Inside
my shop (coming soon)
History Behind Brain’s Bee’s
(Read First)
Cankbait
Choices
In
quest for the right prop bait:
Crank Tuning
About The Baits
Here’s a little more back ground on
why my baits are manufactured in the way that they are and how the
research has noticeably changed the manufacturing process of “
brianscrankbaits”. I have tried to meet as many of the actual needs
for the fish to be attracted to my baits. From the lateral line
vibes, to sight, to hearing and sound like the below information was
compiled for your use. Brains Bees are truly hand made and hand
sanded. Every step in the manufacturing process is intended to add
to the effectiveness of my baits. A visit to my shop would
generously assist you would understand why these baits have an extra
cost above and beyond what is incurred when making purchases from a
typical retailer. Since most of those who are reading this will not
be able to make such a visit, I am putting together a series of
pictures of the process and introducing a new web page called
“Inside My Shop”. I hope this will ably serve in gaining a clearer
understanding of the intense attention to detail that goes into
every step of the manufacturing process.
There are many variables that make a bait productive. Size, shape,
weights, rattles, construction material, the list goes on and on.
Having said all this, the primary attribute of a bait is COLOR. Now
this brings us to the paint. The colors are mixed for color
enhancement unseen to the human eye. I have an Associate degree in
commercial art and A bachelor in mechanical engineering and have
been working on color development for 20 years. I have spent many
hours on the water following bait and watching its habit and
reaction to sun light (ultraviolet), clouds, stained water, clear
water, etc. My color chart has been developed based on these
conditions. Through research, color development and a lot of trials
and error, I have found 4 basic colors that are incorporated on all
my baits. Whether the colors are prevalent or hidden, the fish’s
ability to see them is very great! I produce baits for use all over
the United States and as far away as Japan, so the color chart is
very extensive. I would recommend that you make your selections with
an effort to match your lake’s bait or latest hatch. All of the
colors I have developed are based on the food chain of a bass;
matching the Shads, blue herring, craw dads, and bait fish such as
Bream, Sun Fish, and minnows is the ultimate goal. Now that I have
gone into detail on the design I will be giving a history lesson, or
should I say a biology lesson, on the actual anatomy of a fish
(green head). Read thoroughly and apply this information when making
selections from the color chart..
LATERAL LINE SYSTEM (defined)
The lateral line system found in many fishes (Green Heads) and
in some aquatic amphibians is sensitive to differences in water
pressure. These differences may be as a consequence of changes
in depth or to the current like waves caused by approaching
objects. The basic sensory unit of the lateral line system is
the neuromast, which is a bundle of sensory and supporting cells
whose projecting hairs are encased in a gelatinous cap. The
Neuromast continuously send out trains of nerve impulses. When
pressure waves cause the gelatinous caps of the neuromast to
move, bending the enclosed hairs, the frequency of the nerve
impulses is either increased or decreased, depending on the
direction of bending.
Neuromast may occur singly, in small groups called pit organs,
or in rows within grooves or canals, when they are referred to
as the lateral line system. The lateral line system runs along
the sides of the body onto the head, where it divides into three
branches, two to the snout and one to the lower jaw.
A swimming fish sets up a pressure wave in the water which is
detectable by the lateral line systems of other fishes. It also
sets up a bow wave in front of itself, the pressure of which is
higher than that of the wave flow along its sides. These
near-field differences are registered by its own lateral line
system. As the fish approaches an object, such as a rock or the
glass wall of an aquarium, the pressure waves around its body
are distorted, and these changes are quickly detected by the
lateral line system, enabling the fish to swerve or to take
other suitable actions. Because vibrations in the water caused
by sounding voices are waves of pressure, the lateral line
system is also able to detect very low-frequency sounds of 100
Hz or less.
HEARING AND SOUND
The sound of your
lure hitting and then moving through the water is actually the
first thing likely to alert a fish. The movements of vibrations
in the air caused by sounding voices through the water are
integral to a fish's sense of hearing and to its complete
survival. Fish count on two different organs working together to
locate and sense sounds.
On both sides of most fish is a line of pores called the lateral
Line? The pores are the opening of tiny tubes that go through
the scales into the body and end near a large nerve which
travels to the brain. At the end of each tube are tiny hairs
that vibrate when vibrations in the air caused by sounding
voices pass over them. The moving hairs stimulate the lateral
line nerve. Because tubes point in different directions, fish
can accurately locate the area from which a vibration emanates.
Fish also have an inner ear, similar to humans. The inner ear
aids in balance and hearing. The part of the inner ear involved
in sound interpretation is called the otolith, or ear bone. Hair
movement in the fluid-filled sack surrounding the otolith is
what stimulates the attached nerves. Vibrations in the air
caused by sounding voices move through a fish's body, almost as
if it was not there, and reach the otoliths making them move.
When a bait fish or a lure or fly imitating food moves through
the water, it gives off vibrations, which a fish can detect
yards away. These vibrations can be heard and felt. When a lure
is far a way, the fish feels the vibrations with its lateral
lines and pinpoints the area. As the fish gets closer to your
lure, the sound of its rattling bait is also picked up by the
earphone. The fish then starts to rely on other senses like
smell, sight and taste to figure out if your lure is really
food.
SIGHT
Once the gap between
fish and lure narrows even more, the sense of sight plays a bigger
role. Fish eyes work much the same way human eyes do, similar to a
camera. There are some differences through. Fish doesn't have
eyelids or tear ducts, and they don't have an iris that changes to
different amounts of light.
Fish eyes are sensitive to movement. They have plenty of special
cells called rods that alert them to movement and contrast and each
eye can detect these on their own. Because fish has eyes on the
sides of their heads, they can see nearly all around themselves.
However, like our own eyes, the two eyes must work together to
enable the fish to see in three dimensions, allowing the fish to
figure out distance from an object. Furthermore, because the eyes
are on opposite sides of their head, fish only have a narrow area of
this "binocular vision" - directly in front and above their snouts.
This makes fish relatively nearsighted - while they can make out
movement and images at a distance, they can't see them clearly or
judge the distance or depth. That's why Bass often swim right
adjoining your bait or lure, close enough to eat it before turning
away.
Scientists believe that freshwater fish can see color. Most
researchers strongly believe that fish have three sets of cells
called cones in the eye that allow for color perception. They
strongly believe that two sets of cones are sensitive to color while
the third picks up ultraviolet light, which we can't detect with our
naked eyes.
Here is an example:
Anthony Gagliardi used the Prop
Bee #3 to mimic a bream in the FLW Championship 2005
Gagliardi moves to third
“Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., finished third with a
two-day total of 22 pounds,
2 ounces.
Gagliardi sight-fished early in the week and then discovered a
“bream pattern.”
“Wherever I would find groups a bream, the bass would be
nearby,” he said. “Each time I found a group of bream, I would
always hit that spot early the next morning and catch a couple
of key bass.”
Gagliardi used wacky worms on 10-pound-test line and Brian’s
Bees “Prop Bee” topwaters that featured double props.”
