I just thought about the entirety of this thread and found it funny how it has transmogrified from a serious article highlighting the "Raptor Effect" and now we've take it to the point of heating our worms, lol. 

I wasn't referring to short sighted bass, I was actually referring to the short distance IR wavelengths would be able to travel in water.  Your example of UV light becoming attenuated in water is a great visual, though, for how light acts in water.

 

Perhaps I misunderstood, but I took your short distance to mean, say, bass within inches of prey, even at depths. My point was that this could only happen in very shallow water (<2') where you would have an IR signal to detect in the first place due to proper wavelength penetration, and that it wouldn't be able to happen at any depth beyond that, IMO. And yes, I'm taking this all as "interesting discussion" and nothing much more serious than that. Perhaps one day we'll actually get answers

 

-T9

_{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.}

I just thought about the entirety of this thread and found it funny how it has transmogrified from a serious article highlighting the "Raptor Effect" and now we've take it to the point of heating our worms, lol. 

You could keep them in your mouth....  maybe that's the real reason it works ice fishing....

 

If I was a serious night tournament guy I would think about trying it... depending on the lures mass it would take many seconds for a warm lure to become water temperature... in that time it might generate enough contrast to look very tasty.....

Ahh, a fish out of water...err, a snake in the air (the journal Cell), is not the same as a fish underwater. Show me an underwater IR image of a fish or some other critter under natural lighting (or at night, unaided) and I'll be much more interested in your theory. I've never seen one. The very few underwater IR pictures I have seen all required accessory IR lighting at very close distances (e.g., 200 IR LEDs at <20" at night, 50 IR LEDs during the day) to make a discernible image. Yes, a basses eye could have evolved to be able to see what technology doesn't currently allow, but for now, I'm still hedging my bet on the more reasonable solution...but please don't let my skepticism stop anyone from creating an IR bass lure and making millions

 

-T9  

It would actually be pretty easy... and you wouldn't even need your mouth...

 

just put a coffee can of water over a small camp stove simmering next to you ....   dip your lure for a second and pitch...

Right now there is someone somewhere reading this thinking.... hmmm... that's not a bad idea.  I might just try that...

I hope you enjoyed my discussion of "the Raptor Effect.”  Clearly there are a thousand reasons why a bass will act a particular way, drop to a specific depth or move to certain location.  My hope was to have my fellow anglers consider a rarely discussed facet of our fishing experience, the birds of prey.  Have a great day and remember to set the hook.

I enjoyed reading this great posts guys!

I don't know about all that, but I sure catch a lot of bass under docks!

I hope you enjoyed my discussion of "the Raptor Effect.”  Clearly there are a thousand reasons why a bass will act a particular way, drop to a specific depth or move to certain location.  My hope was to have my fellow anglers consider a rarely discussed facet of our fishing experience, the birds of prey.  Have a great day and remember to set the hook.

 

Thanks, Howard. I enjoyed the article. In the small reservoirs I fish along the CO front range, predatory birds are almost constant threats to fish. We have kingfishers, terns, various herons (both day and night), grebes, mergansers, osprey, bald eagles, and pelicans. We have several nesting pairs of osprey that scan my waters daily. I've watched bald eagles nabbing fish (usually carp -esp the bright orange fish-bowl releases ). A ring of pelicans can be almost frightening to watch in their efficiency -especially during drought years. And watching grebes hunting in clear water under bright skies has given me a respect for endothermy that I couldn't have realized prior. They are fast and relentless!

 

Again, thanks for being a catalyst for an interesting discussion.