Tone Deaf

Noise! It’s everywhere and all around us. The effects that noise and sound play on our everyday life are undeniable. Certain sounds are associated with certain events or certain actions, and they can illicit very real feelings and responses. The sound of drag screaming as line peels from your reel under the pressure of a good fish puts a smile on any fisherman’s face. The unmistakable snap of fishing line breaking under the same pressure from that same good fish has the exact opposite effect and can ruin a day in a hurry. The rhythmic sound of a topwater waltzing across the surface followed by the detonation of a strike from a predator fish is another welcome bit of noise that most anglers crave and very seldom, if ever, get enough of. All the aforementioned sounds have one thing in common and that is the way in which they affect the fisherman. Sounds and noise have certain effects on fish as well, and it’s a fisherman’s job to figure out just exactly what those effects are.

Let’s look at some obvious sounds we all take for granted when we hit the water. Perhaps the most common sound we look for is the one our lures produce. There are tons of different tackle options all geared towards making that special noise that will attract more bites. Tackle manufacturers spend astronomical amounts of time searching for sounds and noises in different tones or frequencies that will make their product more desirable to fish. There has been extensive research done on subjects such as the sounds that croaker and live shrimp make, or the sounds produced by predator fish when they’re feeding.

I can remember when the use of glass beads was all the rage because it supposedly made the same sound croaker make which, in turn, drew vicious strikes from angry speckled trout who were “thought” to be protecting their young. Yes, that whole scenario is a stretch, but at the time it seemed like a fantastic concept. I’m not a scientist or biologist and I haven’t even slept at a Holiday Inn Express lately, so all I can do is offer up my own opinion and that is, for whatever reason the use of rattles or beads probably can’t hurt…so go ahead and use them if it makes you happy. Sound can be an attractant if applied properly and can most definitely help you catch more fish. Applied properly are definitely key words here.

Proper use of sound comes in many forms, and it amazes me how so many anglers don’t pay enough attention to that concept. I have watched fishermen pick out their topwater plug, let’s say it has a single rattle or noisemaker inside and it makes a unique knocking noise. After a while the fisherman decides to make a lure swap and grabs another color of the same plug and continues fishing. So, all that happened with the lure swap was a color change, nothing else.

Rather than continuing to use the same plug in a different color, wouldn’t it be smarter to change the style of the plug; that might also have a completely different sound profile? If the one you’d been using had one large rattle, should you perhaps consider switching to one with multiple rattles of different sizes? If all that fails, maybe go to a plug with no rattles, one that has a concave face that produces only a gurgle or chug when pulled along the surface? Don’t let yourself become tone deaf, be aware of what you have tried and make changes accordingly to establish a pattern.

Topwater plugs are not the only lures you should pay attention to on the basis of sound; subsurface offerings all have their own set of noise making capabilities. Perhaps one of the most famous lures ever produced, the Rat-L-Trap, is a perfect example of how the use of noise helps attract and catch fish. There is probably not a number large enough to count the fish, both fresh and saltwater, caught on “the Trap.”

Spinnerbaits, paddletails, swimbaits, jerkbaits – take your pick – they all have ability to produce certain sounds and each one of those sounds has a particular advantage under certain conditions. Sound and vibration can be huge factors when fishing in murky or off-colored water because it helps fish locate the bait. In ultra-clear conditions or shallow water, too much sound can spook fish, so anglers must be aware of their circumstances and surroundings when it comes to sound.

Besides the obvious sound created by lures that is helpful, there is also plenty of sound (see also; noise) that hurts anglers. Dropping objects on the floor of the boat, slamming hatches, or any other type of banging around inside the boat can produce noise that is greatly magnified under water. Years ago, before all the go-fast boats with speakers blaring everything from gangster rap to Texas country became the norm, taking great care to slip into an area undetected was a given. The godfathers of big trout fishing on the Lower Coast would never have dreamed of running into the area they wanted to fish on plane, bumping Little Wayne.

Instead of announcing your presence to every living creature on the flat, try sneaking into an area without being detected. Some old school big trout guys would even wrap burlap around their boats to negate hull slap and assist in a quiet approach because it could only help them in their quest to arrive undetected.

I have also used boat noises to help me catch fish, and it was comical how well it worked. The best example of that for me came one day over on Lake Calcasieu while fishing with Bink Grimes and his dad Danny. There was an absolute armada of boats on one large reef and they were bumper to bumper, it was incredible. People stomping around grabbing bait from livewells and pulling anchors; it was a madhouse. We moved away from the mass of fiberglass, a couple hundred yards or so, out to the next piece of structure and just absolutely wore the fish out. In fact, Danny caught a trout that measured 31-inches and weighed a pinch over 10 pounds.

All that noise had driven the fish off the spot the armada was fishing and they just settled into the next piece of comfortable structure. This phenomenon has been proven by anglers using the forward-facing sonar where you can watch a boat idle by and actually see the fish swim away from the noise in real time. Again, anglers who pay attention to the noise and don’t go “tone deaf” to their surroundings will almost always catch more fish.

One last thing to consider on the basis of sound, and that’s the fact that it can also be a dinner bell for unwanted party crashers. The summer months are notorious for shark activity along the beach front, jetty, and also in Sabine Lake proper. Catching a fish and having it thrash along the surface while you try to land it will draw plenty of attention from sharks so be very aware before you reach down to grab it from the water. You could land in the middle of a bad situation. Use a net or some other fish grabbing device and don’t take any unnecessary chances. If you wade, make sure you bring the extra-long stringer, and keep those fish away from you in case the “taxman” shows up to collect.

Be cautious, stay hydrated, and bring a kid fishing!