What BSX Means to the Sport of Fishing

Biosonix^® with BSX^® Sound Technology brings with it exciting opportunities for the sport of fishing. BSX^® helps us catch more fish and provides all fishermen a greater sense of confidence every time out on the water. It not only creates excitement under the water, BSX^® creates more excitement in the boat! When we know that we have a better chance of catching fish, then fishing becomes more exciting and therefore more attractive to younger fishermen and fishing kids coming up (who know nothing but technology for entertainment). Fishing with BSX^® competes with any technology vying for the time of our youth and can very well be their gateway to the great outdoors.

Another advantage of Biosonix^® is that it is among the most environment friendly technologies ever. BSX^® produces no air, water or noise pollution and will even help reduce bank erosion. Instead of firing up the motor and racing from hole to hole, BSX^® equipped fisherman will spend more time fishing, fishing more effectively, and less time burning up gas and time constantly searching for so-called “biting fish.”

Biosonix^® extensive testing has shown increased strike production of more than 400% over the course of several years of field test studies. Here’s why:

• Through a patented underwater speaker, Biosonix^® plays back sounds of distressed baitfish and live bait being attacked and eaten by predators.
  
• The predatory and competitive instincts of game fish are naturally triggered by the BSX^® sounds and vibrations.

For example, when predator fish hear and feel the sounds of other fish feeding, this stimulates their competitive nature to locate the activity and get their share of the meal. The BSX^® attractor/activator is easy to use right out of the box, but also provides more experienced users many programming options for maximizing their fishing success. No other fishing product offers the versatility of BSX^®, such as for experimenting with a nearly unlimited variety of natural sounds and playback techniques to find the most effective presentation.

Most fish have an inner ear that is similar in many ways to the human ear. It's responsible for sound detection. It has two chambers called the sacculus and the lagena. Each of these chambers contains a calcified ear stone called an otolith, which are some three times denser than the fish’s body. When struck by sound waves, these "ear stones" vibrate at a different frequency and amplitude from that of the rest of the body. Water is a superb conductor of sound waves which travel almost five times faster in water than in air. As you draw closer to a sound source, and the frequency of that sound gets lower, there is an actual outward movement of water that is generated along with the sound waves. This is like sitting close to a speaker and feeling a faint burst of air when a low bass note is struck.

Bass and other species of fish do not have an outer or middle ear, but they have an inner ear that is similar in many ways to the human inner ear. This organ has a system of connecting ducts and chambers divided into an upper portion (pars superior) and a lower portion (pars inferior). The upper portion consists of three fluid-filled semicircular canals and an adjoining chamber. As a fish moves, so does the fluid in these canals. This, in turn, provides the fish with its senses of equilibrium and gravity — its orientation in the water.

As a fish swims, a bow wave of water precedes it. Research suggests that when this bow wave bounces off an object, the fish's lateral line picks up this return and signals the distance to the object. This may be how fish avoid hitting the side of an aquarium in complete darkness.

From a fisherman's perspective, perhaps a fish's most important use of the lateral line is inspecting food before eating or rejecting it. Our research tells us fish examine prey with other senses, but a close-up check with the lateral line seems to be one of the final triggers to strike.

What is Sound Fishing? It's a combination of understanding the science of how sound and vibration relates to a fish's survival tactics and how to best utilize this science to build products that catch more fish.

Founded in 1997, Biosonix^® Systems, began its underwater sonic research and development based on known science and research indicating the importance of sound and vibration to the feeding and behavioral patterns of predatory fish and other species. Biosonix^® extensive research programs have resulted in the development of a programmable, electronic sonic fish attractor/activator. The unique system plays back digital recordings of naturally occurring sounds made by fish and other species. These “signature sounds” are proven to be effective for attracting game fish and stimulating more aggressive feeding behavior. Biosonix^® Systems has been awarded numerous patents for electronic sonic devices and unique recording techniques. (Pat. Nos. 51778 91, 5282178, 5883858)

The original research and development team includes William H. (Buddy) Lewis, founder and president of Biosonix^® Systems, Dr. Loren Hill, Director of Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma (Ret.), and Dr. Stephen P. Holt, noted fisheries author and researcher. Other noted researchers have contributed to the Biosonix^® research and development program.

Dr. Hill and Dr. Holt joined the Biosonix^® research program in 1998, providing critical expertise in specific areas of sonic research and related studies. This unique group of researchers and innovators were linked by their passion for fishing and a common understanding that sound and vibrations are major factors in the attraction of predator fish to prey.

Lewis’s interest in expanding bio-acoustic research was fueled by the long history of outstanding success of sound producing lures, particularly the Rat-L-Trap® (made by Bill Lewis Lures of which Lewis is acting president) which first incorporated an internal sound chamber. Lewis became convinced that existing fishing products had only touched upon the potential of using sound to produce more effective fishing products. Simultaneously, a growing amount of scientific research data showing the critical importance of sound in the behavioral habits of fish further convinced Lewis of the potential benefits to fishermen from this evolving area of sonic research and development.

During its initial years, Biosonix^® research focused primarily on the effects of sound and vibrations to the feeding habits of largemouth bass, bream, crappie, and other common species. Biosonix^® eventually combined its efforts with other sonic research studies, including those conducted by Dr. Loren Hill which involved many years of bio-acoustics research during his tenure as head of the Department of Biology at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Hill’s unprecedented research resulted in conclusive findings demonstrating the powerful effects of certain naturally occurring “signature” sounds upon the behavior and feeding habits of bass and other game fish.

Biosonix^® continued extensive laboratory and field research to confirm which specific sounds and sound patterns are most effective for attracting and stimulating fish to feed. Biosonix^® research confirmed earlier test results from Dr. Hill that under average conditions the most effective sounds for attracting and stimulating bass and other predator fish were the sounds of distressed baitfish being chased, attacked, and eaten by bass and other species.

Biosonix^® research has identified some unique sound playback techniques for optimal effectiveness for a variety of fish species under various specific fishing conditions. As research and test results continued to fall in line with theory and established for science, the company began development of its first production model prototype. Prototype testing was conducted over a period of more than three years in laboratory settings, numerous field locations, and under diverse fishing conditions.

The stage was now set for the introduction of a truly revolutionary new fishing technology…BSX^®.

If there is an answer to the question “When did Biosonix^® begin?” my answer would be…one day in the late 1960s, when my father and lure-maker Bill Lewis first loaded a small handful of BBs inside a shad-type lure. Among the many things he wondered about back then, he wondered if a lure with louder and more realistic sounds would attract fish and trigger a genetic predatory response. Well, actually he isn’t much for all the scientific stuff, he just wanted to know if it would catch a lot of fish.

By the following weekend, during a fishing trip to Toledo Bend on the Louisiana-Texas border, it had become clear that his new creation sure would catch a lot of fish. In fact, his new rattling plug caught more fish than folks had seen in a long time on that lake. Three decades later, his Rat-L-Trap® lure remains atop the fishing lure market, while spawning the development of literally hundreds of other sound-making lures of every kind, shape and size. Many experts now recognize the proliferation of sonic design as among the most important developments in fishing lures over the past 30 years.

Having witnessed (up close and personal) the consistent effectiveness of Rat-L-Traps® for catching many species of fresh and saltwater fish, I became convinced that we had only scratched the surface in harnessing the power of natural sound for developing more effective fishing tackle products. What if we could figure out what specific sounds were most effective? What if we could perfectly duplicate these natural sounds and reproduce them underwater? Would these natural “signature” sounds attract more fish into our casting range? Would these sounds make fish more aggressive, more competitive and more likely to strike our lures? These intriguing questions had to be answered and so began the Biosonix^® Research & Development project.

Working in conjunction with leading biologists and fisheries researchers, Biosonix^® devoted its initial five years in research to confirming specifically which natural sounds are most effective for attracting game fish and stimulating more aggressive feeding behavior. The future development of a new “sonic” electronic product would depend upon two critical questions being answered in the affirmative.

1. Does it work?
2. Is it good for the sport of fishing?

A negative conclusion to either of these essential criteria would render the project…”dead in the water.” Hundreds of tank and field tests later, these two critical questions were answered with an unmistakable yes. My own personal fishing experiences using Biosonix have produced some very dramatic results. Such as, during control tests where use of Biosonix^® produced 10 Bass caught, whilefishing without Biosonix^® produced zero fish (alternating
fishing periods of 15 minutes in stationary position, first with Biosonix^® OFF followed by fishing with Biosonix^® ON). Other times during very poor fishing conditions, it was clear to me, Biosonix^® made the difference between catching some fish and being “skunked.” (The latter being the common results by other fishermen on the same day and fishing the same area of water).

The effectiveness of Biosonix^® being confirmed time and time again, left the other essential question…is Biosonix^® good for fishing? As it turns out, the answer to this question came at the same time the question of effectiveness was answered. While fishing with Biosonix^® and consistently catching more fish, one thing became very clear…no doubt Biosonix^®—equipped fishermen will spend more time actually fishing and a lot less time moving around trying to locate so-called “biting” fish or searching for “greener fishing pastures” so to speak.

Biosonix^® is a major departure from such “effective” methods of fishing commonly practiced today. Biosonix^® allows fishermen to catch more fish without frequent relocation by attracting more fish into casting range and stimulating more aggressive feeding behavior. Biosonix^® is about fishing naturally, fishing more effectively, and less about finding the “catchable” fish. Just as important, Biosonix will give fishermen a new level of confidence in knowing they are now equipped
with a powerful new technology that appeals to the natural instincts of fish like no product has ever done before.

The development of Biosonix^® marks a true milestone in fishing technology and represents the emergence of a new era in the design of fishing tackle products. Biosonix^® is set to take us well beyond the diminishing returns of today’s fishing techniques into the world of “bio-positive” technologies and the near limitless advantages they will bring to both fishermen and our natural fishing environment.

More and more, regular fishing equipment and tackle will yield to advanced fishing technologies like Biosonix, ushering in a new era in sport fishing and one that might best be described as the age of “Bio-Tronics.” “With power comes responsibility.”

Fishermen are true stewards of the natural environment, without whom we face a less than encouraging future. However, if future generations are to enjoy the great outdoors as we have, then it becomes critical that we not just maintain, but grow the number of active participants in the sport of fishing. To do so, our industry must continue to develop innovative technologies that are both more effective and more environmentally friendly.

We must innovate if the sport of fishing is to compete with the ever-expanding “instant gratification” technologies vying for the time and disposable income of present and future generations. We must do so if the next generation is to become a generation of fishing men, women and kids. Biosonix is only one step, but one that represents an exciting opportunity to insure that our great sport of fishing will not only compete, but will continue to prevail as America’s favorite participation sport.

W.H. Buddy Lewis
President/Founder
Biosonix Systems
Sounds of a New Era in Sport Fishing