'Ambush' Is The Wrong Word
By Ralph Manns
When largemouth bass feed actively, they move. Underwater observers,
scientific experimenters, and electronic trackers all report the same
things: black bass hold inside or near to cover when they are inactive
and resting. When they are actively feeding, they move outside thick
cover and usually travel along edges.
The slim, muscular, and streamlined shape of bass is best suited to
make short dashes after prey fish. It is less well designed to ambush
prey by lying hidden and camouflaged inside cover. Fish that routinely
feed by ambush usually have several characteristics in common. They are
bulky, camouflaged, sit on the bottom, and move only inches when they
strike. Moreover, ambush feeders normally have big mouths and heads and
relatively small bodies and few muscles because they move little and
often must wait many days between feedings. Sculpin, rockfish, halibut,
and sole are typical ambush predators.
Experiments in which bass were given chances to feed inside and
outside cover show bass forced to live inside thick cover are unable to
chase prey and are forced to use ambush tactics. These bass catch few
prey, grow slowly, and may even starve if prey aren't abundant. Although
they sometimes ambush prey, ambush is an inefficient tactic for bass.
Bass that can leave cover to cruise individually or in small schools
along edges of thick cover do so. They startle individual preyfish and
scatter prey schools. Prey that dart the wrong way or dash too near
another bass were eaten. Big bass expert Doug Hannon calls this tactic
"flushing." The tactic is suited to bass' ability to cruise at slow
speed and then to accelerate rapidly to strike vulnerable prey a few
feet away.
When prey isn't overabundant, cruising bass encounter
and has chances to catch many more prey than ambushing bass. Studies
show bass feeding along the edges of thick cover catch enough food to
grow and remain healthy.
Bass usually only enter and hide in cover to protect themselves. They often suspend, hunt and rest in plain view near cover.
Scuba divers, me included, have watched bass that were immobile
inside cover and apparently asleep. These fish didn't feed, even though
edible-size prey was within inches of their mouths. These inactive bass
also refused lures presented within inches of their noses and were
almost impossible to catch-unless something aroused them from their
torpor before the lure passed by. Electronic trackers frequently report
that bass that hold for long periods in the same place aren't usually
catchable.
In contrast, bass that held near the edges of cover and moved back
and forth were occasionally tempted by lures that were placed nearby.
They were also more easily aroused to active status by repeated casting.
These bass are usually neutral or semi-active. Neutral bass tended to
hold near other bass, but don't synchronize their movements or hold
close together. Scientists call such groups "aggregations" rather than
schools. Preyfish often hover nearby, but stay at least 3 feet away and
remain constantly wary. Neutral bass will strike prey that blunder too
close and often drift around rather than holding in one place only.
Electronic trackers often report these local wanderings, but anglers
find only precisely placed casts interest such fish.
When bass want to feed actively they form schools with bass of
similar sizes and swim off together. They cruise fairly steadily along
edges of cover (into open water if there are many bass and shad are
abundant) to flush prey. These are active, catchable fish if anglers can
locate them, predict their direction of movement, and put a lure in
front of them. Nearby preyfish know when bass were preparing to feed and
immediately move well out of range. The bass move away looking for prey
that haven't seen them coming.
The idea that bass feed by ambushing prey apparently resulted from
some false observations and assumptions. Bass are inactive or neutral
most of the time. While inactive, they frequently rest inside thick
cover. It they aren't digesting food, too sleepy, and totally immobile,
lures flipped right on their noses may be taken. They also may wake up
it aroused by repeated casts. Thus many bass are caught in cover where
ambush is the most likely tactic. Moreover, moving bass still may stop
periodically at places where cover or structure stops, starts, bends, or
changes. Bass taken at these locations may seem to ambush lures or
prey, even though the bass aren't actually hiding there.
Bass usually don't move only one way. Lunkers monitored by Texas
bass-tracker, John Hope, moved almost constantly when active, but they
patrolled to-and-fro along the edges of cover or break-lines. Anglers
who "hole-sit" on edges, bends, and points of weed beds or other cover
during feeding periods may encounter several schools of passing bass or
contact the same school several times as it passes back and forth. This
can create an illusion that the feeding bass aren't moving. Active bass
also move along cover edges anglers can't see. Fairly open pathways
often exist under thick weeds and seemingly impenetrable brush. Fish
that are apparently caught "inside" such cover may be moving along
relatively open edges. It's hard for anglers to tell the difference
between a bass that was caught while holding inside or under a bush to
"ambush" prey and another that was moving back and forth at the same
depth under a cluster of bushes.
Truly inactive bass tend to sleep alone. When bassers take several
fish during consecutive passes by the same bush, they likely have found a
spot that fish are moving through rather than resting fish. Inactive
fish seldom school, don't strike readily, and don't move about rapidly
enough to quickly replace bass that were caught moments before.
The belief that bass "ambush" their prey apparently worked its way
into bassing lore because many outdoor writers prefer to use aggressive,
action-packed words. The image of a bass hiding behind a rock to
"ambush" unsuspecting prey makes bass seem vicious, like a western movie
"back-shooter." and therefore a more worthy opponent. "Chasing" or
"flushing" tactics just don't make bass seem as tough and exciting. But
"ambush" is the wrong word to describe how bass usually feed. Bass
ambush if opportunity presents itself, but this is not their preferred
feeding tactic.
To catch more bass, anglers must know how bass really behave.
Actively feeding bass usually move in small groups. They usually don't
hide inside cover thick enough to block their vision and/or hinder
attacks. Cover is cover for prey. Prey hide in it to escape bass. Bass
use cover for the same reason. They move into it to rest undisturbed by
larger threats like yellow catfish and anglers, rather than to feed.
Bass are most often caught along the edges of cover because prey gather
there and are more easily flushed there.
To feed effectively and
often, bass move out of thick cover to seek, startle, or flush prey
along the cover edges in ponds and reservoirs. Most pond owners will see
and confirm this fact for themselves if they sit at pondside, as I do
almost every day, and watch bass using Polaroid glasses. Reprinted with permission from Pond Boss Magazine
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