Sounds transmitted into the water can either repel or attract fish. The key, of course, is to avoid driving fish away with the wrong kind of sound and, instead, arouse their curiosity or gain their attention with the right kind of sound.
Keep in mind that sound travels five times faster in water than it does in air and that fish are extremely sensitive to a wide range of frequencies. You will hardly ever see a fish make a mistake and swim toward an alarming sound. However, the gentle splat of a bait or lure at a respectable distance from the fish will often attract its attention.
Although fish don’t have protruding earflaps like those of humans and other mammals, they do have ears buried on either side of the head protected by skin, flesh and bone. In addition to their ears, fish have a second sound-detecting organ known as the lateral line, which is unique in the animal kingdom. Vibrations in the water pass through thousands of openings along the lateral line alerting a fish to their presence.
The lateral line works within 20 to 30 feet of the fish. As the fish gets closer to the source of the sound (a baitfish or a lure), it can locate its prey even if it can’t see it. Within 5 feet or so, a fish can accurately strike its prey or a lure without actually seeing it. Sound plays a vital role in the daily activities of fish. Using their ears and lateral line, they can detect any disturbance in the water and react to it, whether it is food or a predator ready to target them or simply some foreign sound that puts them on the alert.
From a fishing standpoint, the key lies in eliminating alarming sounds. You can talk all you want, and the sound will bounce off the surface of the water. If you’re aboard a boat and you scrape a tackle box or bang your feet on the deck, that noise will transmit through the water. On clear shallow flats, it’s easy to see the effect of noise. Drop a lure too close to a bonefish, a 100-pound tarpon or even a large shark, and you can bet it will vacate the area. Even if it doesn’t go far, it’s on the alert and difficult to get to strike.
One reason that fishing with live bait proves to be very effective is that its swimming ability is restricted and it sends out signals that it is in trouble. If you can keep the live bait on the surface where it continuously splashes, the results can be even more positive. That’s one reason why kite fishing with live bait proves so effective, particularly if you change baits frequently.
Researchers tell us there is little doubt that sound with all its ramifications is a critical factor in the life of a fish, and it is equally important from a fisherman’s standpoint. As an angler, you should be totally aware of the effects of sound on fish and make them work for you both in attracting fish and by avoiding those sounds that would frighten fish or alert them that something is not right.