A few years ago one of my colleagues did a study where he dragged a tape recorder in a waterproof case in the trolling spread of a sportfisherman. He recorded the sounds of audible conversation and things like hatches slamming 100 feet behind the boat. Maybe the boat itself was the conduit but you think it would be more extreme on the flats than the bluewater.

Either way nothing to take too seriously. Like you said, it’s just fishing.

As for shit in your bag rattling loud enough to scare bones. Not unless it was like 10 or 12 Bahamian carnival bells… and you threw them at the bonefish. Sound above water (mostly) bounces off the surface and precious little from above penetrates, or vice-versa. The sound has to have a way to enter the water, like the way you voice vibrates through your bones (it’s true) and out into the surrounding flat. I’ve tested it (not extensively, I’ll hasten to add) w/ an underwater camera and a person standing on shore and talking (no sound) and standing in the water and talking (yup, you can hear em).

Anyways, my thoughts: eh, it’s just bonefish, man.