A chartreuse fish?

[Luna2406]

Had an aha moment the other day, wanted to see what all you pros thought about this. So we use chartreuse baits on low light/stained water. Is this because those scenarios cause the bright yellow to take on a brownish more realistic tone?

What about gold blades on chatterbaits? I only use them on cloudy days, am I missing out by only using them on cloudy days? Thanks guys!

[primetime]

I always figured chart was used for 2 reasons...

1- Fluorescent colors can still be seen and do not turn into gray color in deeper water without light...

2-Bluegills and most panfish and even shad have some chartruese on them...I have also seem crawfish that have some yellow hue to them as well...All I know is that I have used chart colored fire tip worms, mostly black and chart and pumpkin and chart, and for trailers chart is usually the first color I use in clear or stained water....Black.chart soft baits, or white/chart skirts seem to always get bit...

I think blade colors and color in general is a preference thing based on past experiences. I usually like a gold blade and dark skirt, and silver blade with a lighter skirt color, and I usually throw them based on my mood, I don't really let weather pick colors, I like to pick them based on water color and forrage color...

As for chart colored baitfish...If you look at a school of shad (At least in Florida waters I fish) many have a yellow flash as they go buy, and so do some bluegills...I have had some of my best days on Chartruese crankbaits and maybe it is just because it is a reaction strike, or they see it best, but some days a chart/blue back wake bait is hard to beat even in clear water...

Good question. I would like to hear why we all use chartruese....The spike it marker in chart and pink is a must have item...Not sure why but it adds flash to hardbaits..

[avidone1]

I use chartreuse because it's fun to say.

Charrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtroooooooooooooooosssssssssssssss (Harry Potter  parcival tongue)

[bassguytom]

38 minutes ago, avidone1 said:

I use chartreuse because it's fun to say.

Charrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtroooooooooooooooosssssssssssssss (Harry Potter  parcival tongue)

smalliessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss nice. I use Chartreuse on cloudy days and stained water. I have never really though past that other then they can see the silhoutte better. 

[snake95]

1 hour ago, primetime said:

2-Bluegills and most panfish and even shad have some chartruese on them...I have also seem crawfish that have some yellow hue to them as well...All I know is that I have used chart colored fire tip worms, mostly black and chart and pumpkin and chart, and for trailers chart is usually the first color I use in clear or stained water....Black.chart soft baits, or white/chart skirts seem to always get bit...

Watching bluegills and green sunfish lately, their tails and fin extremities appear as bright yellow or chartreuse.   As they go by quickly you see a bright flash behind a darker fish.   Seems to support the use of plastic baits with chartreuse tips.

[Montanaro]

12 minutes ago, snake95 said:

Watching bluegills and green sunfish lately, their tails and fin extremities appear as bright yellow or chartreuse.   As they go by quickly you see a bright flash behind a darker fish.   Seems to support the use of plastic baits with chartreuse tips.

this

And chartreuse helps the lure stand out from other baitfish

[Luna2406]

@primetime Thanks for that info man, i guess I haven't really looked at baitfish enough but all that makes sense. whats the spike it marker you mentioned?? I've never heard of it and i've never really used markers before. I've also never gone into the wake bait world, might be something to try. Mind explaining a little more about the color not turning grey without sunlight??

 

 

 

[WRB]

It's a mistake trying to look at colors and think bass see them as you do. Chartreuse works very good as a highlite color under a wide range of water clarity....what more do you need to know?

Tom

[Jrob78]

Chartreuse shows up well in off color water.  It's really as simple as that, 99% of the time.  It might not hurt that chart is a natural color that bass are used to seeing but I don't think they associate the color with anything.

[Bluebasser86]

One of my favorite bait colors is Sapphire Blue. Not a color you see often in nature, but I see it hanging out of a bass' mouth pretty often. 

[BassThumb]

27 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

One of my favorite bait colors is Sapphire Blue. Not a color you see often in nature, but I see it hanging out of a bass' mouth pretty often. 

Same with junebug, a personal favorite 

[king fisher]

Chartreuse has caught every species of fish I have ever fished for,  from sunfish to blue, marlin small big and everything in between.  Salt water fresh water, clear or muddy doesn't seem to matter. 

[roadwarrior]

Here in the Mid South the primary forage is threadfin shad, commonly referred to as yellow tail. Chartreuse is a primary feature.

 

[primetime]

On 5/4/2016 at 9:11 PM, Luna2406 said:

@primetime Thanks for that info man, i guess I haven't really looked at baitfish enough but all that makes sense. whats the spike it marker you mentioned?? I've never heard of it and i've never really used markers before. I've also never gone into the wake bait world, might be something to try. Mind explaining a little more about the color not turning grey without sunlight??

 

 

 

Here is what I meant by turning Gray in color, I am basing this all from memory regarding how color is seen when light is taken out of the equation. I am going from memory here so I may not be 100% correct, but from what I remember from College Chemistry Lab, any color that sinks to a depth where light is no longer (penetrating/being absorbed), all colors turn to a shade of gray which is called the Grey scale, so debating if a Bass can see Red better than Purple which are 2 colors on the opposite end of the spectrum can only matter if we are talking about "Clear" Water with strong light being present which is rare in most cases. I am pretty sure that the only colors that can be seen when light is not present which would be in deep water or really stained water are fluorescent colors (Chart being one) and a few other's. I think Muddy water is a different story all together but if you were to google the topic, you can find some interesting data and studies (None have helped me catch more fish but it does make you realize why they create a color like Junebug w/Red Flake...It covers all 3 areas of the color scale with Red, Green, and Purple....

Blue Basser is right, blue Saphire is one of the most popular colors and I use it in all water colors because it seems to always work and I have no idea why. Is that color effecive because it is fluorescent (if it is?) or the silver flake which adds flash? I believe Flash like from a spoon can be seen at all depths but I am not 100% positive.

Tom Made the perfect statement that really is all that matters.....What does a Bass Actually see since comparing what a Human sees is not a fair comparison to make. I am sure he can explain this much better than I can, but I have always laughed at marketing....

What color line is invisible? Pink? Red? Clear Fluorocarbon? Green Fluorocarbon? Camo colored line? And how would a company claim Red Line as invisible if you are fishing green or off colored water? Red only vanishes first in perfecly clear water?

Sorry for the Ramble, I type fast and have always wondered about color since 30 years ago the best selling colors were Black and purple, then Grapes were the most popular, and now we see Green Pumpkin as the best selling color. 

As for the marker...Spike It makes a marker that has chart on one side and pink on the other for only a few bucks so you can color the tails of worms, or add some flash to crankbaits etc...It also has garlic scent. Other companies make them as well, I know JJ's Magic is popular which I think is a dip but I just use the marker. ( if you use a bottle of chart color, just make sure you never spill it on carpet). 

As for wake baits, I don't know why but some days a chart body and blue top is really good. If you look at wake baits you will always see alot of chart colored baits, same with square bills since everyone has all pretty much agreed it is actually a natural color for what fish see since they are only seeing a quick flash of it most of the time and are conditioned. Another theory is "If a Fish can't see it, it can't strike it" which is very true in Muddy water without any visibility. Even then, some say use solid Red, Solid Black, or Chart...So I am back at stage 1....

[Luna2406]

@primetime thanks so much for all that info, it all makes sense to me. I'll have to start trying the blue sapphire color, can't say I've messed with it too much. Most lakes around here are stained and I've been pretty successful with natural colors or anything with some gold to it. Thanks for taking some time and writing all that, I appreciate it. I think you can never stop learning when it comes to fishing, wife gets mad when I start doing research and start ignoring her haha 

[ErikmonBillsfon]

I just got a 4 back of spike it markers for 8.75 shipped from the bug bay. I think it's orange, chartruse, red, and blue. Great for playing with your baits.