Articles by Ralph Manns

Ever since the Lowrance "green box" hit the market, dedicated anglers have had one or two sonar units in their boats. One transducer...View article

When anglers talk tactics, one question often arises, whether the gathering is on a family vacation or around the tournament weigh-in stage. What size lure should I use? New anglers are puzzled by countless...View article

Biologists have studied the damage to several freshwater and marine fish species caused by a sudden decrease in water pressure termed “barotrauma.” Anglers who fish for deepwater gamefish have seen...View article

Many anglers and biologists assume black bass have a strong territorial instinct because territoriality is common in most large animals. Yet scientific literature contains few reports of territorial...View article

Can black bass displaced from their home ranges find their way home? How long does it take? Or do bass get lost? These are some of most persistent questions concerning the health and catchability of...View article

Waterdogs are a deadly livebait for bass, particularly trophy-size bass. Although no scientific evidence indicates that bass hate “dogs”or strike them out of anger or as a nest-protecting instinct,...View article

Recent studies of postrelease mortality of black bass released after summer tournaments in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma have shown that total mortality often exceeds 25 percent. Although bass clubs...View article

Sounds fish hear and the importance of hearing to fish have been matters of much conjecture and many misunderstandings. What we do know is that underwater, sound is transmitted almost five times faster...View article

One of the most persistent myths in fishing is that barometric pressure controls the activity of bass and other gamefish. Although many researchers have tried, scientific studies have been unable to...View article

Controversies concerning the way bass fisheries are controlled by natural resource agencies continue as this century moves toward a close. Three key issues demand the attention of bass anglers. Solutions...View article

She was swimming slowly along the bank, about three feet deep. Through the clear water of Lake Wohlford, we could see she was big, maybe eight pounds. If we’d landed her then, in 1950, she’d have...View article

Last year, Humminbird introduced a new type of sonar. Their high-end units now add Side-Imaging (SI) sonar standard color sonar imagery and GPS map navigation features. At roughly $2,000, the Humminbird...View article

Anglers have long believed that lunar phases affect fishing results, but there has been little catch data to test that assumption. Data presented by Lake Fork biologist Kevin Story at the Texas Chapter,...View article

Recently, Sport Fishing magazine published tests comparing the penetrating ability of 12/0 closed-gap and open-gap J-style hooks with cutting-edge (triangular points) and cone-shaped points....View article

From The Archives -- Anglers tend to favor green, clear, brown, or high-visibility lines for various fishing tasks. Still, we know of no valid scientific tests on the differences in catchability associated...View article