Ahhhh, the old argurment does color matter?

[Fishing Rhino]

Well here you go. If it matters, there's sure to be a color in these things the fish want. If it doesn't then these should work as well as anything.

Got my Barlow's catalog this week, and these were in it. Couldn't find them in the online catalog to post, so searched and found it, and wouldn't you know, it's from Barlows.

http://www.barlowstackle.com/spike-a-delic.html

[Paul Roberts]

It sure matters to fisherman LOL.

It does matter to fish. But where that line is drawn is a slippery slope. I'm a curmugeonly skeptic here -except when the bait monkey is whispering in my ear it seems.

[Blue Streak]

Now I can go fish a junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon red, camo worm and I won't need 4 outfits.

[Paul Roberts]

Now I can go fish a junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon red, camo worm and I won't need 4 outfits.

;D ;D

[b.Lee]

Those are some crazy colors I must say

[bassin is addicting]

wow!!  psychedelic....

Jimi Hendrix where are you??   

[tholmes]

Heh...these remind me of the multi-colored guitar picks I see from time to time. Always called 'em "clown barf"

Tom

[Blue Streak]

Someone will catch a big un on one and we will all be buying them. 

[K_Mac]

Now I can go fish a junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon red, camo worm and I won't need 4 outfits.

I like the way you think. I could save carrying about 15# of plastics using this idea.

[Simp]

Heh...these remind me of the multi-colored guitar picks I see from time to time. Always called 'em "clown barf"

Tom

Actually that color would imitate a bluegill really well for me.

[bassfisherjk]

Wow!

[Raul]

Color matters only when it matters, been fsihing for bass for almost 3 decades, sometimes if you don 't have that particular color they want .....  , fortunately in my experience those times have been so few that I don 't worry much, add that to the fact that I carry gazillion colors then I have to worry a lot less. 

[Big-O]

Does color matter......IMO, absolutely YES, especially when tuning the bite.

Very often when you are catching fish on a given color, there is a good possibility that you can tune the color to catch even more. And same goes with lure action, types, retrieval speeds etc.

This is being proven more often today than ever before. As tournaments become more and more popular and fishing with partners more often than not, all who are experienced in this environment know that we as partners feed off of the others success and visa-versa. The tweaking of successful lure presentations (which includes colors) is ongoing until the weigh-in.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[Blue Streak]

Very well said Big O I agree with all of that. Some days it may not be as important as others but it should always be considered.

[jaymc]

In physics there is truth.

Color matters, mostly on or near the surface.  As depth increases all colors fade to a sort of dull gray. 

The variable is, do the bass want something bright or dull.  Bright will be noticed from further off but can cause refusals when bass are not in an agressuive mood. 

Reds and oranges are brightest early and late when the sun is low.  Red also excites almost all predators.  Green and yellow are brightest midday. Chartreuse is your brightest midday color.  Green is exceptionally bright along a bank reflecting the green from the foliage.  Black and white offer the greatest contrast.   

Metal reflects its own color which is unnatural but very noticable to fish.  Less agressive fish are turned off by metallic flash although the deeper you go the less alarmed the fish seem to be.

So my approach when fish shallow is to use a bright lure for the time of day first.  Then I go to a contrasty lure, black and/or white and finally dull. 

[Fishing Rhino]

Does color matter......IMO, absolutely YES, especially when tuning the bite.

Very often when you are catching fish on a given color, there is a good possibility that you can tune the color to catch even more. And same goes with lure action, types, retrieval speeds etc.

This is being proven more often today than ever before. As tournaments become more and more popular and fishing with partners more often than not, all who are experienced in this environment know that we as partners feed off of the others success and visa-versa. The tweaking of successful lure presentations (which includes colors) is ongoing until the weigh-in.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

My, notice I said my, not necessarily the fishes' favorite colors are, in no particular order, watermelon with red black flake, chartreuse, coppertreuse, watermelon pepper/ chartreuse laminate.

I have not done well with june bug except for the space monkey.  I recall that well.  The lily pads were sparse and only a handful had reached the surface.  Water depth five feet.

In one small patch of pads, I pulled a half dozen nice size, all over three pounds, on about a dozen casts using the space monkey, june bug color, on an owner keel weighted hook.

Cast it into the pads, count to ten, and start the retrieve.  Half the bass were on when I took up the slack.

When the fish lost interest in the space monkey a few days later, I went to the Rage Tail craw.  Using the same technique, and hook, I caught them on several different colors, including watermelon red, and a couple of the craw, maybe bama and Texas craws, but not with the june bug color they had aggressively hit only days before.

Years ago, fifty or so, black worms were hot numbers.  Haven't done much with black the past couple of years, save for black and blue jigs.  Then again, I haven't fished them much.  That might be part of it.

[RoLo]

Color matters only when it matters, been fsihing for bass for almost 3 decades, sometimes if you don 't have that particular color they want ..... , fortunately in my experience those times have been so few that I don 't worry much, add that to the fact that I carry gazillion colors then I have to worry a lot less.

I'll drink to that.

Even on those rare occasions when color SEEMS to matter, I've never had proof

that some other color may have been even more successful during that same bite.

In order for a bass to strike a lure, the lure must be visible within the bass's window of response.

In view of that fact alone, color certainly does matter,

but only inasmuch as it may enhance or hinder lure visibility.

Roger

[D4u2s0t]

from my experience, color selection matters only to a fisherman.  I have proven that time, and time again.  Until I personally see proof otherwise, that's my statement and i'm sticking to it.  If color mattered, how is it that 5 people can fish completely different colors, and all come out with fish?  And 5 people can all have the same color, same bait, and 1 can regularly outfish the others??

IMO, and from my experience, bait selection and technique far outweighs the importance of color.  I am a big fan of testing the limits, breaking the rules, and deciding for myself.  I say it all the time, but i've caught some of my best fish with baits that "shouldn't" work, using colors that "are not right" in places that "don't hold fish".  Why?  Maybe because everyone else follows the "rules", and the fish are happy to see something different that they're not used to seeing.  Food for thought.

[kikstand454]

i think we can all agree that color matters more and more the clearer the water. in dark stained water...its more about profile than it is mimicry.

[Triton21]

Any color is fine as long as it is GREEN.

Kelley

[jaymc]

Color matters only when it matters, been fsihing for bass for almost 3 decades, sometimes if you don 't have that particular color they want ..... , fortunately in my experience those times have been so few that I don 't worry much, add that to the fact that I carry gazillion colors then I have to worry a lot less.

I'll drink to that.

Even on those rare occasions when color SEEMS to matter, I've never had proof

that some other color may have been even more successful during that same bite.

In order for a bass to strike a lure, the lure must be visible within the bass's window of response.

In view of that fact alone, color certainly does matter,

but only inasmuch as it may enhance or hinder lure visibility.

Roger

There is unquestionably more than color when it comes to getting a bass to strike.  But I've seen color matter too many times to dismiss it.  I also think certain colors at certain times can turn a fish off.  Of coouse below a certain depth it doesn''t matter. 

But if I'm not getting bit at all I'd be more concerned about my location or presentation than color.

[BassShephard]

I think it matters, at very least Bright and dark colors do.  I'd say my favourite colors for bait is Green/brown, shad, black/sliver, red/white.

[A-Rob]

Maybe I am just throwing junebug soft plastics where the fish are, but that color "works"!

[SirSnookalot]

Conventional wisdom has always said light lures for light bottom or daytime fishing and dark lures for dark bottom or night fishing.  I have had a bit more success using very light (pearl) 24 hours a day. both fresh and saltwater, all the other colors in between IMO is just to get you to spend more $$.

Many times when bass fishing I change lures after each fish, when they are on they hit anything, including my mothers old garter belt.

[Fishing Rhino]

Conventional wisdom has always said light lures for light bottom or daytime fishing and dark lures for dark bottom or night fishing. I have had a bit more success using very light (pearl) 24 hours a day. both fresh and saltwater, all the other colors in between IMO is just to get you to spend more $$.

Many times when bass fishing I change lures after each fish, when they are on they hit anything, including my mothers old garter belt.

Got any extra garter belts?  I'd like to try 'em. 

Do you rig 'em on a worm hook, jig head, shaky head, etc.?

I suspect a circle hook might work best since the stretch of a garter belt would not allow for an eye crossing hook set.