Does color really matter?

[Sissyfishing]

I think red and white could be an injured shad, bleeding baits was big craze a few years back red hooks and all 

[sschrad]

Gobie, SM bass and LGM bass. Green Pumpkin will work!

 

Bluegill

 

[Sissyfishing]

We don’t have gobie in Texas or smb in most lakes far as I know, green pumpkin is very popular but how much is effectiveness and how much a craze or bandwagon

 

sometimes color can matter but I think its rare, mostly it’s the manufacturers trying to make a buck with a huge variety of colors and lures and sizes too. 
 

there are 10 plus jitterbug patterns on the top of the bait and three on the bottom white yellow and black which side do the fish see and which side do the fisherman see? Who being caught fish or fisherman?

[sschrad]

 Fish. 

Because of the confidence that the fisherman might have in the bait because of the color ,they might fish it longer  or try slightly different retrieves with the lure. The only thing a bass sees with a Jitterbug or a Frog is the underneath. You are correct! Goes back to the action being the most important. You have answered your own question. BUT, color can matter at times, even the underbelly of topwaters.

[Bigassbass]

Lots of pros and biologist study fish, they say red is the color fish see best and react to, yet we all have every color under the sun to fish with.  I think color matters to fish, and matters to people because certain lure colors give them confidence while fishing. 

[jimmyjoe]

   I don't know about clear water; I don't have any clear water where I fish. But in muddy water, I think color matters ..... in a different way than you might think. I think fish literally don't like certain colors (or contrasts) in certain water. Other than that, I don't think it makes all that much difference, especially for a moving lure.  My 2 cents.          jj

  

[king fisher]

Action, speed, size, and color all can matter.  Most of the time color is the least dominant factor, but not always.  Some times the bass are keying in on only one factor, such as speed.  Any thing you throw gets hit as long as it is fished, fast.  Other times its action, only a wide wobble will get hit.  Size can be critical, other times not.  Sometimes they are keying in on more than one factor.  Fast tight vibrating is what they want.  Then their are times when you need to match all factors even color.  Other times as long as they can fit it in their mouth they will hit.  Those are the times that great stories are made of.  Also their are rare times when color is the only thing they are interested in.  Anything orange will get crushed, but something black wont get a look.  If red on a crawfish makes it easier for the bass to find a crawfish, then he may get tunnel vision and only look for that color to find his prey. Anything red will get hit even if it doesn't look or act like a craw.  Most of the time a certain movement is what helps a bass capture their prey but that is not always the case.

     If I'm looking for deer with binoculars in open country, I will be concentrating on size and movement.  In thick cover I may be concentrating on finding the small white patch on their neck or the shine of an antler.  A bass is a predator just like any other.  They use all of their senses to the maximum advantage to locate a kill their prey.  Color vision may not be used as often as other senses, but it will be used.  If not they wouldn't have the ability to see color.

      If you hold a Jitterbug straight above you head all you will see is the bottom white.  If you hold it above your head at an angle, you will see the bottom and the sides, at a slight angle you can almost see the whole thing. Try it. Not that I think it makes a difference, because I don't, but I always hear a bass can only see the bottom of a top water and that is not true.

      I don't think an exact color match is important.  A rainbow trout colored lure is green on the back grey on the sides, and white on the bottom.  That is the same color as many bait fish.  Just because it has a red stripe probably wont make any difference to a bass.  Try to throw an all pink lure when they are looking for a natural colored one, and you might have a problem.

[DaubsNU1]

4 hours ago, sschrad said:

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.

 

Read research / book years ago...early 1990's...researcher compared human to hunting dog to LMBass...

 

For comparison:

- Human can smell what equates to a drop of vinegar in a 2 liter bottle of water

- Bird dog can smell drop in a 50 gallon drum

- Largmouth Bass can smell a drop in an Olympic size swimming pool

 

I don't remember the researcher, nor the book...but that quote stuck with me all these years.

 

Oh, and he also said the reason your wife/girlfriend out-fishes you, makeup usually contains fish-oil...and attracts fish : )

 

I keep a bar of soap in my boat, for when my hands contact gasoline / etc.  And to wash off the fish slime (that's for me...not the fish catching). 

[Sissyfishing]

Thanks

 

red is a factor but in bright light conditions caught plenty bass back in the day of Mann’s jelly worms strawberry red, black grape was effective also 

[Fallser]

8 hours ago, Sissyfishing said:

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

If I'm tying flies for trout, I try and "match the hatch" meaning I'll try to match the color of the fly but I just trying to create the illusion of life.  For bass I'll match the colors of the bait fish in the lake, stream or river.  Though I have found that adding a bit of chartreuse and/or pink to my shad patterns increases the number of hits. Crayfish up here tend to be more olive in color.  

As far lures go,  I don't have any really crazy colors,  fire tiger which covers perch and sunfish is about the flashiest I have.  Though I do have a couple silver rattle traps.  The rest are dark back, lighter or silver sides, white belly.   My senkos are mostly green pumpkin.  So are the Ned rigs I've picked up.  Top waters it doesn't seem to matter as much, a white or yellow belly seems to get more action.  Always have a couple of black ones for fishing after sunset.  This is one of the lures that have produced a lot smallmouth up in Ontario.  It's a tinker mackerel pattern.

 

[Catt]

I've seen times when color absolutely mattered.

 

I've seen times when color made absolutely no difference.

 

I've seen times I had to consistently change colors to get bit.

 

On certain bodies of water a particular color will out produce all others.

 

If my buddy is out fishing me with a particular color this coonass is definitely changing colors.

 

There's plenty things in life scientist can't explain ?

[TnRiver46]

Sometimes it do, sometimes it don't 

 

Almond joys got nuts, mounds don't

[Mobasser]

Color matters at times, but confidence in a color is probably more important.