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Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Daily News Outdoor & living life Understanding biology of the largemouth is key to catching them California Outdoors Q&A Crab Hawk Traps Question: Is the Crab Hawk legal for use in California during open crabbing season? The ads say it is not a trap, and because it opens, crabs would not be damaged should they need to be released. Please clarify this for me and cite the appropriate section in the event you determine it is illegal. (Dennis J.) Answer: The Crab Hawk traps are indeed traps and are not legal as sold because California state law requires traps to possess escape rings. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Lt. Dennis McKiv- er, crab traps are required to have at least two rigid circular openings of not less than four and one-quarter inches inside diameter so constructed that the lowest portion of each opening is no lower than five inches from the top of the trap (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.80(c)). Traps that are not specifically provided for in this section may not be used for crabs or other invertebrates. The Crab Hawk trap is not specifically provided for, nor does it meet standards for crab traps in California, so it is not legal to use in the state. Fishing Lake Havasu with a California Colorado River Carrie Wilson stamp? MCTfile photo A professor holds plastic bait next to an aquarium containing largemouth bass. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MCT) — For a creature with a brain about the size of a nickle, the largemouth bass certainly gets lavish praise for being a genius. After a frustrating day on the water, many fishermen return to the dock and make the bass out to be the Ph.D of the fish world. But here's some news for you: The largemouth isn't nearly as smart as it might seem. "Some fishermen give the bass far too much credit," said Keith Jones, who is in charge of research at the Berkley Fish Research Station in Iowa. "The bass doesn't have the abil- ity to reason. As soon as it hatches, it is genetically pre programmed to fol- low certain behavior. "It relies on its senses to guide its actions. Its vision, hearing, sense of smell and taste . . . . that all plays a part. It's a sensory machine, and the sooner we as fishermen learn how those senses guide the bass's behavior, the more fish we will catch." When it's time to feed, that sensory machine is fully operational. The bass relies on its vision as its No. 1 asset. It has eyes that are spe- cially adapted for underwater use, allowing for a wide range of vision. Jones said the bass has a maximum viewing distance of about 50 feet. But it has small binocular fields for close- up viewing to scrutinize its prey. "We have seen many times in our research where a bass will rush across a tank at something, then stop to study it, then it will veer off," said Jones, who wrote the book "Knowing Bass: The Scientific Approach to Catching More Fish." The bass's eyesight also determines how it sees colors. Light refraction plays an important part in how those colors are perceived. In clear water, for example, red is one of the first col- ors to disappear. It turns to shades of gray as it gets deeper. But in murky water, it remains one of the most visi- ble colors. Whatever the case, the bass' s eye- sight isn't nearly as sharp as a human's. "The sharpness of their vision is only 10 percent of ours," Jones said. "When they look at an object, they don't see nearly the detail we do." That's why bass often rely on their unique hearing system to help. They have a lateral line that runs across the body to pick up vibrations. "The bass uses its eyesight and lat- eral line in combination when it is feeding," Jones said. "The lateral line is very effective in feeling local distur- bances one to two body lengths away." The bass also uses its sense of smell and taste to determine whether something should be ingested. But its eyesight and hearing are the two pri- mary senses that determine its menu. OK, here's where it gets tricky. No, the bass isn't a natural brainiac. But it does have the ability to learn â€" from both positive and negative expe- riences. "If a bass follows a spinnerbait, gets a good look at it and decides to hit it and then gets stung, he's going to learn to leave it alone because of that negative experience," Jones said. "That can even carry over to group dynamics. The less aggressive bass will hang back and see what happens to the more aggressive ones when they feed. "If bad things happen to the aggres- sive ones, even the bass that weren't hooked will learn." But not all bass behave the same way. Much the same as humans, bass are individuals, each displaying dis- tinct behavior. "Some individuals are pro- grammed to be more aggressive," Jones said. "Other bass are just as dumb as a box of rocks. Those are the ones that are caught most frequently. "But others are pre programmed to be more wary and certainly less aggressive." A 20-year study, led by University of Illinois research David Philipp, pro- vided the first direct experimental proof that vulnerability to angling is an inherited trait. Beginning in the 1970s, Philipp and his colleagues tagged and released largemouth bass in a pond in central Illinois. Some fish were caught up to 16 times a year. But when the pond was drained in the 1980s, they found that 200 of the 1,700 bass that were tagged had never been caught. From that stock, the researchers bred groups of "high-vulnerability" and "low-vulnerability" bass. Then they stocked those fish in the same pond and repeated the experiment. Through three generations, the off- spring stayed true to the parents' ten- dencies. Another study in Illinois also docu- mented a bass' s learning ability. A total of 1,027 bass were tagged and released, then fishermen were free to have at them. It took an average of only 24 minutes to catch the first 50 bass. But by the end of the day, it took over two hours to catch one of the marked fish. By the second day, it took five to six hours, and by the third day, 10 to 15 hours. Researchers deduced that the bass were able to learn by the negative experiences of being hooked but being able to escape and seeing a fellow fish caught. So, you and a buddy pull into a cove and work a stretch of bank for almost an hour without so much as a bite. You mutter, "Nothing in here," and motor out. Obviously, the bass weren't relating to that bank, right? Wrong. On more than one occasion, elec- trofishing rigs with the Missouri Department of Conservation moved into those coves after fishermen left and began rolling all kinds of fish to the surface. Don't assume that the fish- ermen who failed to hook those bass didn't know what they were doing. Sometimes, the timing just isn't right. "We'll see all the time in our tanks where bass will be docile and laying in the bottom with minnows swimming right in front of their face, and they won't do a thing," Jones said. "Then, all of a sudden, they fly into action and grab a couple of those minnows, usu- ally the ones that are struggling, then they'll go back to the bottom and not feed for a while." What triggers those feeding sprees is difficult to determine. Some researchers theorize that barometric pressure and differences in light con- ditions may play a part. Others add that not only hunger but also reflex actions play a part. Through his experiments, Jones thinks bass may even learn to get spe- cific in their prey preferences. For example, they might hone in on cer- tain prey fish with the type of body shape and size they desire. Don't get the idea that the lure has to perfectly imitate a bass' s natural prey before the predator will eat it, though. Several lure companies have come out with highly touted lures with intri- cate paint patterns designed to imitate baitfish. But many of those baits proved to be a disappointment and never did sell the way manufacturers hoped they would. The problem? They might have been too accurate. "With natural prey like minnows, shiners and crayfish, one of their main objectives in life is not to be eaten by a fish," Jones said. "They're camou- flaged, and that is one of their escape mechanisms. "If you imitate that to a T, you might make it hard for a bass to even spot that lure." Conversely, even lures that look like nothing in a bass' s natural world can be effective. Jones cites the plastic worm. "Bass don't encounter many night crawlers in their environment," he said. "Occasionally, they are washed in during a heavy rain, but they aren't a common sight. "Yet, the plastic worm is one of the most effective bass lures of all time. We believe that is because of the motion they create. "Bass will make a strike decision based on three factors: the size of the object, the shape of the object and motion." So how can an understanding of bass makeup help fishermen put more fish in the boat? Kevin VanDam can answer that. A legend in the pro-fishing game, he credits much of his success to paying attention to what is going on in the bass' world. "One of the first things I will do when I practice for a tournament is that I will try to find what the bass are feeding on," he said. "I'll pay attention to the bait's coloration, its size and how it is moving and I'll try to imitate it. "Sometimes just a little subtle dif- ference in coloration of a crankbait will pay off." VanDam will also study the basses ' mood. If the fish seem to be sluggish and reluctant to hit, he will search for the type of bait that will trigger reac- tion strikes. But even with an advanced knowl- edge of fish behavior, there are no absolutes. "There isn't a single lure out there that is so compelling that bass will hit it all the time," Jones said. Question: I am a California resident and get a yearly Cal- ifornia license with the Colorado River stamp. I also buy a yearly nonresident Arizona fishing license in that state with no Colorado River stamp. Now the question is can I fish from the Arizona side in the river or launch my boat in Lake Havasu and be legal with what I have, or do I need an Ari- zona Colorado River stamp in addition to the California one? (John C., Banning) Answer: Based on your question, it appears you buy the nonresident Arizona license so you can fish from shore in Arizona along boundary waters with California. If that is the case, what you have should be fine. A Colorado River Spe- cial Use Stamp is required for anyone fishing from a boat or other floating device on the Colorado River or adjacent waters forming the California-Arizona border. In addition, the holder of a California license must have an Arizona Use Stamp, and the holder of an Arizona license must have a Cal- ifornia Use Stamp. Steel shot required for doves and quail? Question: In a very heated discussion in a duck blind recently, I was challenged to a bet over whether there is pub- lic land that requires the usage of steel shot for doves and quail. We eliminated the obvious like refuges, military bases like Camp Roberts and Hunter Liggett, and areas like the San Luis Wildlife Area. Can you please clarify this situation or point me in the right direction? My friend feels very strongly that the condor zones have not only changed where we can use lead shot but also those requirements have flown down to other areas. (Don S.) Answer: There have been no recent changes in the use of lead shot for small game including birds within the condor range. According to DFG Lt. Todd Tognazzini, steel shot is only required for taking all game/nongame on some military bases, National Wildlife Refuges and Wildlife Areas. Lead shot may be used for taking all game birds (excluding water- fowl, of course) and small game (rabbits and tree squirrels) within the condor range. Fundraising tags Question: How do the fundraising tags affect the other big game draw tags? I know we are only allowed two deer tags per season. If someone applies for both deer zone tags and the fundraising open zone deer tag and then by chance is drawn for the open zone deer tag, would the open zone deer tag then be the first deer tag? I want to apply for the fundraising tag but don't know how it will affect my regular deer tags? (Madrigal A.) Answer: Hunters are limited to no more that two deer tags each season. According to DFG License Program Analyst Glenn Underwood, if you were fortunate enough to draw the fund raising deer tag, you would have to surrender either your first or second deer tag (your choice) prior to issuance of the open zone deer fund-raising tag. DFG has a list of frequently asked questions that are sim- ilar to the one you asked available at www.dfg.ca.gov/licens- ing/hunting/huntingfaqs.html. Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone's questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov. Turkey season set to start California's 2012 general spring wild turkey hunting season opens statewide on March 31 and extends through May 6, with the archery season extending through May 20. Hunters who have a cur- rent junior hunting license may also hunt the weekend before the opener, on March 24 and 25, and the two weeks after the general sea- son (through May 20), using shotguns or any other legal method of take. Please note that the sea- son is closed to all hunters from March 26 to March 30. Shooting hours for spring turkeys are from one-half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. Both a hunting license and upland game bird stamp are required to hunt turkeys, although an upland stamp is not required for hunters with junior licenses. The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day and no more than a total of three turkeys during all seasons (general, archery, junior) combined. The statewide population of wild turkeys is estimated at 240,000 birds.DFG's most recent hunter surveys indicate that on average about 24,000 hunters bag about 22,000 turkeys in the spring season each year statewide. Wild turkeys are found in most counties in California. 3B