Advertise on podcast: Science of the Strike

Episode 28 brings the Experience vs. Science miniseries back with a guest who needs no introduction: Jordan Lee. Two-time Bassmaster Classic champion, one of the most decorated young anglers of his generation, and a guy whose instincts have been battle-tested at the highest level of the sport. We put those instincts up against the literature. We get into grass fishing, how Jordan reads it, what he keys on, and where the research on vegetation-oriented bass either backs him up or complicates the picture. We dig into scent: what science actually says about a largemouth's chemoreception, whether attractants do what the bottle claims, and how a pro who's won millions decides whether to bother. We talk wind—the most misunderstood variable in bass fishing—and how Jordan's on-water read compares to what the studies show about baitfish displacement, light penetration, and feeding windows. This is the format at its best: an angler operating on pure feel, a couple of hosts operating on peer review, and a conversation that lands somewhere more useful than either camp gets on its own.

Episode 27 is a deep dive on aquatic vegetation — specifically, grass — and why it might be the single most underappreciated variable in a bass fishery. We walk through the main players anglers actually encounter: hydrilla, milfoil, coontail, eelgrass, pondweed, and the rest, what each one looks like, how it grows, and why bass relate to them differently. Then we get into the research on what grass actually does to a system. The studies are striking: fisheries with healthy submerged vegetation consistently produce more bass, bigger bass, and better year-classes, and when the grass disappears — whether from grass carp, herbicide, or a drawdown — the fishery follows it down. We talk about the mechanisms: cover for fry, ambush structure for adults, oxygen production, water clarity, and the way vegetation reorganizes the entire food web from the bottom up. By the end, you'll never look at a grass line the same way. It's not just a place to throw a frog. It's the reason the fish are there at all.

Episode 26 closes out year one. Twenty-five episodes in the books, and rather than let the milestone pass with a montage and a thank-you, we did what the show is supposed to do: we went back through every episode, pulled the highlights worth revisiting, and cited what we consider the primary article behind each one. Consider it a table of contents for the first year of Science of the Strike — a running record of what we learned, what surprised us, what held up, and where the literature pointed us next. If you're new to the show, this is the fastest way to get caught up. If you've been here since episode one, this is the reference episode: one place to find the studies, the sources, and the moments that mattered. Year two starts after this. We're glad you're here for it.

Episode 25 continues our Prey Mini-Series with a deep look at blueback herring, which are arguably the single most disruptive baitfish in modern American bass fishing. We get into what bluebacks actually are, how they ended up in lakes hundreds of miles from saltwater, and what they've done to every fishery that hosts them. We talk about the behavioral rewrite they cause: bass abandoning structure and becoming more pelagic. We cover the herring spawn, what triggers it, where it happens, and why bass key on it like nothing else. Finally, we get into the trade-offs: yes, herring grow big fish, but the rest of the food web pays the bill. When it comes to advancing yourself as a largemouth bass angler, if you understand the prey, you'll understand the predator.

If you only listen to one episode of this show, we'd ask you to make it this one. Episode 24 is all about fish care when angling for largemouth bass. Fish care doesn't get the airtime that lure selection or pattern-of-the-week content does, but every fish you catch is a fish whose survival is at least partly in your hands, and most anglers, ourselves included, have been doing things wrong for years without realizing it. We get into largemouth handling from the ground up: where to grip, where not to, what a vertical hold actually does to a jaw, and why the "lip and support" rule exists. We talk about the slime coat: what it is, why it's the bass's first line of defense, and how a net or a boat's carpet can undo it in seconds. We cover livewell management in detail: temperature, oxygen, additives, what actually helps versus what's marketing, and how tournament fish end up dying hours after release, even when they swam off looking fine. Of all the episodes we have recorded and will ever record, we believe Episode 24 matters most.

Episode 23 keeps the Experience vs. Science miniseries rolling, this time with the founder of Big Bass Dreams and a guy who's spent more time analyzing largemouth bass than most people will spend during their whole lives, Oliver Ngy. We sat down to figure out where his decades on the water line up with the peer-reviewed literature, and where the two camps quietly disagree. We get into angler pressure and what it actually does to a fish day-to-day, the murky and surprisingly contested question of largemouth memory (how much, how long, and whether "memory" is even the right word), what the wind is really doing when it kicks up your favorite bank, and a handful of other principles that explain a lot of what anglers usually chalk up to feel. Oliver brought the reps, and we brought the citations. The conversation went where most fishing talk doesn't: past the anecdote and into the mechanism.

In the conclusion of our deep dive into the spawn, Episode 22 moves from the largemouth bass's internal biology to its external action. We explore the dramatic behavioral shift that occurs when a largemouth bass transitions from a nomadic hunter to a hyper-focused protector. Episode 22 breaks down the science of nesting behavior, explaining the specific environmental triggers that cause a bass to lock on to a piece of structure and the territorial psychology that makes them view anything entering their space as a threat rather than a meal. We also tackle one of the biggest mysteries of the spring: the dietary shutdown. Scientific observations show that as the spawn reaches its peak, a bass’s primary drive to feed is often overridden by the drive to defend. We’ll explain the difference between a feeding strike and a defensive strike, and why understanding this distinction is the key to triggering a bite from a fish that technically isn't looking for food. From the aggressive guarding of the fry to the post-spawn recovery phase where metabolism and appetite finally realign, we’re giving you the behavioral blueprint to master the most complex season in bass fishing.

In Episode 21, we kick off a two-part deep dive into the most critical period of a bass's life: The Spawn. While most anglers focus on finding beds, Episode 21 focuses on the incredible internal transformation that dictates every move a bass makes during the spring. We break down the anatomy and physiology that drive the reproductive cycle, from the microscopic level to the physical toll it takes on the fish. By understanding the biological "why" behind the spawn, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the species and a more scientific approach to targeting (and protecting) largemouth bass during their most vulnerable state.

In Episode 20, we’re breaking down one of the most powerful and often frustrating variables in fishing: the wind. While most anglers see wind as a nuisance for boat control, the science reveals it is a massive biological trigger that completely reorganizes the food chain. We’ll explore the physics of how wind creates circular currents, pushing plankton and baitfish into concentrated zones and turning passive predators into aggressive hunters. We dive deep into the sensory advantages wind provides to a largemouth bass, from increasing dissolved oxygen levels to breaking up surface light penetration. By reducing the bass's ability to scrutinize your lure, a "choppy" surface creates a unique window of vulnerability.

Continuing our mini-series on prey, Episode 19 leaps into the high-protein world of the frog. While every angler loves a topwater explosion, there is a complex biological reason why a largemouth bass is willing to exert so much energy to track and ambush these amphibians. We’ll break down the specific nutritional profile that makes frogs a "premium" meal and explore the sensory triggers that provoke a bass into an instinctive, violent strike. We go beyond the basics by examining the seasonal migrations and lifecycles of common species such as the bullfrog, leopard frog, and green frog, revealing why they become high-vulnerability targets at specific times of year. If you are a serious largemouth bass angler, you know that understanding the prey is understanding the predator.

In Episode 18, we sit down with Bassmaster Classic Champion and Major League Fishing star Ott DeFoe to dissect how his world-class instincts align with the latest in bass biology. Known for his analytical approach, Ott provides a unique perspective on how real-world tournament pressure forces an angler to adapt alongside the fish. We explore how Ott’s legendary ability to read water and current intersects with the scientific principles of energy conservation and predator-prey positioning. Ott shares candid insights into whether he’s seeing the effects of "Fisheries-Induced Evolution" firsthand, discussing if the fish are becoming more wary and how his strategy is designed to fool the most genetically cautious survivors in the lake.

In Episode 17, we explore the dynamic anatomy, physiology, and biology behind a largemouth bass's metabolism. It turns out that a significant number of misconceptions in the angling community stem from misunderstandings of how metabolism works in largemouth bass. Expanding on the findings discussed in Episode 16, recent scientific research reveals a direct link between high-pressure environments and a shift toward lower resting metabolic rates in the bass population. By consistently targeting and catching the most aggressive, high-metabolism individuals, we inadvertently leave behind a population of low-energy survivors who are genetically predisposed to be less active and harder to catch. Tune in to hear how metabolism can impact your on-the-water strategies.

Are the bass getting smarter, or are we literally breeding them to be harder to catch? In Episode 16, we dive into a groundbreaking and controversial discovery: Fisheries-Induced Evolution. Science reveals that heavy angler pressure isn't just making bass "lure shy" for a day. Rather, it’s actually rewriting their genome. We break down the studies showing that the "catchability" of a bass is a heritable trait. When the most aggressive, easy-to-catch bass are removed from the gene pool (or stressed during spawning), we are left with a population of "low-vulnerability" survivors. Understanding that catchability is a heritable trait changes everything for the modern angler. It explains why legendary lakes or spots seem to "dry up" despite high fish populations and why traditional power-fishing tactics are often ignored by the local residents. By recognizing that we are competing against a predator that is biologically evolving to avoid us, we can adapt our strategies to target the unique sensory triggers and subtle vulnerabilities of these genetically cautious survivors.

Have you ever wondered if largemouth bass have a "home" in a given lake? In Episode 15, we break down the science behind the hidden world of largemouth bass homing mechanisms and social communities. We reveal the research showing why bass have a strong, loyal "home range," using incredible sensory cues from subtle scent trails to the earth's magnetic fields to return to the same premium spots every season. But the science goes deeper. We explore how bass have distinct "personalities" that create unique, diverse communities that differ not only lake to lake but sometimes cove to cove. Understanding these different social groups and how they influence feeding and location is the ultimate advantage while out on the water. Stop searching and start targeting the bass that live there.

It's time to connect our classroom-style lessons to real-world results. Joining us in Episode 14 is seasoned Major League Fishing pro, Brian Latimer, an angler known for his analytical approach and consistent performance. We'll be diving deep into how the core scientific theories we've explored throughout the series stack up against his years of professional experience. Brian has made a career out of dissecting fisheries and adapting swiftly to changing conditions. We plan to challenge his insights, asking him to validate or provide compelling counter-evidence to our discussions on largemouth bass vision, responses to moon cycles, the intricate dance of predator and prey, and much more. Get ready for a candid conversation with a top-tier angler who doesn't just catch fish, but truly understands their world.