... will give it a go this weekend.

I can verify that. I've done quite a bit of diving. Being a fisherman and a diver is a nice combination... but it can almost put you off fishing.. I used to have my brother on a floating dock above jigging a worm or minnow in front of schools of crappie, bluegills and large mouth bass. Congregating in the shade under the dock in about 15 feet of water. The vast majority of them would simply not react to the bait at all. Sometimes it would literally bounce off their faces and they simply would move slightly out of the way. The only time it became interesting to many of them was when a smaller fish tried to grab it... then the larger fish would impose themselves and go for it... It was very interesting to watch.... but as I say potentially quite discouraging.... It's a shame I did all that in the days before easy video... I bet those films would have been interesting to watch in more detail...

That is an incredible fish. You could eat for a winter on that... I've fished for cats on Amistad.. never Falcon... nothing wrong about that fish....

I have no doubt that at times there are overriding concerns for fish.. they simply follow whatever driving force compels them most at that moment. I also have no doubt that most small creatures have a raptor effect to some degree. I have chickens in my yard. When I play with the dog sometimes I will throw the toy directly over the top of them. They invariably panic. Even when I do it repeatedly they will continue to react almost every time. I think this is what Tatertester experienced throwing a frog over resting fish. I'm not sure a chicken is much smarter than a bass, but it would seem that the reaction is pretty much involuntary and not easily unlearned. There is no doubt that fish are very aware and attuned to what is going on inside that small blue window directly over their heads. Perhaps the occasional appearance of a blazing sun "god" within that little window might be all it takes for them to seek a place where he is no longer there ?

Another interesting idea is the refractive index as shown in the diagram: http://astarmathsandphysics.com/o-level-physics-notes/o-level-physics-notes-a-fishs-view-of-the-world.html In the fish eye view photo this is represented by the point where the blue sky ends and the band of bright green is present. This is the point where light reflects off the surface rather than traveling straight into the water. This appears to be dependent on how deep the fish is as well. So the deeper the fish is the less direct sun spotlight area (blue sky) will be seen. This could explain why it appears that fish are most affected by bright sun at the very narrow band of time when the sun is in that center blue area.

I've done a bit of buzz bomb fishing for salmon... quite a workout. What I found is that there are at least 3 ways to accomplish the same action... all wrist... all arm... wrist and arm... even a little body twisting for that kind of fishing.. My advice would be to work on several different ways to accomplish the same action.. then alternate between them. What does the damage is a repetitive motion that is exactly the same every time...

I guess our engineer genes are showing... From a fishing aspect I think the fish eye view photo and the diagram can tell us something. What it tells me is that when the sun is bright overhead I'm going to try to make my presentations below and to the side of the fish.. never directly above. If you've ever looked upward at the sun from underwater you will notice that the bright halo of light that is created is very large... I'm thinking if my lure goes through that bright halo my chances are slim.

I think it's pretty hard to even imagine what the world looks like through another creatures eyes... I was reading something the other day that a donkey can see all 4 of his feet at the same time... while looking forward..... I imagine a fishes view of the world has similar scope and that they are unable to avoid having the sun directly in their field of view at some times during the day... here's an interesting diagram: http://astarmathsandphysics.com/o-level-physics-notes/o-level-physics-notes-a-fishs-view-of-the-world.html What this translates into is something like this: A bright sun in that patch of blue sky would be very uncomfortable I think. Certainly just like you or I we can function in bright sunlight... oppressive heat or whatever else we need to do to survive, but all creatures desire rest and comfort at certain times and will seek it out when possible...

I agree that we should not imagine how a fish sees by imagining a human underwater with a mask on. One of the key differences between men and fish is that a fish has an extremely large and upward facing field of view. They also don't have necks which allow humans to angle their eyes away from strong light sources. So imagining a fishes world I believe that when the sun is high in the sky their eyes are literally being overloaded with direct sunlight.. and there is no way for them to squint or avoid it... similar to if you were forced to turn your face upward directly toward the sun and then attempt to open your eyes and see what is in front of you. Naturally your vision would be seriously compromised by all that direct sunlight flowing into your eye. This would compel you to find places where that bright overhead sun was not directly shining in your eyes.

Nice drop light. I've been wanting to try this. How are the results ?

If fish are overly concerned with remaining hidden from overhead predators why do they approach lighted areas at night ? While I'm sure there is an instinctive avoidance mechanism toward this type of predation, I don't think it explains the behavior very well. Does a fish need to worry about a crane or heron in 6 feet of water ? Yet we all know that they will still migrate toward the deep shade even on a floating dock out in 20 feet of water. I think you are much more on the right track when you talk about UV radiation and how fishes eyes work. They are very sensitive but slow to adapt to changing light levels. the kind of sharp contrasts that occur in a sunny shallow environment are exactly what they would want to avoid. If their eyes are adjusted to some level of very bright sunlight, then shaded areas must appear very black and unknown to them. For this reason they would seek out the middle ground because that is simply where their eyes function best and have the greatest range of visual adjustment. Their sensitive eyes are undoubtedly affected by UV exposure as well... they probably get "sore" when they spend too much time in direct sun.... As I said about sunburn above, most organisms are not 100% adapted to full sun exposure, and will avoid it when possible. If you observe natural design and evolution you will quickly notice that nature abhors excess capacity. Organs like eyes are simply not designed to be very robust at the extremes of their requirements. This is what allows the organ to function well through a broader range of conditions. If I want to design an eye to see well in the dark, it is a given that it will not work so well in bright sunlight. I think this train of thought goes a lot further in explaining why fish prefer the "middle ground" of their environment. Another analogy would be how humans design a building that they will inhabit. What temperature do they select ? What light level ? Etc. We choose to occupy areas that are most "comfortable" to us.

If you fish in Washington state it's almost impossible to not catch a fish you weren't supposed to catch. You need a lawyer with you whenever you think about keeping something... Ate a bull trout once... thought it was a Dolly Vardon till later on we studied the regs.... over dinner... You can get a ticket just for catching a Rockfish in Puget Sound..... even if you throw it back...

A lot of people don't realize how soft a lake bottom can be. A friend slipped off a steep bank down 3 feet and buried himself waist deep in muck when I was a kid... we couldn't get him out for about an hour... it can be like quicksand. The vacuum created by that soft mud won't let you go very easily. that's why most people end up going face first just inches from the shoreline when they slip in.

Any diver will confirm that you can get sunburn underwater.... you need to be several feet underwater before you won't.

Another good point.... a farmer john can be worn rolled down making that function almost spotless....

Another idea to consider is once you have one, go and test it out. Go to a swimming area in the winter and jump in. If you never been in 50 degree water, I suggest you do so. It's probably unlike anything you've ever experienced. Knowing what to expect goes a long way toward survival. Even in a wetsuit that initial shock of cold water running down your back before the suit warms up is quite exciting...

Yes, comfort is a huge factor to consider. Make sure you get the right size. Anyone who hasn't worn one should understand that it's like being inside a tight plastic bag when you are out of water. If it's 70 degrees and the water is 49 you are going to be hot.. .and sweaty.. especially if you are paddling or exercising... the arms are the worst part for me... that's why I always liked the farmer john style when I was working in and out of the water. It's one of those decisions where you need to balance a degree of safety with comfort, cost and usefulness IMO.

My pricing might be a little off...been a while. A 7mm suit like this will keep you alive for hours in anything but the most extreme of conditions... XXXL... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wetsuit-7MM-4XL-Tommy-D-Sports-Dive-Surf-Scuba-Gear-51/361063501039?_trksid=p2054897.c100204.m3164&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140407115239%26meid%3D7aa89334c9d54b97985f5729a82f8583%26pid%3D100204%26prg%3D20140407115239%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D20%26sd%3D111098988213