Black/blue color?

[livemusic]

What does black/blue color work? Any theories? I am thinking soft plastics.

[Bluebasser86]

The bait is the right profile and it was put in the right place with the right presentation at the right time. Color is one of the least important aspects of the bait you're fishing day in and day out IMO. Sometimes it will make all the difference in the world, but a lot of times me and whoever I'm fishing with are catching fish about the same on two different colors. Black and blue is a dark color that gives off a good profile, and a lot of things a bass eats are dark colored. 

[no39]

I agree, I believe profile and proximity to fish is more key.  I don't believe bass perceive color the way we do, either.  I've read their biology is more attenuated to the detection of motion than discerning color. There was a pretty neat experiment where a researcher would train bass to leave an area when a color was flashed. From this, they were able to observe the ability largemouth had to differentiate colors.  If I recall correctly,  I think they experiment suggested that bass were relative weak in differentiating colors in the blue to purples.  Which implies they most likely see blue as dark.  Mind you, this is simply speculation based on one experiment and personal experience. I believe it is far more important to make yourself more comfortable with any given color.  If a person as confidence in their choice of color I think that individual is more prone to using bait and not wasting time switching colors, and thus fishing more efficiently.   

[the reel ess]

They can see it. I fish mostly permanently stained waters and use black/blue almost all the time. Works year round.

 

[ripinit]

Some of the theories I've heard, because those colors just work, are about the early color of crawfish after the winter hibernation being blue. But I caught a huge mess last week, and they were full of bright orange craws, nothing about them were dark. Tried Orange jig, no bites, went to black/blue....money! My theory is that their eyes look up, duh, cause that's where they are located, and anything that blocks light is easier to silhouette, and thereby easier to discern as food.

[primetime]

If you fish in Florida, especially in the Orlando Region, Black and blue worms and flipping baits are by far the most popular, in fact I have met people who only fish that color on lakes like Toho etc..The reason or theory behind why it works is from what has been explained to me and from reading is this...

Lakes in Florida are usually a Tanic color or darker tone, and when fishing under and through thick weeds, their is barely any light penetration, so using that logic, it is almost like Night fishing...Black is considered the most effective at night (by many people) and I heard Timmy Horton explain black and blue since they are the 2 last colors on the spectrum(Purple is also very popular) and in water without light and stained, the black and blue give it a bit of flash, and 2 tone or flake give it 2 tones that help the fish find it...

Junebug, Black and blue, Green pumpkin Blue or purple are very popular and seem to work well, but I find Red Shad is also really good, often dark 2 tone colors all seem to work...Confidence matters, and I love a green pumpkin gold, but that is just me..I like to use something different than everyone else, but when Pitching heavy weights, I think any mix of a green pumpkin/Black blue is hard to beat....Fish can't see all the colors when light is not present...Everything turns to greyscale for most part so I just make sure I have some flash in the bait, or maybe some fluorescent like chart dipped etc..But I have been told they can't see chartreuse either, not sure, but in tanic water....Black and blue is very good, Junebug...all dark two tones...Red Shad etc...I use lots of variations and I find casting accuracy to be more important, fall rate, and profile...If Sun is out and water is clear, not in heavy weeds, I then go translucents like a watermelon tone...

When in doubt, in stained water...Green Pumpkin Jig, Black and blue trailer or vise versa...Or Green Pumpkin Gold, Black and blue with silver....That is my confidence range, and Red shad is a color that I love which rarely gets used alot for some reason...

It has to do with them seeing it....Craws are usually Orange and REd in the spring which is why Rayburn red traps, and other colors in that range work is because they are geared toward orange and red tones...I am not sure when Craws turn Blue, but it does happen, I never assume unless I see one in a fishes throat, but in the spring I do find orange spinnerbaits and traps work well....Color will get a million reasons but no wrong answer imo...I have seen Pink senko's work when I would never use one....

[Catt]

Why does black-n-blue work?

Cause bass like it!

That's all I need to know

[JayKumar]

lol Catt, exactly! All of the above are true. Yes it looks like a craw, yes bass can see black great in the water, yes blue is probably a good contrast color with the black. Whatever the reason, what's amazing is that they don't stop biting it. It must really push their buttons. And in my opinion, color absolutely does matter especially with slow-moving baits.

[ww2farmer]

It's probably the most versatile color there is. It works in ultra clear water (despite conventional wisdom) to the dirtiest of water. Is it my first choice? No, but it is often my 2nd, and if I could only have one, it would be a real coin flip between black/blue or green pumpkin.

[kbeeb374]

1 minute ago, ww2farmer said:

No, but it is often my 2nd, and if I could only have one, it would be a real coin flip between black/blue or green pumpkin.

X2, but I would have a 3rd in the mix with watermelon/black flake

[Ridi620]

They're expensive for the yamasenkos so if you can find a knock off version or a flea market that makes them or make them yourself but the all black senko with the neon blue tip is absolute killer in Central Florida. I still have yet to find a stick bait color that gets me the strikes I get with the all black blue tip stick bait. Second best if you're looking for a creature bait/craw imitation is the black and blue Havoc Pit boss. Whether you're throwing it Texas rigged, weighted/unweighted, or as a jig trailer, it has been an awesome bait for me. Fish it many different ways, even top water, and expect some action!