4. Bass aren't the Only Ones that React to Lure Trajectory

 Creatures Fooled by the Lure's Trajectory

Bluegill

For example, if I use a tenkara rod* to send a voluminous lure in the direction of a bluegill's line of sight like a pendulum, the bluegill will follow the trajectory. 

Sometimes they run away in surprise, but in that case, does that mean they looked like natural enemies?  In addition, when I flicked rice grains with my fingertips toward a school of bluegills that had been fed many times and acclimatized, they sometimes even reacted to the trajectory of the small rice grains flying.

Snakehead and Catfish

When I cast a voluminous lure with a high trajectory, I may suddenly see snakeheads and catfishes that strongly follow the trajectory from unexpected places. The ability to spot flying creatures may be higher than largemouth bass. When fishing for them, you should be careful that large hooks such as spinnerbaits and buzzbaits may get stuck in their eyes. So I don't recommend fishing them with big hooks.

Bullfrog

When topwater fishing in an area with many bullfrogs, we need to be very careful about their attacks. It bites anything that moves and indiscriminately pounces on top water lures. Of course, flying dragonflies are also aimed, and if rapid deceleration of the voluminous lure in front of the bullfrog, it will jump and attack. It is also interesting that chartreuse and white are more responsive than colors such as black in dimly lit creeks. When conducting such experiments, it is necessary to break the needle of the lure. Also, let's stop those who are not confident in the cast.

Red-eared slider

Where praying mantises and cicadas frequently fall to surface of the water, red-eared sliders also target them. Especially when there are many competitors competing for prey, the speed of reaction when finding prey is reminiscent of bass at high activity. 

In places where there are many competitors, to catch prey before anyone else, they need to chase a flying praying mantis and eat it as soon as it lands, and they do that. At such times, if throw a voluminous lure with a low trajectory and pass it in front of them while decelerating rapidly, they will swim furiously to the point of landing while visually checking their trajectory.

But if the volume of the lure is too small or the trajectory speed is too high, it will be difficult to react. This also applies to bass.

Kingfisher

When I practice low trajectory rapid deceleration casts using flashy colored voluminous lures, sometimes a kingfisher flies by and perches on a nearby tree. They don't take bait, and they don't run away, they seem to watch the lure fly low and disappear into the water. In some cases, stays for a few minutes, and in front of that one audience, I am also fired up to show him something more amazing, which ultimately makes it a better practice.

Dragonfly

Have you ever had a dragonfly hit the tip of a rod when casting? I don't know if it is a territorial conflict or a predatory instinct, but sometimes dragonflies also respond to the trajectory of the lure. I don't know what the low trajectory rapid deceleration fishing method looks like to the bass, I think of it as an imitation of the flight of a dragonfly. So for me, decline in dragonflies is not a good trend. Be careful not to let lure hit dragonfly.

Yellow butterfly and Cabbage butterfly

If use a chartreuse lure, a yellow butterfly will approach, and if use a white lure, a white butterfly will approach. I don't know how bass feels about yellow and white butterflies flying around, but chartreuse and white are the colors I often use for this method of fishing. I believe that the rapid deceleration of the lure due to thumb braking imitates the flying of a dragonfly and the use of chartreuse or white lures imitates yellow and white butterflies. These butterflies, like dragonflies, can be struck by rod, so be careful when casting.

*Tenkara rod 

This rod is used by tying a line to the tip of the rod and is a common rod in Japan. 

It is available in various lengths and power, and the is selected according to the size of the fish to be caught and the conditions of fishing fields. The rod does not require a reel, and the direct interaction with fish when it is caught is very interesting.

Also, if use this rod to send a voluminous lure like a pendulum and throw it with a low trajectory that has a long dwell time, a highly active largemouth bass that sees the trajectory may jump and attack. It is a phenomenon that is easily induced when the direction in which the lure flies and the direction in which the bass is facing are the same.