Fish Tales - "Shocking" Information About Electroreception and Bass

With so much opinion-based information in the bass fishing world, I am constantly searching for “fish tales” to investigate and research. I search for the facts and evidence, present the information to you, and then let you determine if it is a “fish tale” or the truth.  The potential “fish tale” is that of electroreception and bass.  California based Persuader Bait Company uses a device designed by Dick Pool of Pro-Troll called the EChip in its spinnerbait and jig designs.  The EChip gives off a small electrical charge that is designed to mimic the one emitted by aquatic prey.  All living creatures produce small amounts of electrical charge and scientific evidence shows that certain species of fish have the ability to detect such charges through specialized nerve systems.  This ability not only enables these species to locate prey, but also enables them to detect the Earth’s magnetic field allowing it to navigate through its environment. Dick Pool, the creator of the EChip, has designed several products which harness this naturally occurring electrical current in an attempt to help anglers catch more fish.  I wanted to know if largemouth bass have electroreceptor cells and if so, would the EChip in fact help anglers catch more bass.  In order to find the answer to these questions I scoured the Internet, consulted with Dr. Keith Jones of Pure Fishing and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department fisheries biologist Gabe Gries, and interviewed Dick Pool of Pro Troll.

Let’s begin with a quick overview of the physics of both water in relation to electricity. Water in its purest form is not conductive as it is the impurities in water which conduct electricity (minerals, salts, dust, gases, etc). “Most natural waters contain dissolved ions (atoms or molecules possessing a charge) derived from the water's interaction with soil, bedrock, atmosphere, and the biosphere.  As a result of these ions, water is able to conduct electricity much better than it otherwise can: for example, sea water—with its dissolved salts—can conduct electricity about 100 times more readily than distilled water.”

Next, let’s take a look at where the idea of the EChip came from, why it was designed and what it was designed to accomplish.  The EChips’ predecessor is the Black Box, a tool designed by Dick Pool to provide information regarding the voltage given off by one’s boat which also enables fisherman to tune that voltage.  The Black Box was designed for the fisherman who trolls, mooches, jigs and anchor fishes.  Dick says “As a boat sits in the water, very small electrical currents are generated as the minerals in the water react with the different metals on the boat.  If the boat is outfitted correctly, a very slight positive electrical charge will surround the hull.  Fish are attracted to this positive charge.  If the boat is set up wrong, an incorrect charge surrounds the hull and fish will be repelled.  Fishermen who learn how to take advantage of this will significantly improve their catch.”  After successfully producing the Black Box, Pool applied this technology to other species by designing a smaller version called the EChip.  Per Pro Troll “The EChip is a small tube that encases a ball and proprietary microchip crystal.  The rocking of the ball agitates the microchip and it gives off a tiny electrical pulse.  The EChip duplicates the electrical nerve discharge of a wounded baitfish.  This discharge is detected by predator fish and they will attack.  The EChip never needs charging or batteries and it doesn't wear out.” Pro-Troll claims “The EChip is scientifically and practically proven to attract more fish and bigger fish.”

After gathering some general information regarding the EChip, I then interviewed Dick Pool for more detailed information on how this technology may relate to catching more bass:

Lesieur: Has Pro Toll done any lab testing with the E-chip in a controlled environment or have all the tests been conducted via field studies?
Pool: It’s pretty impossible to do lab testing. We did one tank test 8-10 years ago when the EChip was under development. We took it to one of the shows and made arrangements to go in early with one of the bass pros and do some tests. He was throwing all kinds of lures into the tank and the bass were not paying any attention to it. Then we threw a lure with a dead EChip on it got no reaction. Finally we took a lure with a live EChip and a bass immediately hit it. That test alone spurred us along to continue further development of the EChip.
Lesieur: Do bass have electroreceptor cells?
Pool: All fish have electroreceptor cells; usually over their head, down their body, and their lateral line. Some fish have more receptor cells than others. But they all can sense electricity one way or another.  Sharks and Rays have the most sensitivity of all.

Next I interviewed Gabe Gries, Fisheries Biologist II and Warm Water Project Leader of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department:

Lesieur: Do bass have electroreceptors? And if so, do they use these receptors to hunt or find prey?
Gries: This is certainly not my area of expertise, but from what I could find from an Ichthyology book and on the Internet, electroreception is widespread among fishes, EXCEPT among Teleosts* (which black bass are) and it is likely present in a small minority of the Teleost taxa.
*I was able to locate a study by Shaun Collin and Darryl Whitehead providing a schematic distribution of electroreception in groups of living fish. The only fish in the Telostei family that have the ability for electroreception are Mormyridae (freshwater elephant fish), Gymnarchidae (African Knifefish), Xenomystinae (Featherback fish), Gymnotiformes (South American Knifefish), and Siluriformes (Catfish).  No mention or listing for Micropterus Salmoides a.k.a bass.

Finally I interviewed Dr. Keith Jones VP of Product Development Consumables at Pure Fishing and author of “Knowing Bass. The Scientific Approach to Catching More Fish”:

Lesieur: Have you heard of electroreception and the EChip?
Jones: Yes, I am aware of the EChip.  As I understand the story, it was originally developed for the recreational/commercial salmon fishery. I guess its creators decided they wanted to expand to a broader market.
Lesieur: Do bass have electroreceptors? And if so, do they use these receptors to hunt or locate prey?
Jones: No, bass do not have electroreceptors of any kind. The bass lateral line system, both along the side and spread across the head, is equipped to detect minute water disturbances (acoustic vibrations), not electrical fields.  So, no, bass cannot hunt down their prey using the prey’s electrical impulses.
Lesieur: Do the prey that bass target give off these electrical impulses?
Jones: Yes. All animals, by virtue of their neuromuscular systems, constantly put off micro-pulses of electricity.
Lesieur: Is there any benefit to this technology in the world of bass fishing?
Jones: Sorry, but none that I can think of.

After the interviews I searched the internet in attempt to locate any research regarding electroreception in bass and could find none.  If someone wanted to definitively determine that bass do or don’t have the ability to detect electrical impulses, it would not be a very difficult experiment to conduct as Dutch biophysicist A.J. Kalmijn has already laid out the ground work during a relevant study with sharks and rays; both of whom were believed to have the ability of electroreception via receptor nerves called ampullea of Lorenzini.  The receptors on sharks are small vesicles and pores located on its head which are visible to the naked eye and detect magnetic fields or electrical charge.

Here is a brief overview of the experiment:

Kalmijn tested sharks and rays (prey) in a large tank with enough sand on the bottom for the rays to burry and hide in. With the live rays in the tank the sharks had no problem finding and attacking the rays buried in the sand.  Kalmijn then cut up small pieces of prey and hid them randomly under the sand.  He found that the sharks could smell the bait but could not accurately locate the food hidden under the sand.  He then hid small electrodes (which gave off the same amount of current as the rays) under the sand in which the sharks located and attacked as if it were actual prey.  The point of this example is to show that the research regarding electroreception has already been completed and perhaps someone could duplicate this study and just change the players- bass and crawfish, bass and shad, bass and electrode?

Well, there are all the facts and now it’s up to you to decide if this is a ‘Fish Tale’ or truth.  I hope that by continuing this series, I can provide my fans some valuable insight into the mysteries of the bass world.  At a minimum, I hope that the next time someone makes a statement about bass fishing you will think to yourself..hmm?... “Where is the evidence?”  Until next time stay focused, fish hard and I’ll see you out on the water.

References
1. Unknown author. Unknown date. Canadian Shark Research Laboratory. Retrieved on 10/22/2012 from http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/shark/english/ampul.htm
2. A.J. Kalmijn. 3/18/1971. The Journal of Experimental Biology. “The Electric Sense of Sharks and Rays” Retrieved on 10/22/2012 from http://jeb.biologists.org/content/55/2/371.short
3. Unknown author. Unknown date. Pro-Troll. “Black Box Techniques” Retrieved on 10/22/2012 from http://www.protroll.com/books/?id=5
4. Unknown author. Unknown date. Pro-Troll. “The EChip Bait Technology” Retrieved on 10/22/2012 from http://www.protroll.com/products/echip/
5. Unknown author. Unknown date. Water Encyclopedia-Science and Issues. “Fresh Water, Physics and Chemistry of” Retrieved on 10/24/2012 http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/En-Ge/Fresh-Water-Physics-and-Chemistry-of.html
6. Shaun P. Collin and Darryl Whitehead. 2004. Animal Biology. “The Functional Roles of Passive Electroreception in Non-Electric Fishes” Retrieved on 10/24/2012 from http://www.marine.uq.edu.au/publications/dwhitehead/Collin_whitehead.pdf