Color, no rhyme or reason.

[Spankey]

Water conditions on the river has put me on the lake the last few weeks. Big storms moving in again and might keep me there a few more I guess. No complaints, catching some green fish all is good. 

 

Sunday once i found them and found what they wanted I was catching them on gizzard shad Crankbait patterns. Lake has them it all makes sense and a no brainer to tie on what you have. 

 

Yesterday I got right back on that spot and figured I'd pick up right where I left off. Not so fast, not so easy. Fish were there could put me on my small   finder. I threw everything I thought would make sense and managed a runt on a dropshot set up. 

 

I got off of that spot for awhile and tried to get another plan together. I thought why not just tie on the opposite colors of the Crankbaits I was throwing. Dug out some Bombers and Bandits in black, brown and purple (good river colors). Got back in there and got two nice fat 2 1/2 lb fish. Granted no state or lake record but respectable fish. What does color really mean?????? I'm no expert when it comes to that for sure. Have a high confidence level on a few patterns I throw. But, I chalk it up to never give up than anything. I was just not ready to go home. 

 

 

[deep]

They like to bite what they like to bite; and sometimes the color doesn't matter.

 

My biggest pet peeve is the "fact" that apparently you need to fish something that the fish can "see". Bunch of nonsense. Even if they can't see your bait, they can feel it. If they want, they'll come and find it. Anyway, I've never seen a black and blue baitfish, in muddy water or otherwise.

 

I fish colors I have confidence in, because I've caught fish on them. I don't change colors depending on water color or weather conditions. I change colors when the fish tell me to. Works for me.

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, deep said:

They like to bite what they like to bite; and sometimes the color doesn't matter.

 

My biggest pet peeve is the "fact" that apparently you need to fish something that the fish can "see". Bunch of nonsense. Even if they can't see your bait, they can feel it. If they want, they'll come and find it. Anyway, I've never seen a black and blue baitfish, in muddy water or otherwise.

 

I fish colors I have confidence in, because I've caught fish on them. I don't change colors depending on water color or weather conditions. I change colors when the fish tell me to. Works for me.

Agreed ~ 

I am forever selecting baits (both hard & soft) that 'Match & Blend In' with the color of the bottom and or the cover.  All while fishing some very clear water.   Why ? Well not that Bright Colors don't routinely produce in clear water, because we all know they most certainly do.  Mostly because it's what 'I think' works more often and for bigger fish.  So as is always referred to here, the confidence may be what gets the bites as much as the color.

A-Jay

[Log Catcher]

I believe at times color does make a difference. I saw an article years ago about color choices. For soft plastics if the water has decent visibility and the sun is out use watermelon seed colors. If it is cloudy go with green pumpkin. There seems to be some merit to this. I was catching fish pretty good one time on watermelon seed color. It got cloudy and I couldn't get a bite. I switched to green pumpkin and started catching fish again.

[MrFrost]

I walked this lake bank on Tuesday, casting a green frog, with a green fading into white belly.  Twice got some interest, but wasn't a blow up, more like the fish side swiped at the frog.  I walked from left to right and then back left, covering as much water as possible.  Nothing.  Tied on my yellow frog, with a full yellow belly and had four actual blow ups, that I failed to set the hook on.  It was a mix of trying to set it too early, to just not getting it hooked.  Finally set the hook on the fifth blow up.  

 

I'm new to this, been fishing less than two months, but this experience alone made me truly understand why so many of you use the term confidence color or confidence bait.  Sadly this last guy destroyed my yellow Cabela's Chuck It Frog, so I picked up a Live Target replacement, with a nice yellow into white belly.  

 

 

[scaleface]

I have my favorite productive colors that I usually have tied on . If the bass are hitting tentatively or swiping at it not choking it  then I start switching colors and actions  . Sometimes they are hard to predict . 

 

One time I was hooking up about 90 per cent of the cast . They were taking my crankbait so deep that I was having trouble getting the lures out and spending more time unhookking fish than fishing . I switched colors and action, they didnt take it as deep . I ended up catching more fish because they  were so   easy to release . 

 

 

[jbmaine]

This is my experience with bass.

Some times color, size, shape, presentation, etc. matter, and sometimes not so much. If I could figure out all the particulars to be 100% successful all the time, I'd write a book.

 

What I do is to try what has, or should work. If no joy I'll start throwing the odd colors and baits.

 

For example, I have no Idea what a bubble gum colored Senko is supposed to represent, but it's kept me from getting skunked more than once.

[WRB]

The OP didn't indicate if he changed lure action and diving depth, just mentioned color change. If everything is equal then the darker colors the OP changed to would have produced the 1st outing IMO.

Tom

[Catt]

From my personal experience 

 

There are times color definitely matters

 

There are times color doesn't matter at all

 

I've also had times where I had to constantly change colors to get bit!

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

The OP didn't indicate if he changed lure action and diving depth, just mentioned color change. If everything is equal then the darker colors the OP changed to would have produced the 1st outing IMO.

Tom

This ^. Unless one fishes the same bait the same way with only the color being different, there is no evidence that color made a difference. I find action, size and profile to be much more important than color most of the time, but I have seen where color matters, but It's a small percentage of the time.

[scaleface]

I said I changed action and color because I switch baits  and the action is rarely the same . A Bandit square bill does not act like a Rapala square bill ...  Even lures that are   the same model often behave differently .

[Deleted account]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

I've also had times where I had to constantly change colors to get bit!

CrappieResource.com?

[Catt]

3 hours ago, reason said:

This ^. Unless one fishes the same bait the same way with only the color being different, there is no evidence that color made a difference. I find action, size and profile to be much more important than color most of the time, but I have seen where color matters, but It's a small percentage of the time.

 

You would get skunked down here...a lot! ?

[WRB]

When I am fishing crankbaits like try both dark crawdad and light Shad colors using the same lure to determine what is working better. 

I have had good results doing this even at night when I think darker should better and those bass prove me wrong.

Tom

[tkunk]

I'll fish the same jerkbait until I lose it (90% of the time, it's because I get bitten off). Often, the baits end up being totally clear except for the head, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

I have seen color make a big difference with finesse baits, though.

[Spankey]

21 hours ago, deep said:

They like to bite what they like to bite; and sometimes the color doesn't matter.

 

My biggest pet peeve is the "fact" that apparently you need to fish something that the fish can "see". Bunch of nonsense. Even if they can't see your bait, they can feel it. If they want, they'll come and find it. Anyway, I've never seen a black and blue baitfish, in muddy water or otherwise.

 

I fish colors I have confidence in, because I've caught fish on them. I don't change colors depending on water color or weather conditions. I change colors when the fish tell me to. Works for me.

Why wouldn't I throw baits that match the forage. These are baits that proven themselves time after time. 

 

No disrespect (you are very respected) but you seem to be more hung up more on color then I am. 

21 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Agreed ~ 

I am forever selecting baits (both hard & soft) that 'Match & Blend In' with the color of the bottom and or the cover.  All while fishing some very clear water.   Why ? Well not that Bright Colors don't routinely produce in clear water, because we all know they most certainly do.  Mostly because it's what 'I think' works more often and for bigger fish.  So as is always referred to here, the confidence may be what gets the bites as much as the color.

A-Jay

Exactually why would I throw FireTiger, chartreuse w/ black and blue backs when they don't seem to produce well for me. Why would they be a confidence bait there. On the Big D that would be different. 

 

19 hours ago, scaleface said:

I have my favorite productive colors that I usually have tied on . If the bass are hitting tentatively or swiping at it not choking it  then I start switching colors and actions  . Sometimes they are hard to predict . 

 

One time I was hooking up about 90 per cent of the cast . They were taking my crankbait so deep that I was having trouble getting the lures out and spending more time unhookking fish than fishing . I switched colors and action, they didnt take it as deep . I ended up catching more fish because they  were so   easy to release . 

 

 

I can't say that I've had a lot of days like you have but I always have tied on what I feel will produce first. 

 

19 hours ago, WRB said:

The OP didn't indicate if he changed lure action and diving depth, just mentioned color change. If everything is equal then the darker colors the OP changed to would have produced the 1st outing IMO.

Tom

Shape and slight action change. But still able to cover 8-14 foot depth range. 

 

18 hours ago, Catt said:

From my personal experience 

 

There are times color definitely matters

 

There are times color doesn't matter at all

 

I've also had times where I had to constantly change colors to get bit!

Can agree 100%.

 

16 hours ago, reason said:

This ^. Unless one fishes the same bait the same way with only the color being different, there is no evidence that color made a difference. I find action, size and profile to be much more important than color most of the time, but I have seen where color matters, but It's a small percentage of the time.

Very possible but I just related it to color. I thought that was the greater difference. 

 

I get hung on certain shad raps I have. Sometime things may start out great. Then it will die off. Why??? No idea. I'll tie on a jointed version of the same Shad rap and pick up a few more fish. 

[deep]

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

Why wouldn't I throw baits that match the forage. These are baits that proven themselves time after time. 

 

No disrespect (you are very respected) but you seem to be more hung up more on color then I am. 

Exactually why would I throw FireTiger, chartreuse w/ black and blue backs when they don't seem to produce well for me. Why would they be a confidence bait there. On the Big D that would be different. 

 

 

I do believe that all else being equal, color can be a factor, with bigger (adult) fish. I have no way to set up a scientific experiment to prove or disprove this, only personal experiences from being on the water. And even then, not all else were equal I guess.

 

If a particular color doesn't produce well for you; then don't fish it! Or better yet, try it for a couple casts when you're sticking fish with other colors.

 

My thoughts on "matching forage" are probably a little unconventional. I know I do not like photorealisitic paintschemes. I prefer certain hues/ shades on my baits, but I'm not particular about how they come together to make a certain paintscheme, if that makes sense. I also prefer my baits to *not* have certain colors. Yellow is a color I don't want on my hardbaits. But a splash of chartreuse or orange is good. I'm weird that way.

 

Peace.

[WRB]

So depth range the same makes sense because you caught bass, shape and action change is a big change. 

Back in the day I was more serious about catching bass my normal purchase was 6 crabkbaits of the same model and color to determine the best 2 of those and there always is a better producing 2 out of 6 with everything being the same. I did this with every crankbait I used so I knew they worked and exactly how deep they run.  Today my tackle boxes are full of lures that catch bass.

Tom

 

[Catt]

26 minutes ago, deep said:

I do believe that all else being equal, color can be a factor, with bigger (adult) fish. I have no way to set up a scientific experiment to prove or disprove this, only personal experiences from being on the water

 

Scientific observation is the central element of scientific method or process. The core skill of scientist is to make observation.

[WRB]

We don't have control over the activity level of the bass, we do have control over what we use to catch them and color is a choice.

Take a look at Norman lures color chart.

Tom

[Spankey]

3 hours ago, deep said:

 

I do believe that all else being equal, color can be a factor, with bigger (adult) fish. I have no way to set up a scientific experiment to prove or disprove this, only personal experiences from being on the water. And even then, not all else were equal I guess.

 

If a particular color doesn't produce well for you; then don't fish it! Or better yet, try it for a couple casts when you're sticking fish with other colors.

 

My thoughts on "matching forage" are probably a little unconventional. I know I do not like photorealisitic paintschemes. I prefer certain hues/ shades on my baits, but I'm not particular about how they come together to make a certain paintscheme, if that makes sense. I also prefer my baits to *not* have certain colors. Yellow is a color I don't want on my hardbaits. But a splash of chartreuse or orange is good. I'm weird that way.

 

Peace.

If you are implying that I'm using photo realistics not the case. That doesn't mean matching a forage type. You know ever decent hard bait mfg. makes a version of gizzard Shad, green gizzard Shad, blue back ....herring pattern types. 

[N Florida Mike]

On 7/5/2018 at 10:49 AM, Log Catcher said:

I believe at times color does make a difference. I saw an article years ago about color choices. For soft plastics if the water has decent visibility and the sun is out use watermelon seed colors. If it is cloudy go with green pumpkin. There seems to be some merit to this. I was catching fish pretty good one time on watermelon seed color. It got cloudy and I couldn't get a bite. I switched to green pumpkin and started catching fish again.

I do a variation of that. When it's cloudy, watermelon seed seems to produce better in my home lake. when it's sunny, watermelon red is better. Lower light, June bug or black grape seems to be best.

[TOXIC]

But why........

 

 

[Catt]

48 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

But why........

 

 

 

Merthiolate Trick Worm!

 

Find that on a color chart ?

 

 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

But why........

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Merthiolate Trick Worm!

 

Find that on a color chart ?

 

 

I think those are both right next to 'Scuppernog'.

While that color name may be questionable - the color itself is fairly product. 

 

A-Jay