The text books we all studied in school are wrong. Scientists and biologists have argued that the only fish capable of Electroreception are members of the shark and ray family with the exception of Electric Eels and Elephant fish.
We couldn’t disagree more. In fact we have built a company offering 19 products that disprove this theory by their very performance. We have recruited dozens of field testers around the world that use our products that will agree there is a sixth sense all fish possess. This is called Electroreception and Magneto-reception (the ability to detect and decipher Electro Magnetic Fields), EMF. What I am saying is that EMF are invisible to us but not to fish, birds, turtles, marine mammals and all land animals with wet noses. The only time they are visible to us is when we see the Northern or Southern Aurora Borealis in the night sky.
This ability brings the Salmon back to their maternal streams, guides the Sea Turtles to their maternal beaches and guides birds and migratory land mammals on their journeys. It has been proven to me that all fish are electroreceptive by way of my invention the Electron Fish Attractor. Those that have used it know there is something to it by the response fish have to it.
Every angler is a scientist at heart and needs proof to believe a theory.
Once you accept the fact that everything, all matter has its own distinct EMF you will find the proof everywhere.
To understand this best let’s look at water in its simplest form. Distilled or deionized water is pure water, just H2O nothing else. Water in this form cannot conduct electricity or EMF. Now add a pinch of salt. As it dissolves in the water Neutrons and Protons react and expel positive and negative ions and electrons. These ions are the conductors of electricity and EMF. By adding a pinch of salt to our water sample we have added dissolved solids by way of sodium chloride, thereby increasing the total dissolved solids (TDS). The more solids dissolved in the water the greater its conductivity. Each and every element dissolved in water creates its own little neutron/proton universe dispensing ions creating what is called the ambient EMF.
Every river, lake, pond and aquarium has its own individual EMF determined by the different elements in its TDS make up. To add to this ambient, EMF suspended particles like sediment, silicates, organic tannin's and vegetation all add ions to this atomic mix, all increasing the conductivity.
To better understand how all this science relates to
sport fishing we should look at how fish interpret EMF.
To do this let me take you on a journey of the mind.
Imagine a cross section of a lake or pond showing the surface and bottom with weeds, rock, gravel and sand. Now let’s add the ambient EMF by colouring the water a dark yellow. Paint the bottom orange. Rock is darker orange because it has a lower EMF. The gravel is lighter orange and the sand because of its high EMF let’s paint it bright orange. Paint the weeds bright white to signify life. They are alive and giving off plenty of ions. Now let’s add the fish. Put them everywhere. Let’s have some Crappy and Bluegill suspended mid depth. They are inactive so paint them pale yellow, just a little brighter than the water. Now add bait fish. They are active so colour them bright white and sparkling as muscles contract as they swim about.
Over the sand let’s add an ambush predator, a Musky. She has been lying in wait for prey to come by staying very still, not using those huge muscles at all. This keeps her EMF low and unnoticeable against the higher EMF of the sand. Like a stealth fighter she is hiding in plain sight ready to attack any fish that comes too close. Before any attack is launched the Musky must decide if whether or not this would be meal is worth blowing its cover for. If it lunges and misses, those huge muscles will glow bright white making it impossible to hide until its EMF drops again as it rests. So for now let us paint her bright orange as she waits for her opportunity.
On the bottom add a Catfish. It has no scales to hide its EMF so paint it bright white as it mulls around on the floor. Those long whiskers are loaded with sensors so sensitive they can detect the very faintest EMF of crustaceans, worms and fish hiding in or on the bottom.
In the distance there is a bright light, so bright it is like a star. All fish recognize this immediately as a good sized bait fish that has been wounded, probably by a Loon or Merganser. The high EMF of the racing heart beat and contracting muscles are sending out a signal of an easy meal for hundreds of feet in every direction.
The Pan Fish notice it first and move in to torment it. It’s too big for them to swallow but that does not stop them from the chase. Their colour now changes to sparkling bright white as they follow the wounded bait fish.
Our Catfish notices it too but can’t get a bearing on it. His electroreception is more personal than local, all he knows is that it’s that way and swims in that direction.
Finally our Musky senses the wounded bait fish. She also senses the pan fish and the catfish closing in. This is exactly what it she has been waiting for, an easy meal. She won’t have to lunge to feed, just casually swim over and eat it. Keeping her EMF as low as possible so she can quickly return back to stealth mode. Time is on her side. Her electroreception is local and bang on. The wounded bait fish is still 100 feet out. She won’t get a visual until its 20 feet away. So for now she slowly postures, anticipating the interception point. As the musky slowly moves, there are sparks coming from its fin bases and tail. This area slowly turns white as muscle movement increases its EMF. The pan fish sense the musky and the trap that awaits and are out of there. Our catfish senses the musky and loses interest in the chase.
There is no competition for the bait fish and our musky gets close and engulfs it. Something is wrong, it’s not a bait fish at all, but a lure with the Electron Fish Attractor creating the high EMF. The Musky has been fooled and now it is fighting for its life. It doesn’t know it will be quickly released but for now the battle is on.
When she is released she is glowing bright white from the high EMF created by the struggle. This fish will survive the ordeal but it will take time to recover her strength and lower her EMF to get back to stealth mode.
Wow! Now you guys know where I go when I get quiet.
Rick Crozier