It's sorta easy to look at lures and figure out which one LOOKS the most natural.

 

But what about FEEL?

 

When a bass is mostly using their lateral line, what lure do you think FEELS the most natural to them?

You are asking US how a bass feels? Hmmm.

 

I'm not sure I am qualified for this! I have long considered bass don't care about "natural" because we throw lures at them that don't look like anything they see in nature and yet they still hit it.

 

We throw odd looking rubber worms at them which don't exist in nature same as they look. So that's not natural. We throw round wobbling fat little lures at them colored like a crawfish but swimming like a fish. That's not in nature either.

 

My point is, I am not sure bass "feel" anything or care about natural.

 

I am a firm believer that the bass is a predator that simply sizes up potential food sources and decides whether or not they can kill it and eat it is about all they do. I doubt there is any thought or process of thought or reasoning going on in a bass. More like instinct and hunger and trying to fill their bellies is about the extent of it.

 

AI says: "A bass' lateral line is a row of pores and nerve endings along its body that senses water vibrations and pressure changes, allowing it to detect the movement of prey or predators, determine the size and distance of vibrations, navigate, and avoid obstacles. This sensory system acts as an "underwater ear," detecting low-frequency sounds and water displacement, which is crucial for the bass to "feel" its environment, especially in murky or dark water."

 

An underwater "ear" it says. Senses vibrations and possibly pressure changes.

 

If this is true, then everything we throw at them that is artificial cannot truly resemble anything the bass sees in Nature. Not one single artificial lure can accurately replicate anything found in Nature. Not a single one of them. It is we the fishermen who try and manipulate those lifeless lures trying to bring them to life as if it were a natural food source. So that is us, not the lure really.

 

But if this is the case, then I would say that the bass depending on how hungry and how aggressive may react to quiet more subtle lures more so than loud obnoxious lures. And when in feeding competition like schooling action, it does not matter any longer. Anything that moves is going to get hit on if within size and possibly shape range. Color does not matter so much in schooling action.

 

So if I had to choose a lure that comes closest to replicating what Nature offers the bass I would have to pick the swimbait. I think this is about as close as I can get to what you requested:

 

 

The side to side motion of the paddletail may be the closest thing to natural as I can envision for the bass to feel most natural. It surely can't be spinners and rubber worms and rat'l traps! Those aren't even close.

 

I would also have to toss in snakes and frogs as strong candidates. Maybe mice, rats and birds too!

 

Looking forward to reading how others see this.

 

 

The one that has a hook stuck in the mouth of a big bass. 😁

^ 

I'm going with a wacky-rigged weightless Senko.

Because it does almost nothing.

Almost.

A-Jay

 

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I'm going with a wacky-rigged weightless Senko.

Because it does almost nothing.

Almost.

A-Jay

 

Hmm... Seems some days I'm a wacky rigged weightless senko. 😂

The one where I saw the bass travel the most to get it (about 15 feet) was a ned rig.

Suspending glide bait swimbait and a football jig with a realistic craw trailer would be two I would think are the most "natural"

2 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

AI says

 

 

 

You're killing me with this AI stuff every post, gonna have to change your name to FloridAIFishinFool soon 😂

 

 

@HawkeyeSmallie that's an interesting question, I'm not sure if I could answer it. Do bass attack certain lures so recklessly because they feel more natural to them? In that case, I would say something like a jerkbait, lipless, or bladed jig. I've certainly held baitfish in my hands that thrashed in a way that felt similar to the thump of a trap or bladed jig, but does that translate to how they feel/sound in the water? If not, perhaps something like a swimjig or simple paddletail may move water in a more natural way to them. I'm not sure, I don't have a lateral line to say either way.

3 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

You are asking US how a bass feels? Hmmm.

 

I'm not sure I am qualified for this! I have long considered bass don't care about "natural" because we throw lures at them that don't look like anything they see in nature and yet they still hit it.

 

We throw odd looking rubber worms at them which don't exist in nature same as they look. So that's not natural. We throw round wobbling fat little lures at them colored like a crawfish but swimming like a fish. That's not in nature either.

 

My point is, I am not sure bass "feel" anything or care about natural.

 

I am a firm believer that the bass is a predator that simply sizes up potential food sources and decides whether or not they can kill it and eat it is about all they do. I doubt there is any thought or process of thought or reasoning going on in a bass. More like instinct and hunger and trying to fill their bellies is about the extent of it.

 

AI says: "A bass' lateral line is a row of pores and nerve endings along its body that senses water vibrations and pressure changes, allowing it to detect the movement of prey or predators, determine the size and distance of vibrations, navigate, and avoid obstacles. This sensory system acts as an "underwater ear," detecting low-frequency sounds and water displacement, which is crucial for the bass to "feel" its environment, especially in murky or dark water."

 

An underwater "ear" it says. Senses vibrations and possibly pressure changes.

 

If this is true, then everything we throw at them that is artificial cannot truly resemble anything the bass sees in Nature. Not one single artificial lure can accurately replicate anything found in Nature. Not a single one of them. It is we the fishermen who try and manipulate those lifeless lures trying to bring them to life as if it were a natural food source. So that is us, not the lure really.

 

But if this is the case, then I would say that the bass depending on how hungry and how aggressive may react to quiet more subtle lures more so than loud obnoxious lures. And when in feeding competition like schooling action, it does not matter any longer. Anything that moves is going to get hit on if within size and possibly shape range. Color does not matter so much in schooling action.

 

So if I had to choose a lure that comes closest to replicating what Nature offers the bass I would have to pick the swimbait. I think this is about as close as I can get to what you requested:

 

 

The side to side motion of the paddletail may be the closest thing to natural as I can envision for the bass to feel most natural. It surely can't be spinners and rubber worms and rat'l traps! Those aren't even close.

 

I would also have to toss in snakes and frogs as strong candidates. Maybe mice, rats and birds too!

 

Looking forward to reading how others see this.

 

 

Right on!

Soft plastics must feel right to bass because they not only strike them they swallow it.

Tom

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I'm going with a wacky-rigged weightless Senko.

Because it does almost nothing.

Almost.

A-Jay

 

 

That or the old Charlie Brewer (of Fishing Facts) Do Nothing Slider head with his 4" worm on it. He described it as trying to sneak his bait past the bass. I still have a bunch of slider heads that I carry around and use from time to time when the bite is extra tough. 

I don’t know which one feels the most natural to the bass (ajay’s senko probably isn’t far off since prey are pretty good at being discrete) but I know which one feels the best to ME when I’m fishing it.  That’s a vibrating jig.  You can’t miss feeling it, you can tell when it’s fouled or fished, and it keeps your attention on the lure.  A lipless crankbait would be a close second.  

3 hours ago, Reel said:

The one where I saw the bass travel the most to get it (about 15 feet) was a ned rig.

I threw a 1/16th oz beetle spin in water with about three inches of visibility and had a bass charge and crush it from about ten foot away. I was amazed. 

8 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

When a bass is mostly using their lateral line, what lure do you think FEELS the most natural to them?

If they're relying on their lateral line to find forage, then it's a situation where sight is all but eliminated from it. In that situation, I'd be throwing an Indiana blade spinnerbait or a fat crank with rattles. They don't necessarily 'feel natural', but they move a lot of water and that's what I'm looking for in a bait then.

Like an overpriced piece of dog do, is how bass feel about my lures.

Paddletail.

Thanks all.

 

To me I was thinking of a soft swimbait.

 

My go to this year is a swim jig with a 4" soft plastic boot tailed swimbait.

 

As far as looks and feel, I can't think of a better combo.

We got my son a bearded dragon for Christmas last year. She will sit in the same spot for hours at a time.  When she does move, it is very mechanical.  Watching her always leaves me with the same question: Is she conscious?  She is definitely alive and can certainly cognate.  But, does that rise to the level of being conscious?  If not, where is the cut off?  If yes, what are the ramifications?

 

Now, I love consciousness studies and theories, but I bring it up to ask the same question of fish.  Do bass have "feelings" or are they just responding to stimuli?  My dog has feelings, I'm sure of that.  My kids share their 'feelings' about everything all the time. 

 

To me , a bass is like a graphing calculator that swims.  It's purely responding to its environment - input A causes response B.  It's not that simple obviously, but I don't think there is much going on up there.  

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, MontanaBasser said:

We got my son a bearded dragon for Christmas last year. She will sit in the same spot for hours at a time.  When she does move, it is very mechanical.  Watching her always leaves me with the same question: Is she conscious?  She is definitely alive and can certainly cognate.  But, does that rise to the level of being conscious?  If not, where is the cut off?  If yes, what are the ramifications?

 

Now, I love consciousness studies and theories, but I bring it up to ask the same question of fish.  Do bass have "feelings" or are they just responding to stimuli?  My dog has feelings, I'm sure of that.  My kids share their 'feelings' about everything all the time. 

 

To me , a bass is like a graphing calculator that swims.  It's purely responding to its environment - input A causes response B.  It's not that simple obviously, but I don't think there is much going on up there.  

 

 

 

 

Well there's THAT kind of feelings.   

 

I'm talking about lateral line type feeling.

 

So if it's pitch black to them, what lure to them feels the most natural. What lure feels most similar to say a bluegill swimming by.

If sharks and large fish are any indication, then we aren't paying enough attention to electrical conductivity.  Sharks will swim miles to investigate weird electrical impulses and they clearly associate them with food.  Bass probably do to.  

The more I think I know something or have it figured it out, the more I realize that I don't know. 

I would imagine a small swimbait or fluke style bait, or possibly a frog, but Ill never know for sure.