Can fish in the water hear people talking on the shore?

When looking for a fishing spot, we always recommend finding a quiet, remote location. When fishing, many anglers also move lightly and speak softly, fearing that they will scare the fish away. Loud noises do scare fish, but can fish hear the sound of a person talking normally while standing on the shore? Will fish run away when they hear the sound?

To know whether fish will be frightened by sound, we first need to know whether fish in the water can hear the voices of people on the shore. Fish also have ears, but their ears are structured very differently from humans. To be precise, fish have inner ears, but no middle ears or outer ears. The inner ears of fish are in the skull and can only be seen by opening the skull. The structure is different, but the functions are the same as those of humans: one is to receive sound, and the other is to maintain body balance.

So, theoretically, fish can hear sounds. However, the propagation of sound in water is different from that in air. Water, as a medium, has a higher density than air, and different water layers have different temperatures, so the propagation of sound in it is also different, and refraction will occur. In addition, when sound waves are transmitted from air to water, there will be a great loss, which means that the sound heard on the shore is very loud, but when it is transmitted to the water, the sound will be much smaller. Friends who can swim and dive should have this experience. When our heads are submerged in water and someone on the shore shouts to you, many times we can only see the other person's mouth opening and closing, but can't hear the sound.

Therefore, unless the sound on the shore is very loud, the fish in the water can hear it. The sound of our normal talking and walking is basically inaudible to the fish in the water. Does this mean that it is wrong to look for a quiet place when we are looking for a fishing spot?

This is not the case, because fish have an organ that land animals do not have, called the lateral line. There is one lateral line on each side of the fish, extending from the back of the head to the tail. The lateral line is groove-shaped or tubular, filled with mucus, and the mucus is soaked with abundant sensory nerves. The lateral line can react to low-frequency sounds. When sound waves enter the water, it will cause the water to vibrate, and these vibrations will be sensed by the lateral line of the fish, which means that they can sense very low sounds, even tiny sounds that humans cannot hear.

That is to say, the fish in the water can sense the sound of us talking and walking on the shore. However, the most important thing is whether the fish can associate these with danger and then escape. Just like when we hear a sound, if it is a familiar sound or a relatively mild sound, we don’t feel danger and won’t avoid it. If it is a harsh sound or the sound of a car horn, we know there is danger and will avoid it.

If fish live in waters with frequent noises, such as roads and railway tracks near the water, the fish will often sense these noises and they are not dangerous. After they adapt, when we fish on the shore, the noises of talking and walking are much quieter than those of cars. The fish will not take them seriously and will not run away. On the contrary, if the waters where the fish live are very remote and relatively quiet all year round, when we go to the shore to fish, the sound of talking may alert the fish and they will run away or stop eating.

Therefore, whether we choose a secluded place as a fishing spot and whether our activities on the shore will scare the fish depends on the water environment where the fish live. We should treat them differently and not treat them in a one-size-fits-all manner. Just like a couple, the husband always snores and the wife is used to it. Suddenly, the husband stops snoring and the wife can't sleep.

In addition, different fish have different perceptions of vibrations. For example, when we make a nest, we roll the nesting materials into a ball and throw it into the water. The sound is relatively loud, and it takes some time for fish to eat the bait. This situation is very obvious when fishing for bottom fish such as carp and crucian carp. This is because these bottom fish live at the bottom of the water for a long time, and the bottom of the water is much quieter than the surface of the water. Therefore, they are more sensitive to sound vibrations, and the sound of making a nest is enough to scare them. When we are fishing for ferocious fish such as black carp and redtail, we should increase the frequency of making nests and attract fish with sound. This is because these fish mainly prey on small fish and shrimps. The sound caused by the activities of these small fish and shrimps in the water will attract them. The vibration caused by our nesting will make these fish think that it is small fish and shrimps moving, and they will naturally attract them.

In summary, whether we should keep quiet when fishing and how to make nests should be determined according to the fishing environment and target fish species. Don't be afraid to speak for fear of scaring the fish away, or even dare not speak when communicating with the fishing friends around you, and can only communicate through text messages, which is a bit too much.

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