Does color really matter?

[Sissyfishing]

I don’t think it matters most of the time!

 

bass are not normally selective feeders, opportunistic feeders mostly.

 

Just my experience no right or wrong answer here.

 

Don’t  know why?

But even on a lake dominated by shad you can catch bass on a solid black spinner bait?

a pond dominated by blue gill you can still catch bass on white spinner baits?

 

why are lipless crankbait in crawdad color when the action of the bait has nothing in common with a crawdad?

 

i generally match the forage color

 

white or chartreuse or pearl for shad

crawdad patterns for crawdad lakes

white for frogs and small snakes or 6 inch ribbon worms fished on top weightless like small snake, the bottom of snakes and frogs are white.

 

generally I fish opposite of the light level to be more visible 

 

low light or dark water I fish white or chartreuse 

bright light or clear water I fish black or purple

i know that’s bassackwards to what most anglers do.

 

i think hunger and lure action are far more important factors for strikes

[Bankc]

Almost everything I have is either black and blue or chartreuse, yellow, and white.  Most of the waters I fish are pretty stained.  I have a few realistic looking lures, but they don't produce as well as identical ones in either black and blue or chartreuse, yellow, and white.  So I don't buy them anymore.  Green pumpkin, everyone's favorite color, doesn't work for me.  Neither does red (which is the color of the water so red lures disappear almost instantly).  Even chrome isn't as good as white.  Every once in a while I'll hit up a clear water lake and have to dig out a bunch of lures I never touch anymore.  But even then, I feel like it's more of an excuse to use them rather than a necessity.  That, and if I lose them, no big deal.  

 

So I'd say color matters.  But I don't spend much time worrying about it on the water.  I only really concern myself with color in the store.  And I don't think color is as important as lure size, sound, and action.  But I wouldn't say that it doesn't play any factor.   

[chuck-norris-707]

I made my own baits and I made a couple blue plain teal and I didnt think I was going to catch any but I casted a couple of times and I got 2 bass about 2-3 pounds so I agree color doesn't really matter 

[Sissyfishing]

I’ve never caught anything on green pumpkin either, confidence is a big factor I think, I have tons of confidence in a white single tail grub.

 

the strangest example is catching bass on a rainbow trout pattern when there’s no trout in the lake, go figure?

must be size and action that really matters!

[Sissyfishing]

I’ve tied flies for trout and buck tails for bass but never made any soft plastics

[Mike L]

Color is the last consideration I give when cycling through the many other lure options trying to find what they want on any given day

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Big Hands]

1 hour ago, Sissyfishing said:

I don’t think it matters most of the time!

 

bass are not normally selective feeders, opportunistic feeders mostly.

 

Just my experience no right or wrong answer here.

 

Don’t  know why?

But even on a lake dominated by shad you can catch bass on a solid black spinner bait?

a pond dominated by blue gill you can still catch bass on white spinner baits?

 

why are lipless crankbait in crawdad color when the action of the bait has nothing in common with a crawdad?

 

i generally match the forage color

 

white or chartreuse or pearl for shad

crawdad patterns for crawdad lakes

white for frogs and small snakes or 6 inch ribbon worms fished on top weightless like small snake, the bottom of snakes and frogs are white.

 

generally I fish opposite of the light level to be more visible 

 

low light or dark water I fish white or chartreuse 

bright light or clear water I fish black or purple

i know that’s bassackwards to what most anglers do.

 

i think hunger and lure action are far more important factors for strikes

So, I'm confused. Does color matter, or doesn't it?

[jbsoonerfan]

I too, don't think color matters much at all. However, I seem to think I have to have one of every color made. The good ol, bait made to catch the fisherman gets me everytime.

[Jermination]

1 hour ago, Sissyfishing said:

I don’t think it matters most of the time!

 

bass are not normally selective feeders, opportunistic feeders mostly.

 

Just my experience no right or wrong answer here.

 

Don’t  know why?

But even on a lake dominated by shad you can catch bass on a solid black spinner bait?

a pond dominated by blue gill you can still catch bass on white spinner baits?

 

why are lipless crankbait in crawdad color when the action of the bait has nothing in common with a crawdad?

 

i generally match the forage color

 

white or chartreuse or pearl for shad

crawdad patterns for crawdad lakes

white for frogs and small snakes or 6 inch ribbon worms fished on top weightless like small snake, the bottom of snakes and frogs are white.

 

generally I fish opposite of the light level to be more visible 

 

low light or dark water I fish white or chartreuse 

bright light or clear water I fish black or purple

i know that’s bassackwards to what most anglers do.

 

i think hunger and lure action are far more important factors for strikes

Color definitely matters. Ive taken people out who throw baits similar to me but i outcatch them 3-1 or vice versa. Generally speaking you can get away with green pumpkin, black & blue, chartreuse, chart/white, & red. Color in my opinion is more about water clarity & sunlight penetration than it is forage, especially when fishing moving baits. Time of year is also a big factor. I pretty much put my reds up until the water dips below 65 degrees. Green pumpkin is usually my starting point with soft plastics throughout the year then let the fish tell me what they want. Most of the lakes around here like a dab of chart on the pinchers or tail, there have been times where i've been flipping a straight green pumpkin jig in grass and not gotten a bite then tip the trailer with some chartreuse and load the boat. Don't overthink it, throw what you catch fish on 

[Bird]

I have quite a bit of tackle but not that many color variations so if the fish aren't hit'n  what I'm throwing it's because of a high pressure. ?

 

BUT the more time a fish has to look at a bait, maybe color plays a bigger roll, 

Reaction baits not so much.

[Sissyfishing]

Adding chartreuse maybe simply make the lure more visible too

and if some you fish with drinks or smokes that could be sensed by the fish, I don’t know of real scientific experiments on this subject

Maybe your fishing a bait with an action that the fish perfered

[Jermination]

16 minutes ago, Sissyfishing said:

Adding chartreuse maybe simply make the lure more visible too

and if some you fish with drinks or smokes that could be sensed by the fish, I don’t know of real scientific experiments on this subject

Maybe your fishing a bait with an action that the fish perfered

it certainly helps visibility, thats the most important part of whatever color you're throwing. they're never going to eat something they can not see. and yes the preferred action is a big part. when they're on reaction baits and the wind is blowing i usually throw a chatterbait, if it's still i'll throw a little squarebill or swim a worm

[MAN]

Its matters to the fisherman and the lure manufacture.  The fish....not so much.  

 

 

[DaubsNU1]

I think it matters in certain situations...I've been fishing the exact same lure as a buddy, but in a different color...and watched him boat many fish while I got skunked. Could have been presentation, but I tried to mimic him as closely as possible...and when I tied on the same color, BAM, fish(!). 

 

My largest bass ever was on a rainbow trout colored Slug-Go in a NE Missouri farm pond. No trout any where near that little pond...go figure. 

 

Does color matter...I think the answer is...

 

"yes...and no...it depends..."

[MassYak85]

Action over color any day. That said I've fished spinnerbaits side by side with my dad too many times to know that some days it can also make a big difference. One of us will have like a white and silver the other a more bluegill looking one and usually one will outperform depending on the day and what they're after. 

 

[sschrad]

1 hour ago, Sissyfishing said:

Adding chartreuse maybe simply make the lure more visible too

and if some you fish with drinks or smokes that could be sensed by the fish, I don’t know of real scientific experiments on this subject

Maybe your fishing a bait with an action that the fish perfered

Let me try to get this right. Are you saying that if someone drinks or smokes in a boat in which you are in no contact with the water, that it affects the fishing? The fish sense that you are smoking or drinking? Is it Mountain Dew, Coke, Water or Beer? Cigarettes or Cigars? Not busting your chops, just trying to figure out if that's what you mean. If it is.... I would vote a resounding No.

[Mike L]

Bottom line is..

It matters when it matters. 
 

But there are more pressing considerations to consider before color being the only consideration ?

 

Have I caught a fish just because I changed color? Sure, it happens. 
But as a matter of course not very often. 
It’s always my last option

 

 

Mike

[DitchPanda]

I think color sometimes matters and sometimes it doesn't. In cleaner water especially when fishing a slow bottom oriented bait I think color matters. In most water clarities its more about profile than color. Dark colors show up in dark water...does it matter if its black, black and blue or junebug? Normally no.

Never caught a bass on green pumpkin? Are you sure your fishing for bass? It may not be everybody's favorite but it is one you hear everybody touting...probably the most used color of soft plastic ever made.

Regarding the lipless I believe that resembles a crawfish when they are hopped or yo yoed.

Here's a question I have...you said you try to match forage colors. Shad colors for shad lakes...craw colors for craw lakes. Well my local lake is creek fed and often has a river run into it during high water. Because of this it has a good mix of gills, craws and shad...what do you do in that case?

[Sissyfishing]

You have oils in your hands that can get on lures and the bass sense it, I’ve watched videos about it, don’t know if it’s true or proven but it is possible, mosquitoes also two guys in a boat and there eating one alive must something to it

[sschrad]

2 minutes ago, Sissyfishing said:

You have oils in your hands that can get on lures and the bass sense it, I’ve watched videos about it, don’t know if it’s true or proven but it is possible, mosquitoes also two guys in a boat and there eating one alive must something to it

OK, I'll consider that if you are using soft plastics  ( As far as tobacco goes, I have no idea if it's true, but will entertain the thought) I know guys that spray their soft baits with Garlic and other scents every 3 or 4 casts and as far as I know , there are none of those aromas in the water. They get Bit.

[Sissyfishing]

Yes for bass, I don’t think green pumpkin looks like any forage, crawdads are red and brown in Texas anyway, black with bright orange better match but only in a craw not worms

There’s fisherman’s soap too 

[sschrad]

Have you ever seen a juvenile bass or any small panfish? Or a gobie? Green Pumpkin is the bomb!

[Sissyfishing]

Gills craws and shad the shad probably most dominate forage so shad patrerns for lmb and spots, but if smb it would be crawdads

I prefer white in shad type patterns and black or purple in worms

dont fish senko’s or creature baits much, confidence is a big part of it 

[sschrad]

I gotcha Sissyfishing. That's your native baitfish where you are. But for MANY years before all these newer colors came out we caught bass on red head  and white bodied hard baits (Think Bass=A-Reno, River Runts, Daredevils, Red and White Mepp's spinners) Lot's of them!  That is not a natural color . So maybe action is the answer as opposed to color.

[Sissyfishing]

I used to keep 4 to 6 inch bass in a tank, don’t look like green pumpkin but Texas has mostly Florida strain bass