How Much Does Color Matter With Top Water?

[tbone1993]

If you throw a frog above a mat or scum the fish will only see the outline so how much does color affect top water lures? It is a random though I was having. If I throw a stick bait like a zara spook I feel like the fish is more interested in the action on the surface and sound rather than the color. The same applies with the actions of a pop-r or similar popping bait or even a buzz bait. I just dont see color as being as much as a key as it is with finesse fishing. What are your thought on top water colors?

[WRB]

Water clarity, cover density and light intensity; dark, low light or bright light all factor in as bass are sight feeders. If the cover is heavy, then the bass may target only movement, then darker colors are good, low light or darkness, dark colors that create a silhouette are good. Clear water with little cover, then transparent or colors that look like the bait tend to be good and adding feathered rear hooks can help trigger strikes.

Tom

[tbone1993]

Honestly I have thrown a black frog on heavy cover and thin cover and have gotten hits on both. I have thrown a black frog on clear and cloud days. I honestly have not seen a difference yet.

[LgMouthGambler]

Black, bone, clear, whatever, they are going to hit it. I personally throw the Zara Spook in that silver/transparent. I have rattle, and one knockers, both great.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

I know a guy that only uses black frogs regardless of light/clarity. He does just fine. That being said though, Im with WRB. If theres heavy cover or low light, the bass are probably just looking for silhouette/action. But if the waters fairly clear, Im gonna go with natural frog colors.

[Bluebasser86]

Doesn't seem to matter much in my experience. Most of the time I'm fishing a topwater is during low light conditions when fish probably can't see much more than the profile of the bait. I have mainly white or shad colors and dark colors in all my topwaters. The only exception is some translucent baits for very clear water.

[11justin22]

Normally in my experience it doesn't matter that much but I was in a tournament a couple of months ago and I was throwing a black shore minnow spook and my pardoner was throwing a bone spook. They where absolutely killing mine and weren't even giving the bone colored one a sniff. He didn't have a black one and I dug through my box and found another black in a different size. He put it on a started catching fish. Moral of the story......it usually doesn't matter but on occasion it does.

[ClackerBuzz]

Moral of the story......it usually doesn't matter but on occasion it does.

you sir get the quote of the day.

[Bankbeater]

There is a lake near me that has pretty good topwater action. The bass will hit a black jitterbug, and a frog colored spro bronzeye. If you throw a black spro bronzeye, they won't touch it. Same with a light colored jitterbug. You just have to try them all and see what works.

[Arv]

I usually have white and black bellies in topwater colors and that's about it. I don't really care what the top of the lure looks like. I'm not trying to catch birds, lol.

[ClackerBuzz]

i focus on two things before color: 1 location 2 action.

you can usually get a strike if you have both of these nailed down. if you go to a proven spot and can't get a strike then start playing with color. are you trying to mess with color to get a december frog bite or just brainstorming for next year? where are you located?

[thehooligan]

Im gonna be the odd man out here and say i like throwing anything with an orange or yellow belly. Ive caught my biggest bass with orange belly sammies...

[jignfule]

I have had many days where color has been critical. I usually fish frog in clearer waters and have found dark colors produce far better than the lighter colors. A yellow belly frog is useless to me most of the time.