How Bass See Color

[aavery2]

I guess I'm just wanting to know, based on all the discussion above, should I go ahead and buy those UV enhanced baits or not???

 

 

-T9

Depends some on the design of the bait, it would be interesting to know if the baits are using chemicals that are florescent  or phosphorescent.

[hawgenvy]

hawgenvy, are you able to post an image of that?

Paul, I've been meaning to get a good photo of the bluish chin, and may try to snap one with my phone this afternoon that I can post, if I catch an exemplary specimen. However, if you look at the rotating photographs on the current home page of Bass Resource, the photo for the article "My Fish Won't Grow" shows some of the pale turquoise that I'm referring to, under the lower jaw of that fat bass the guy is holding. See it? It is subtle in that photo, but in some other fish it is more pronounced.

[Dwight Hottle]

There is a lot of "scientific" information out there that is nothing more than interesting information.

 

 

Until someone learns how to communicate with a bass we will never know the answer. Heck I can't even get my dog to talk to me.  

[hawgenvy]

Great post.  I have read several articles that suggest the same, bass have fewer blue sensitive cone cells and a much greater number of red and green.   Dr. Colin Kageyama suggest that it has to do with where the bass primarily lives and feeds.    " Freshwater fish tend to have rods which are sensitive to longer wavelengths of light, although not quite so long as the light which actually reaches them.  The cones (used to distinguish color) in the eyes of fish tend to be more closely related the color of light which reaches them underwater.  The pigments in the cones of freshwater fish are often highly adapted to the light conditions in which they feed".  

 

I think his theory supports what you posted.   Bass tend to live and feed in medium to shallow water, spending most of their time above the thermocline on deep lakes.   In the shallow to medium depth water the wavelength of light that is predominant is between red and green, with blue being associated with deeper water.   This would explain why bass tend to have better color vision between red and green wavelengths and less definition at blue.

 

As Catt suggested it all has to be taken with a grain of salt.  I for one am happy that there are scientist and doctors that are doing the research and are willing to share their results.  We need this information so that we can further prove or disprove their work.

 

Again great post.

Thanks, aavery2. I think bass science will be more and more important to anglers, conservationists, fisheries management, and lure and tackle manufacterers. How about producing a braided line color (blue?) that is more invisible to fish, for example?

[aavery2]

Thanks, aavery2. I think bass science will be more and more important to anglers, conservationists, fisheries management, and lure and tackle manufacterers. How about producing a braided line color (blue?) that is more invisible to fish, for example?

I like the idea of less visible lines, but I think there is a distinction that needs to be made.  I don't believe that colors like red and blue in this case are invisible to fish.  I would think that instead of seeing them as blue or red they would see them as a greyscale.    

[hawgenvy]

I like the idea of less visible lines, but I think there is a distinction that needs to be made.  I don't believe that colors like red and blue in this case are invisible to fish.  I would think that instead of seeing them as blue or red they would see them as a greyscale.    

Agree, but that still could be better.

[aavery2]

Agree, but that still could be better.

Would it be better than just making a grey line?

[WRB]

Blue is a good poor light color for bass lures, the thought bass can't see it well doesn't stand up to experience.

Fish have the ability to change coloration and light up with brilliant colors when exited or mating. Nature doesn't do things randomly, there is a purpose to colors.

Ultraviolet color spectrum is visible to some animals and near ultraviolet is visible to some humans. We have no idea how broad or narrow the color spectrum is for bass under poor or no light. We know what we can't distinguish colors in very low light, therefor assume animals like bass have the same limitation. Humans are not naturally nocturnal predators, bass are and have developed senses and eye sight to aid them. We know bass feed at night in shallow and deep water. From experience we know color can be a important factor at night and during the daytime, but not always. It's the exceptions that tend to confuse the color vision issue for some anglers. Me, I accept the fact bass see colors in a broader spectrum them humans because they must survive underwater in poor light.

Tom

[Catt]

The difficulty I have with this type of "science" is that everyone's intepretation is that the bass's eyes are as good as the human eye.

The US Navy has proven that the human eye can see the color blue at greater depths & distances.

If bass see red as shades of grey why watermelon red (grey) donamite or watermelon seed (black)?

I think we don't know how bass see color

[Dwight Hottle]

The difficulty I have with this type of "science" is that everyone's intepretation is that the bass's eyes are as good as the human eye.

The US Navy has proven that the human eye can see the color blue at greater depths & distances.

If bass see red as shades of grey why watermelon red (grey) donamite or watermelon seed (black)?

I think we don't know how bass see color

My point exactly. It's all conjecture.

[Texas Hawg Hunter]

As a PhD researcher in behavioral science, I would recommend sticking to what bass actually do in response to different color lures...that's what you really want to know anyway.  Getting caught up in all this other stuff will just take you in never-ending debates.

[tatertester]

Good point Hawg Hunter,I've read so many different theories over the years that it does seem pointless as to exactly what their vision is, but, how bass respond indeed is whats important.

[F14A-B]

Ok, I'm not going to put a Flir on my boat.

I know without question what colors I can depend on in my area, & in Florida... I still like to read and/ or hear different data/ theory's on " How Bass see Color "

[hawgenvy]

Would it be better than just making a grey line?

Beats me. One would have to figure out how to test it convincingly with live bass, design such a test, have facilities, time, energy, and funding to carry it out, and then actually carry out such testing, reach a conclusion that has statistical significance, reproducibiity, and, ultimately, practical usefullness, and then publish the results. That's why bass science is so scarce.

[aavery2]

The difficulty I have with this type of "science" is that everyone's intepretation is that the bass's eyes are as good as the human eye.

The US Navy has proven that the human eye can see the color blue at greater depths & distances.

If bass see red as shades of grey why watermelon red (grey) donamite or watermelon seed (black)?

I think we don't know how bass see color

Bass can and do see red very clearly when light permits, as mentioned, to be seen as red an object must be struck with red and reflect red light.  Red light is the first color to lose it's ability to penetrate through the water column.    The clearer the water the deeper the penetration.   It's not that bass cannot see red, its that red cannot always penetrate to the depth the bass are holding, when this happens it color shifts and can appear as grey or black. 

[aavery2]

This is a portion of a article in a very good book on what bass see. 

 

Numerous experiments have been done on bass concerning their vision and ability to identify different colors and thicknesses of fishing line.  In one research project, bass were trained to strike targets connected to different colored fishing line.  There were a series of targets connected to different colored fishing line, bass were trained to strike certain colored fishing line in order to receive a reward of food.  Once the bass learned which colored fishing line resulted in a reward, the experiment was repeated with fishing line of smaller diameter. 

 

Bass were able to quickly select the fishing line of the desired color down to four pound test line.  This experiment was repeated with different  colored fishing line.  Bass were also able to discriminate between different colors of the fishing line with a high degree of accuracy.  This experiment proved several things.  Bass have highly developed color vision and were able to determine the difference between clear, purple, green, blue, yellow and pink fishing lines.

[aavery2]

Beats me. One would have to figure out how to test it convincingly with live bass, design such a test, have facilities, time, energy, and funding to carry it out, and then actually carry out such testing, reach a conclusion that has statistical significance, reproducibiity, and, ultimately, practical usefullness, and then publish the results. That's why bass science is so scarce.

There have been some very good tests similar to this with published results.   The information can be hard to find but if you are persistent and wade through the information , there are some very good studies and research projects going on.

[Catt]

As a PhD researcher in behavioral science, I would recommend sticking to what bass actually do in response to different color lures...that's what you really want to know anyway. Getting caught up in all this other stuff will just take you in never-ending debates.

As a student close to a degree in the Philosophy of Science that's what you need to know.

Everything being reported as science aint science!

[aavery2]

As a PhD researcher in behavioral science, I would recommend sticking to what bass actually do in response to different color lures...that's what you really want to know anyway.  

At what depth, what color water, clear, blue, green or tanic?  Is is a cloudy day or sunny, is the sun overhead or just rising.  Chop on the water or smooth like glass?     I respect your education, but it is not as simple as saying bass X responds to stimuli Y in this manner.    If that were the case it would be easy enough to figure out.

[Paul Roberts]

There is a lot of "scientific" information out there that is nothing more than interesting information.

 

"Interesting" is what motivates me to fish in the first place! Time in "the library" is part of my fishing time.

 

Paul, I've been meaning to get a good photo of the bluish chin, and may try to snap one with my phone this afternoon that I can post, if I catch an exemplary specimen. However, if you look at the rotating photographs on the current home page of Bass Resource, the photo for the article "My Fish Won't Grow" shows some of the pale turquoise that I'm referring to, under the lower jaw of that fat bass the guy is holding. See it? It is subtle in that photo, but in some other fish it is more pronounced.

 

I'm aware of what you are talking about, and have seen it too. However, images -run through all the iterations from ccd to printing- can be deceiving. That one image is of low resolution and highly pixilated. Many shadow areas are "blue" in such images. You are catching floridanus, right?

 

Thanks, aavery2. I think bass science will be more and more important to anglers, conservationists, fisheries management, and lure and tackle manufacterers. How about producing a braided line color (blue?) that is more invisible to fish, for example?

 

I agree. There is an awful lot of science (best attempts in a complex and imperfect world) that underlies what we presently know about bass, and there's more to come. Doubt anyone would give all that up -have it erased from memory- and have a go with a blank slate, stick and string.

 

Unfortunately, it appears that line color, even visibility, probably plays a generally small role in affecting bites.

[Catt]

At what depth, what color water, clear, blue, green or tanic? Is is a cloudy day or sunny, is the sun overhead or just rising. Chop on the water or smooth like glass? I respect your education, but it is not as simple as saying bass X responds to stimuli Y in this manner. If that were the case it would be easy enough to figure out.

Exactly why the afore mentioned research is not science!

Most of that research was done in an aquarium which removes all of natural conditions listed above.

[aavery2]

Exactly why the afore mentioned research is not science!

Most of that research was done in an aquarium which removes all of natural conditions listed above.

I fail to understand your logic

[Texas Hawg Hunter]

At what depth, what color water, clear, blue, green or tanic?  Is is a cloudy day or sunny, is the sun overhead or just rising.  Chop on the water or smooth like glass?     I respect your education, but it is not as simple as saying bass X responds to stimuli Y in this manner.    If that were the case it would be easy enough to figure out.

You can take all those factors into account if you like taking good data.  Then, you can calculate probabilities of bites based on the interaction of factors.  Pretty typical data analysis stuff.

[greentrout]

I am not a scientist. I have fished for 40 years plus. I have used Trilene of all stripes , Stren of all stripes, Bass Pro Excel, Cablea's Pro LIne, Silver Thread, Ande fishing lines and others and all mono. I  get more strikes and have caught more bass using Cajun Red fishing line. I have bought in. Ain't going back.

 

Old school basser...

[F14A-B]

Does red fishing line attract Bass?