Theory: controversy in lure color choice (long)

[Bassmaster2008]

First of all, bass can see color by the sole fact that they have rhodopsin in their eyes. Rhodopsin is a chemical that both bass and humans have in their eyes and allows the eye to see color instead of shades of black/gray/white.

Cones- Main structure of eye to see color (contains rhodopsin)
Rods- Main structure of eye to see shades of gray (Bass have much more of these and use them more than humans)


One theory is that bass use more of the rods as light dims and associate to shades of gray more than color. This would mean they relate to shades more in low light situations and in murkier water. For more details on this theory
read Mike D's answer http://westernbass.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38131&f=2 and for even more his cited article.

The second theory comes from Bass Wisdom by Homer Circle. I saw this book in the forum and am reading what this very smart man has to say (many of his conlcusions come scientifically as well as by trial and error)

In chapter 14. What colors make bass bite? He states a few things about the bass's eye.

5x more effective at gathering light than humans.
Scientifically yellow and red were the preferred colors of bass
Hard lure color and translucent lure color differ at a distance

Most importantly he concludes, "To generalize, in hard lures the reds, yellows, and contrasty shades are best most of the time in all water conditions. With plastic worms or other soft, translucent lures, stay with the blues and pruples in clear water, but try brighter colors in low-visibility conditions."


So the controversy is about what to use on what given light and water clarity? Theory one says more light penetration and clarity use colors, while theory two says lighter conditions and clarity requires blue/purple colors in the ultraviolet range.

Additionally theory one says use dark colors in low light, while theory two says use bright colors in low light


Both arguments seem solid. Anything I'm missing? Any experience or further information on this?

[Anonymous]

One could also put into the equation how light refracts at different water depths, changing they way color is viewed in deeper waters. Color on any lure is definitely different to a bass in water than how we see it holding it in our hand.
Great article Bassmaster2008. Get's you to thinking a little differently that's for sure.
In the short period called my life that I have fished, I have found that color is not the most important thing to catching any fish. While valuable, color is down the list in the selection of a lure. Size, water displacement, noise and profile I would put higher up on the list. Besides, if your in the area where fish are feeding you don't really need the pefect lure to catch them. They'll hit just about anything if your fishing it properly.
And I have put the color thing to the test once fishing the dropshot with Roboworms. I continued to catch fish no matter what the color of the particular Roboworm. The fact that I was in the area of feeding bass, fishing at the proper depth and technique for catching them, mattered more than any color on the lure.

I will say that I have never really liked the bright colors, I stick to dark or natural. It just makes more sense to me. Match exactly what they eat.



fishnislife

[fishaholictaz]

In my findings it is smell that is the the deal maker than color.But as you said color changes with depth and water clarity. Dark in dark water bright in clear.

[HillbillyGeek]

White is a good all-around color for swimming lures (spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, etc.) regarless of water clarity. Darker colors like black and brown are better when there's not much light. Most bass anglers would agree that black is always the best color for night fishing because it makes the best silhouette.

Some colors consistently work better in certain bodies of water than others. Not sure why. Maybe it depends on what food is available. For example, I'm from southern Missouri and used to fish on Table Rock lake a LOT when I was young. I have tried the entire spectrum of colors, but a combination of brown and purple always seemed to catch more fish in that lake.

Here in WA, I've had better luck with the green spectrum -- from chatreuse all the way to dark olive.

The best colors for powerbait and eggs also seems to vary by the body of water. At Blackman's, chartreuse and orange are the best colors. At Lake Stevens, yellow is definitely the best. At Cassidy, pink works very well. I have never caught anything with white powerbait or eggs and don't know anyone who has. I have no idea why...

[Coastfishin]

I catch a lot of trout on white power eggs. Both planters and triploids.
I mainly fish the lakes in Grays Harbor. Maybe it's different colors for different areas.
I seem to get more bites and bigger fish if I use two power eggs. White on top and chartruese on the tip

[kuttkilla]

For trolling in lakes: sunny clear days go with silver and bright lures, on cloudy days go with chrome and gold lures with brass as well. As people have already said, with bright days, bright lures, on dark days use gold/darker lures. Good luck!!

[Anglinarcher]

You have asked a very very hard question. I am familiar with both of those sources that you used, and more, but each seem to lack certain information.

For some time, the "Color Selector" has been available. I believe it was first developed, using experimental results, for bass. I owned one for some years, and I found that it did seem to help some for walleye, and once in a while for bass, but color does not usually seem to be the biggest thing when it comes to triggering fish.

Still, there are times, when color is the key thing. I was fishing Rufus Woods not too long ago when I was getting a lot of follows, or light hits, on spinners. I changed speed, size, retrieve speeds, etc., all without improvement. I was not willing to use scent or bait, so I tried changing color. I found the "right color" and landed a dozen nice (3 to 5 lb) trips in the next hour, and lost as many or more on the jump. I have had similar results at rock lake for the browns and bows.

I have seen bass in our local waters that would not give you a first look, let alone a second look, if the color was not right. I know of one lake last year where this was so true that I ended up buying out every single sinko of that color in this part of the state.

So, let's assume that color can, at least at times, make all of the difference in the world. I offer no scientific proof, just my experience (extensive to be honest with you - just ask my wife who says I'd rather go fishing than have ...........never mind).

Color should be broken into three categories - Standard, Fluorescent, and Holographic.

Standard colors change fast due to depth and light conditions. If you are using standard colors, it is not too uncommon to find you are changing colors often. You know the days, 30 minutes ago I was catching fish on every cast, no it is like they turned of the switch - In a way, they probably did. I find that in muddy water, dark colors are best. Use the Blacks, Browns, even Purples. I find that if I am going to use a color other than dark, the color of the mud makes a difference. Day in and day out, a yellow seems to work best in muddy water for me, if the Dark colors don't work. Note that purple should not work given a lot of theories, but I think the purple color goes mostly black in muddy water. For some reason, if the colors above do not work, I will toss a white; it works seldom, but when it does work, it works well. Because white is a combination of all colors, I think that it takes on the color left when everything else is filtered out by the mud.

For stained water, the best standard colors seem to be the Yellow through green range. These colors just work, but I find that standard colors in stained water are not all that productive.

For clear water, I like just about everything but yellow. I know, some of you will not agree, but that is what I find. The use of white, purple, green, reds, browns, they all seem to have there place. If I am fishing clear water, I tend to go for a "match the hatch" concept. This does not always work, but it seems to have the best odds of working.

First clarification, clear water that is 10 feet deep is different than clear water that is 80 feet deep. As you go deeper, colors are filtered out by the water. Consider deep clear water as muddy water, and mid depth clear water as stained water.

Second clarification, consider night time to be like muddy water, and consider dusk to be more like stained water.

Fluorescent colors, popular, and for a reason. Fluorescent colors do not completely rely on natural light colors to make them that color. Fluorescent colors take the "photons" of any light and absorb them, re-emitting them in there own color wavelength. With these colors, don't be afraid to use them any time, but they are not all that great at night.

I like the orange and red hues for muddy or stained water. I like the yellow/green (chartreuse) for the stained to clear water. Of course, the fluorescent greens are best, in my opinion, for clear water.

Now, for holographic colors. These colors suffer the most from sun changes. If you fish them too deep, the effect is quickly lost. If you are fishing a sunny day, and clouds roll in, the effect is lost. Still, due to the enhanced flash and the changing colors you get off of them, they hold a special spot in my tackle boxes.

My favorite rule is to have mixed holographic colors with standard colors. For example, a holographic rainbow pattern. You already have the reds, blues, greens, and the holographic effect. The fish see just about whatever color the sun is permitting on that day. On darker days, I use the black and/or blue combinations. On brighter days, I lean more to the green and silver combinations. Nevertheless, I will not give up on a day if I am convinced there are fish in the area, at least not until I have thrown the entire collection of holographic colors.

You thought that this was long, well, it is. But..........................

Let's consider my trout and flatfish experience.

On dark days, overcast or late and early in the day, I like the black with orange spots. If they made a straight black, that is the one I would use. This pattern holds true for muddy, stained, or clear water.

On bright or sunny days, clear water, I use a gold metallic, silver metallic, a matt silver with black spots, or go natural like with a perch or frog pattern.

For all of the other days, I just try everything else in my box. In the fall, I do better on fluorescent orange with black spots, but in the spring, I do better with a yellow with red and black spots.

So, what have we concluded, NOTHING. Who is it at Washingtonlakes that has in their signature, "in the end, it's really up to the fish".:colors:

[kevinb]

I think that would be Marc

[Bassmaster2008]

annnnnnnnnnnnnd thats what I hate about fishing. NEVER a clean cut answer. I'm sure in my older days I may grow to love that aspect but for now its a real pain in the ass. Thanks for the input and detail everybody especially Anglin Archer seems like you know your stuff. I'll definately try your stuff as a color guide next time I'm out.

I couldn't help but think during your post though about why bass turn down certain colors. Fishnislife I saw you tried those roboworms in all colors, I think that was a situation where all colors worked, but I believe also there are situations where selective colors worked. Circle brought up multiple stubborn times as examples where his fishin partner would be killing on a certain color and he would try alllll the others with no action until he went to the selected color of the day. Why would a bass turn down a certain color? Trout also? Why do they want orange powerbait? That doesnt even look natural anyways, right? As fish try to conserve energy and survive why don't they just eat the easiest and most realistic meal regardless of color?

Say for example Red was the color of the day and I switched to green pumpkinseed which is a completely natural bait and the bass turned it down for an unnatural looking red?

[Gisteppo]

So lets crawl into the weedpatch, shall we?

Im Larry the Largemouth. Im chilling in a nice lillypad area, very little current, its been warm for a while, and I have already spawned. I decided to hang out in this spot because there is some shallower water (down to 3') and some deeper water (up to 50') nearby. The reason I like this spot is because there is a great deal of food and protection here. Lots of weeds to hide out in, and some deep, dark water to cruise down to and lay on the bottom when things get hectic.

I think im a little hungry, so I poke my head out today. I see two crawdad and 5 perch just hanging about, right next to my place. I think, hey, that perch looks nice and soft, so I cruise along in the pads and BANG! Breakfast. While I am trapsing back to the pad, one of the crawdad are laying there by the welcome mat. Im not a big fan of critters near my place, so I strike at him. Ill be damned if he doesnt get a claw into my nose, hurts like hell, so I spit him, but bump him a couple times to get him on his way. That sucked.

Moral of the story:

Some days the perch print crankbait looks much better than the crawdad plastic on the bottom.

Remember that the fish isnt programmed like a VCR. They are living, swimming beings that have a morning, noon and night, they have struggles, needs, good days and bad ones. What they want is formed not by some precise algorhythm of colors indexed to water temperature and cloudcover, but what is available naturally, and what has shaped them through their lives.

Being tough to catch keeps us going back out, day after day.

E

[A9]

Confidence is key.

I know there are rules on what the best colors are to fish when water conditions and weather are a certain way, but sometimes doing it differently will catch fish. Whatever you choose to tie onto your line, make sure your confident in it. Nothings worse then spending an hour or two throwing something you doubted when you tied on and ended up not catching anything. I'd rather be throwing my go to lure and come up empty, knowing I was using what traditionally works...

[HillbillyGeek]

Confidence is key.

I know there are rules on what the best colors are to fish when water conditions and weather are a certain way, but sometimes doing it differently will catch fish. Whatever you choose to tie onto your line, make sure your confident in it. Nothings worse then spending an hour or two throwing something you doubted when you tied on and ended up not catching anything. I'd rather be throwing my go to lure and come up empty, knowing I was using what traditionally works...

I've heard a lot of anglers talk about confidence, but it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let me explain...

Let's say I am most confident when using the color green because I have caught more fish with it than any other color. However, since it is my favorite color I use it more than other colors. It makes sense that I would catch more fish with green since my green lures spend more time in the water than other colors.

The only way to confirm that green is in fact the best color would be to try other colors for an equal amount of time, on the same day, and while fishing at identical locations.

That's why I love fishing](*,)

[A9]

Confidence is key.

I know there are rules on what the best colors are to fish when water conditions and weather are a certain way, but sometimes doing it differently will catch fish. Whatever you choose to tie onto your line, make sure your confident in it. Nothings worse then spending an hour or two throwing something you doubted when you tied on and ended up not catching anything. I'd rather be throwing my go to lure and come up empty, knowing I was using what traditionally works...

I've heard a lot of anglers talk about confidence, but it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let me explain...

Let's say I am most confident when using the color green because I have caught more fish with it than any other color. However, since it is my favorite color I use it more than other colors. It makes sense that I would catch more fish with green since my green lures spend more time in the water than other colors.

The only way to confirm that green is in fact the best color would be to try other colors for an equal amount of time, on the same day, and while fishing at identical locations.

That's why I love fishing](*,)

I spend a lot of time on the water testing out new lures, colors, techniques, etc. Many of my favorite setups/rigs have been tested against many other different setups/rigs so it's not like I'm unwrapping a new lure, tying it on, and immediately use it as my go to setup after I have a good (or a few) different days. Many lakes fish differently and different lures/colors just don't seem to work at some bodies of water like they do others.

I would say that your theory Hillbilly, is probably more true in beginner anglers, who after having immediate success with a particular setup continue to use it over and over again and get stuck in a rut and use it too often..

[fishaholictaz]

That is funny because when I was a kid I always tried whatever was the "big thing" now I have a medium box that I can go about anywhere with and be confident.I have fished all over the country and the basics still work.I learned so much from my grandfather who lived in Kentucky and he taught me fish behavior and you play off that and you are set. I find people will fish a specific structure pattern or location when the fish are off feeding somewhere else.Example bait fisherman plunking power bait when fish are suspended at 4 feet of water.Know their habits and catching them is a lot easier no matter color.

[HillbillyGeek]

When it comes to experimentation, there are two theories:

1) The best time to experiment with different lures is when you are catching fish. If you experiment when you are not catching fish, it is likely that the new lure will not be effective -- even though it is perfectly capable of catching fish under different conditions. Heck, there might not even be any fish in that spot! If you ain't fishing where the fish are, it's not a good time to test new gear.

2) If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Why change anything while you're catching fish?

[T Dot]

I've heard a lot of anglers talk about confidence, but it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let me explain...

Let's say I am most confident when using the color green because I have caught more fish with it than any other color. However, since it is my favorite color I use it more than other colors. It makes sense that I would catch more fish with green since my green lures spend more time in the water than other colors.

The only way to confirm that green is in fact the best color would be to try other colors for an equal amount of time, on the same day, and while fishing at identical locations.

That's why I love fishing](*,)

when i use to throw plastics green was my favorite color as well. i use to throw it side by side with my fishing buddies. we had the same gear, and targeted the same areas.

:king:

there were days i felt confident, thus in turn boated more fish. there were days i lacked it, which resulted in a poor day.

i have noticed when i am confident, all the little things become easy. when it comes to fishing, the little things add up quickly. you are able to hit that hole in one shot, you are able to make multiple casts to a certain location without repositioning the boat.

there are still days where i lack the confidence, and have noticed i a lack of fish or very little fish, mainly due to the fact of lure control. just recently i was throwing a new lure, and had zero confidence with the bait and combine that with the lack of confidence in boat location.

confidence is contagious - i have learned this through experience. after hours of going fishless, there is always the one person who breaks the ice. the ice breaker has always been a point of ... hmm angler cocky-ness for us. mainly due to the fact they were the ones who were able to key in on the pattern of the day. usually after the first fish, everything snow balls. the person who catches the first, esentially breaks the ice for everyone in the party. they are the ones usually encouraging others to keep up the persistance.

:king:

without a doubt confidence is something i always carry in my back pocket.

[bpm2000]

2) If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Why change anything while you're catching fish?

only as your priorities change. like upping the quality/size of your catch vs quantity.

[Gone Fishin]

So lets crawl into the weedpatch, shall we?

Im Larry the Largemouth. Im chilling in a nice lillypad area, very little current, its been warm for a while, and I have already spawned. I decided to hang out in this spot because there is some shallower water (down to 3') and some deeper water (up to 50') nearby. The reason I like this spot is because there is a great deal of food and protection here. Lots of weeds to hide out in, and some deep, dark water to cruise down to and lay on the bottom when things get hectic.

I think im a little hungry, so I poke my head out today. I see two crawdad and 5 perch just hanging about, right next to my place. I think, hey, that perch looks nice and soft, so I cruise along in the pads and BANG! Breakfast. While I am trapsing back to the pad, one of the crawdad are laying there by the welcome mat. Im not a big fan of critters near my place, so I strike at him. Ill be damned if he doesnt get a claw into my nose, hurts like hell, so I spit him, but bump him a couple times to get him on his way. That sucked.

Moral of the story:

Some days the perch print crankbait looks much better than the crawdad plastic on the bottom.

Remember that the fish isnt programmed like a VCR. They are living, swimming beings that have a morning, noon and night, they have struggles, needs, good days and bad ones. What they want is formed not by some precise algorhythm of colors indexed to water temperature and cloudcover, but what is available naturally, and what has shaped them through their lives.

Being tough to catch keeps us going back out, day after day.

E

I like the way of thinking! Really, do we as people feel like eating the same thing everyday? Do we always do the same things and feel the same way? They aren't much different.

Going back the the color being seen by the bass. Did anyone see the article in In-Fisherman (March) about the "Red Tackle Revolution"? I found it kind of interesting. It showed that (simulated of course, they cant really see through a bass' eye, but wouldn't that be cool?) red was more visible in different water conditions but in their test subjects it was the color struck the least.

[lskiles]

Hey I just read an interesting article on color by a pro fisherman. The whole color thing is kind of confusing to me, but this helped me be a little more confident about it.

http://www.fishingclub.com/Projects/Pro ... ?id=135970

[Anglinarcher]

So lets crawl into the weedpatch, shall we?

Im Larry the Largemouth. Im chilling in a nice lillypad area, very little current, its been warm for a while, and I have already spawned. I decided to hang out in this spot because there is some shallower water (down to 3') and some deeper water (up to 50') nearby. The reason I like this spot is because there is a great deal of food and protection here. Lots of weeds to hide out in, and some deep, dark water to cruise down to and lay on the bottom when things get hectic.

I think im a little hungry, so I poke my head out today. I see two crawdad and 5 perch just hanging about, right next to my place. I think, hey, that perch looks nice and soft, so I cruise along in the pads and BANG! Breakfast. While I am trapsing back to the pad, one of the crawdad are laying there by the welcome mat. Im not a big fan of critters near my place, so I strike at him. Ill be damned if he doesnt get a claw into my nose, hurts like hell, so I spit him, but bump him a couple times to get him on his way. That sucked.

Moral of the story:

Some days the perch print crankbait looks much better than the crawdad plastic on the bottom.

Remember that the fish isnt programmed like a VCR. They are living, swimming beings that have a morning, noon and night, they have struggles, needs, good days and bad ones. What they want is formed not by some precise algorhythm of colors indexed to water temperature and cloudcover, but what is available naturally, and what has shaped them through their lives.

Being tough to catch keeps us going back out, day after day.

E

I like the way of thinking! Really, do we as people feel like eating the same thing everyday? Do we always do the same things and feel the same way? They aren't much different.

Going back the the color being seen by the bass. Did anyone see the article in In-Fisherman (March) about the "Red Tackle Revolution"? I found it kind of interesting. It showed that (simulated of course, they cant really see through a bass' eye, but wouldn't that be cool?) red was more visible in different water conditions but in their test subjects it was the color struck the least.

I'll be honest with you, I have not read the article. To me, after In Fisherman owners, the Linder Brothers, sold out to that group in California, they just are not the same trustworthy source anymore.

Still, is it not interesting that when I was a kid, red was the color of almost every third lure. People stopped buying them because they did not work as well. Than, sources like Bass Masters and In Fisherman claimed that the color red was lost in the top 10 feet of water, or less, so that was why Cajun red line was so good.

Now, red hooks or bust.

Fads my friends, fads. I still remember fruit scents being sold for Bass, Red tubing placed on the back of spinner and spoons over the hooks, and now we have coffee flavored soft baits.

If only I could come up with a Fad to start, and make money off it.