"The Sixth Sense"
By Ezell Cox    Websters dictionary defines sense as: "the ability of the nerves and the brain to receive and read stimuli".     It was at about 30 mph that I pulled the boat throttle back and coasted to a stop. My fishing buddy asked me why we were stopping here since it was well before the spot where we had agreed to fish. It was about that time he smelled the "fishy" smell in the air. When you are out fishing there are many ways to hear what is going on around you. Laughing gulls that are diving in a frenzy are a sure sign that stripers are pushing bait to the surface. You should listen for bait fish flipping or stripers breaking or just leaving a suck hole on the surface. Listen for and try to recognize all the fish eating critters, like gulls, terns, cormorants, loons, herons, otters, good fishermen and so on. Most of them know how to catch fish, for their lives depend on it.
    Over the years our equipment has improved our ability well beyond our sense of touch and changed it to mostly visual. Water temperature is measured to one tenth of a degree Fahrenheit. All species of fish have a comfort zone and will try to find that temperature. Large changes in temperature are a good place to look for prey and predators. Large spring feed creeks that maintain a constant temperature all year feel cold in the summer and warm in the winter. Power plants may dump large quantities of 70 degree water into a 40 degree system. The confluence of two systems is always an opportunity. A thermocline in large slow moving systems will allow close proximity of different temperatures sometimes visible on good fishfinders, The metabolic rate is slower in cold water and in cold blooded critters, like fish.
    The most information is available through our sense of sight. Water color, current and wind direction leave clues as to where the fish are. Algae bloom, mayflies, locust, and many other fish foods can be seen on the surface. Look at the stomach content of harvested fish because you may want to use larger or smaller minnows, maybe even change to crayfish or spring lizards.
 Taste is the sense that has not been mentioned yet.  Yes it does help catch fish for those of us that love to eat them as well as I do!
    Smell, hearing, sight, touch and taste are the senses that allow the brain to be stimulated. If a person is limited or lacking in one of these senses it is common for all the rest to be utilized at a much higher level. You can train yourself to this higher level without the loss of anything. If you teach yourself to grasp all the stimuli from each of your senses as much as possible then you will have the most coveted sense of all......... THE SIXTH SENSE!!!
      by Ezell Cox
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