Looking for clarification of sorts

[Rpratt]

Why is it that bass will tee off on a certain lure pattern/color when the pattern is not something that lives in their lake. For example this is my "situation". I have been fishing perch "flavored" squarebills on lakes that are around me that have a zero population of perch. I live in southern Illinois btw. And I get asked this alot by friends and other anglers how and why. We all hear the phrase match the hatch constantly but obviously this cant be.

 

So the only thing I can sort of guess is it's the action of the squarebill or just presenting it the way the fish want it, or is the perch color closely resembling something else like possibly a blue Gill. 

[Jig Man]

I don't match the hatch unless it is an accident.  I make most of my stuff and go for things no one else has in colors that the fish have never seen.

[moguy1973]

Or it may just be that it's something different and they don't like it or know what it is so they eat it.

[sully420]

If a bass thinks it can eat something it will try. There's no shad or blueback herring in Minnesota but you sure can get bit on those color patterns.

[bobbyg]

I think that a lot of times the bass strikes are a sort of "get the hell outta here" kind of action. I don't necessarily think that all of their strikes are based on eating.

 

So you either have to give them a "food" option that entices them to eat your lure/bait, or tick them off. Either way it gets fun after that! 

[WRB]

Match the hatch isn't just colors. Your crankbait doesn't swim like any baitfish and may not look like any baitfish when moving fast but it does look alive and is flashing lots Colors and is about the right size of the prey the bass is looking for.

Swimbaits move slower and look real with a realistic swimming motion, matching the hatch, but also catch bass where no prey fish like a rainbow trout for example are in the lake. Sometimes matching the hatch is critical, other times it's meaningless.

Tom

[smalljaw67]

It is a reaction strike so color isn't always a concern with a square bill. It is that bait going past them when they are in ambush mode, they react to it moving past at a high rate of speed. When there is clear water and the fish are cruising rather than holding on cover is when color patterns begin to have more influence. That said, there are no shad in the lakes I fish on a regular basis but in clear water a shad color crank will work, I don't match the hatch exactly, I choose patters that are either bright, dark, or natural.