Understanding Bass Lateral Lines – It's about the Allure

Understand Bass Lateral Lines

Bass Lateral Lines, functioning as a primary sense in low lure visibility situations, comprises a row of pores filled with water and nerve endings on both sides of the bass. The lateral lines detect small water displacements (“pressure waves”) to help identify and capture forage. Vibrations are a source of pressure waves. Some suggest it is the use of lateral lines that allows blind bass to survive. Some suggest the lateral line allows schooling bass, especially juvenile bass, to move in unison.

Why is Understanding Bass Lateral Line Important?

It is important to understand bass lateral line to:

Select the Best Lure: Specific lures designed with low frequency vibrations commonly used in low lure visibility scenarios where bass rely more on lateral line to identify and capture forage.

Understanding Bass Lateral Line

Identify Forage: Lateral lines allow bass to detect low frequency vibrations created by moving forage. Some suggest bass can tell forage species and size with the use of lateral lines.
Distance: Some suggest distance is not well understood and speculate it depends on background “noise” as other vibrations. Some suggest that bass can distinguish water movements from long distances.
Barometric Pressure: Some suggest that the bass’ lateral line can sense changes in barometric pressure which impacts behavior.
Lateral Line as an Aid: Lateral line helps bass identify forage used in combination with other senses, in high visibility – vision and in low visibility: sense of smell (long distance and short), hearing, and the limited vision available.
Lateral Line vs Inner Ear: Both identify vibrations but the lateral line is more directional and lower frequencies where the inner ear is less directional and detects higher frequencies of sound. Also, the inner ear is more attune to sound where the lateral line is for water movement. Some suggest a good example is a bass would be able to hear the rattle noise in a lipped crankbait with a rattle where the lateral line will pick up the wobble lure action and it is the wobble motion that provide more information related to direction such that the bass will look for it.

Additional Considerations

Schooling Behavior: Some suggest lateral lines are the mechanism that allows bass fry and juvenile other bass move a unit when swimming as a school.
Vibration: All lures displace water albeit the lures designed to displace water with vibration to appeal to bass’ lateral lines have:
- Wobble Lure Action: Some lures are designed to vibrate to push water, for example a lipped crankbait.
- Blades: Some lures feature blades that vibrate resulting in water displacement
- Soft Plastic Movements: Some soft plastics will create vibrations and displace water.