Question

[fishingpox]

If you suspect that spawning crappie are seeing you in your boat, what are they seeing? And how do you remedy the problem? Don't wear bright clothing. And do you think wading reduces their chances of seeing you?

[Barnacle Bill]

If you suspect that spawning crappie are seeing you in your boat, what are they seeing? And how do you remedy the problem? Don't wear bright clothing. And do you think wading reduces their chances of seeing you?

I had to laugh a little at that one even tho you may be on to something. It reminded me of the time we were fishing in a creek off the Chowan River and came across a bear sitting on the bank. It would hide its face behind some leaves so we couldn't see its eyes. I guess it thought it was hiding from us even tho the rest of its body was exposed. Just one of those things you don't see every day.

[CrappiePappy]

I've wondered much the same ... even to the point of wondering if camo clothing or light colored clothing was best....LOL!!
I think fish can see us & our boats, float tubes, canoes, whatever ... but, as long as we don't seem to constitute a threat, I think we are "watched" but not "fled" from. In the case of wading ... since you are mostly using a long pole and carefully and slowly walking among the weeds ... your fishing with the cover (weeds) between you and the fish. Add to that, the instinctual drive to spawn & guard the nest, and the fish may wait until you are practically standing on them - before they move off. They are probably still aware of your presence ... they are used to being "hunted" by Herons and the like, they are physically made up to look foward and up (eye placement), and they generally are shy & spooky in clear water. But, perhaps with the cover (and the drive to spawn), they're a little less cautious.
I suspect the boat is seen ... but I don't think it's considered a threat (unless it infringes on their territory). Angler movement in the boat, and loud noises from dropping things or banging things around in the boat, may give them cause for alarm and/or put them on alert ... but it seems that, once that "threat" doesn't materialize, they settle down and get back to business.
On the subject of clothing - what would you wear ? If you wore dark colors, you'd have to make sure you were between the fish and a dark background (tree line, dark sky) ... and if wearing light colored clothing, you'd have to have a light background (clear skies, cloudy sky) and avoid getting between the fish and a dark background. That is - if it made a difference. And what about the boat ... would the bottom have to be white to blend in with the clear sky ? So then, what about when you went fishing on an overcast day ? Would you then have to have another boat, just for that occasion ? I think "we" (humans) out think ourselves, or overthink the situation, sometimes. Fish don't have that much brain capacity. They're instincts aren't even all that great ... (otherwise they wouldn't hit a pink/purple glob of plastic with sharp things protruding out of it) ... they "survive" by mass breeding. And they are ruled by their environment (even more so than we are). They follow "patterns" of behavior, dictated by the situation of the elements they're surrounded by. ..........luck2ya ..........cp

[socolais]

What an excellent reply. I agree wholeheartedly.

[Kokanee King]

I do alot of fly fishing in small steams and to catch trout in small streams you some time have to crawl flat on the ground not to spook the fish. But I think It depends on the fish and the local pedidation birds, otters, other fish...

[DENNIS BOWERS]

Crappiepappy-great Answer,i For One Sometimes Try To Disect Situations,water,ect.!most Of The Time I"ve Found Out Im Better Off Using The K.i.s.s. Method! Otherwise At Times I Have Given Myself A Headache Over Nothing-defeated The Purpose Of Bein On The Water In The First Place!i Enjoy Trying To Learn Something New Each Time Out-but Theres Times I Have To Remind Myself Its All About Havin Fun!!good Fishin To Ya!!!dennis

[papasage]

we have a lot of wild chickens in our town and i think they would react to humans like fish in a way . i will feed them every morning and some in the afternoon if i git home befor dark . when i go out in the morning they will come running and stay around me and like a domestick chicken . when i drive up they will come running . if a stranger is around they will staye their distance . if they have ben chased by a stray dog or hawk or kids chasing them you can tell they are verry cautious . some time they want come out till it is all clear .but they hardley ever run from me . this isent a regular chicken . they wer turned loose as a D N R [dept. of natural resourses] project. they want survive in the country . we trapped some took them to my aunt`s farm and in a few months they are gon . the hawks and other things git them .

[crappieseeker]

crappiepappy if crappie are anything like bream you are right. Back when I was a kid we use to wade for bream and you could strattle the bed with your feet and catch them right out between your legs. If you never got in the bed, the bream wouldnt leave 95% of the time. Most everytime they would stay on the bed and you could just walk right up real slow and catch them between your legs. If you stepped in the bed they would leave. The fish are not actually feeding on your bait most of the time, they are just trying to move it out of the bed. They move it with their mouth and this is when you hook them because you think your getting a bite when reality its not a bite lol. You could probably catch them on anything at the time if they could get it in their mouth.

[fishingpox]

This is why I asked the question. I fish a lake here that averages to be about 4 feet deep. It is full of cedar stumps and a tremendous amount of structure. The crappie on this lake seem to bite slow; you have to show a lot of patience when fishing with a pole. I can fish an area.. lets say half an acre...with a pole, using minnows for bait. And maybe catch 2 or 3 fish in a hour. I can set out yoyo's in the same spots, that I fished with a pole and catch fish. It has always taken me an hour and a half to set out 20 yoyo's. I'd get 4 or 5 out and they start going off. And once you get them all out, you may as well set your pole down because, you are not going to get a chance to use it again. I do not like the yoyo thing but, when you are fish hungry , you'll do just about anything. Then I started wading, and the amount of fish caught increased but nothing like the yoyo catch. So someone on this sight told me that the fish could be seeing me. I thought he might be on to something.