Color Confused

[Basscook]

Okay,

I read everything I get my hands on only to be sure that now, I am going to fish like a pro. Then I come back just totally confused. My latest perplexity is concerning color. I have read that it is a good idea to avoid silver lures on overcast cloudy days, because they reflect the “Grey” around them and blend as opposed to contrast. I have also read that on these darker days, darker lures generally produce more LMB's.

 

On my last two trips out to a small 8acer lake, it was heavy overcast both days. My only results came from a 1/2oz silver cordell spot, and a watermellon worm (6” zoom U-Tail).

In my limited understanding, watermellon is a good around choice because the color range is highly visible t the LMB's eyes, even in a little deeper or stained water.

 

Both days, the vis was about 3', and I am not expecting any better visibility on my next trip latter this week. The water is slightly green stained due to all the rain and algae. Usually I have 5-8' visibility in this lake. I bought the firetigers for days just like what I just descibed and the watermellons and silvers for the clear days. Can someone help me understand the science of this? I would like to get a little better at choosing my lures and lines.

 

[Basscook]

I guess what I am really trying to do is simplify my placstic color selections.  This year has been primarily June Bug and watermellon.  Sometimes one works sometimes the other works.  I am just trying to figure our a ryme or reason. 

 

Same with lipless cranks.  I have natural looking cranks, Babby Bass,, silvers, and fire tigers.  Sometimes one will work better than the others.  I am just not a good judge of which one to pull first. 

 

I fish lightly stained, greenish water, generally either an 8 acre lake, or a local resovour.  Advise apricated.  Seams like the oposite of whatever I read turns out to be true, and that just doesn;t make sense to me. 

[WRB]

The science in how bass see is evolving.

Bass have better vision then they have been given credit for and may see in spectrums the human eye can't see unaided. When you consider that bass can easily see prey that has evolved to be camouflage to blend into the underwater environment under all lighting conditions you start to realize what anglers know about their eye sight is limited to personal experiences, which may or may not be helpful.

Bass can see in very low light and what we see as darkness, the bass see very well. Bass also have the ability to change the flicker rate to slow down fast moving objects to see it better.

The bottom line is; experience with your color choices until you find a color combination the bass prefer and this can change hourly. For example black is considered a good night color due to contrast and it works, however black is not always a good night color.

The best starting color is usually something that is close to the prey the bass are feeding on. When that doesn't work it's time to experiment.

Keep in perspective that vision is 1 of the basses senses, detecting movement via vibrations by the lateral line nerves is also highly developed in bass.

Tom

[TexasRigger21]

Yes, color is important. But if you doubt the color's ability to catch fish, DON'T fish with it. Fish something you have confidence in. She you have confidence in a bait, you fish it better. You fish it slower and more precisely.

Sometimes when I'm fishing, I feel like the bass don't care about the color. I think sometimes they eat the bait because they see food and are hungry.

Best of luck

[Fish Chris]

Yes, color is important. But.....

 

.... not usually very much.

 

If their were a list of the top 10 variables which affected my odds of putting fish in the boat, color would likely be no better than an 8.

 

IMPO, bass anglers tend to get too caught up in color, when their are so many more important aspects to consider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've talked, in the past, about this little thing called the "Purple worm" phenomenon. Basically a guy goes out with an assortment of worms. He starts out with a red one.... but doesn't realize he is fishing "fishless" water.

So he moves... and switches to a green worm. Of course he doesn't know that the angler right before him has already stuck all the "easy biters" in that area. {maybe while using a green worm ! Ha !  }

Finally, he stumbles into a fresh, hotspot, with lots of fish willing to play. He rigs up a purple worm, and whacks the $#%$ out of them ! Whoo Hoo !

 

So, the guy thinks, it must be all because of that purple worm !

 

So from then on, the guy ALWAYS at least starts with a purple worm.... and he always starts in that new "hotspot" of his too. And so now, not surprisingly, the guy catches nearly all of his fish on purple worms !

 

A year later, the guy has gotten so sucked up, believing that that "purple" worm has everything to do with his success, that its all he ever fishes with. And so guess what ?

 

Now, It really does have everything to do with his angling success  !  > Because that's the only color the guy fishes with anymore LOL

 

Color.... How do I type a big, loud, fart sound ? LOL

 

Tell you what, just let me find a bunch of big, hungry bass...... then you can pick out your "worst" color.... and I'll stick some of those fish on it

 

 

Peace,

Fish

[Ohio Dave]

I don't fish any where near a pro level but do catch fish nearly every time out and even in decently pressured places.  I stick to the basic colors for worms  black, natural, red and purple.  I think that size and action will be better served areas to focus on than ten shades of grey lol

 

I am sure there are cases which a particular color will out do the rest.  I was talking with a fellow Ohio fishermen earlier today about a timber filled pond that I love to fish.  there,  black baits seem to do much better than the rest.  I rarely start with black,  even there but often find myself onto that color if I can not get fish I know where they are to bite

[roadwarrior]

Well, the other side of the story is a conversation I had with Big O at Kentucky Lake.

Although color isn't the most important factor, the "right color" can make good fishing

better. And there are times when just one color IS the ticket!

 

My suggestion is to experiment with color when you are already on a good bite. I feel

the same way about testing new lures and baits. Without a "control" to measure your

success, you cannot tell what's good or bad.

 

 

 

[flippin and pitchin]

Sometimes it not about color, it's about the shade. In stained water contrast is also a factor. Why is it black and black blue is such a hot " color " for jigs.

Sillouette, speed and action is also important. A couple of years ago I was catching fish, good fish really well on a trip with a specific color pattern crankbait. I broke it off and was sick. I had the same lure in a much different color pattern, not near as bright and figured I would hope it worked. The fish bit it better. I try not to get worked up over color like I used to. RW has a point though.

[Basscook]

Fish Chris:  Love the purple worm story, and that has me pegged to a tee.  Thanks

WRB:  That is super interesting and VERY helpful,  I will put this too use and it certinly explains a lot.

 

 

Thanks guys. 

[PABASS]

I had an interesting experience with color recently, it involved a clear lake you can see 10ft to the bottom.  The fish only wanted a certain type of lure, the boater was nailing them with a watermelon/red zoom worm, I was using a watermelon/red roboworm, same size, he was getting bit and I wasn't.  He already had his limit and let me use his gear which allowed me to put a few in the boat, which I did, so it wasn't my presentation/speed.  Gave his gear back and used some of his worms and I started catching fish, the roboworm didn't have any transparency to it, the color didn't matter as much as the light penetration, but mainly his worms imitated a local salamander that looked almost like his worm.  Another person knew of this and us three are the only ones whom had a limit that day.   So key in on the forage and its colors.

[TrippyJai]

It seems to me you're over thinking. There is a time and place for everything such as colour. Sometimes it makes all the difference and other times, it doesn't matter. Since your struggling to understand, I would keep it simple.

 

Soft plastics, I use 3 colours most of the time, Green Pumpkin in stained, Black and Blue in dirty and Watermelon in clear.

 

Crankbaits, I always match the hatch and size of the baitfish. I prefer the bluegill colours in clear water and chartreuse to show up in dirty water.

 

Keep this in mind. Clear water situtaions, downsize, tight wobble, natural colours, transparent colours. Dirty water, you want your bait to show up so bright/flashy colours, rattles, bigger baits, more vibration.

 

Same rules applies when fishing water tempatures as well as fish aggressiveness. In cold water, you would want to slow it down with a bait that has less action and the opposite in warmer tempatures. If they are active, you can get away with a lot, but when the bite is tough, you need to figure it out.

 

Nothing is set in stone and this is what I generally stick to. There will be times when I notice something and make changes accordingly.

[derekxec]

you dont really need flashy and bright baits in dirty water....the lateral line in all fish help them sense vibration and movement to find their food

[Marty]

Agree, don't overthink it. All colors catch fish and you need to use what you have confidence in. There are some general guidelines that many people believe in, but bass break the rules so often that you need to think outside the box a lot.

 

Can someone help me understand the science of this?

 

 

 

If you really want to know the science behind it, check out Knowing Bass, by Dr. Keith A. Jones.

[Basscook]

Will do.  And yea.  I was probably overthinging things. 

Agree, don't overthink it. All colors catch fish and you need to use what you have confidence in. There are some general guidelines that many people believe in, but bass break the rules so often that you need to think outside the box a lot.

 

 

 

If you really want to know the science behind it, check out Knowing Bass, by Dr. Keith A. Jones.

[Tim Cianciola]

color may help in certain situations, but other times when the fish are just on ive thrown dif. colors just experimenting and they bit on all the colors i threw.