Interesting (but not scientific) experience with lure colors

[BigAngus752]

That is a hand-colored Rat-L-Trap.  It was originally baby bass color and I threw it over and over on two different fishing trips in the past week and caught nothing but water.  On those same trips my best producer was a Cotton Cordell lipless that was dark gray on top and white on bottom .  I was curious if it was the different action (the Cordells run much "lighter" and higher in the water with a different rattle sound) or the color.  I took the baby bass trap and colored the top half with a black magic marker.  I caught 11 bass with it the same day.  No mystery any more.  It was the color.  

 

Before someone comes flying out of their trailer, I readily and wholeheartedly agree that this was in no way scientific or definitive and it could have been any one of many other things that caused this lure to suddenly work after I crayoned it.  But I had a good time catching 11 bass.  And I'll remember to try different colors if something isn't working.  

 

[Michigander]

That's awesome! One of the things I look for when working out the color game, as I am a color believer in my waters, is determining if they want a two tone color or not. Looks like your fish did!

[Bluebasser86]

Color doesn't matter, until it does. On my scale of what's important, I don't know what place it is, but it might not even be top 5. I have seen those days it makes all the difference in the world though. My best finish in the BASS weekend series (a tournament a rightfully won but that's a different story), I was a co-angler and I was fishing a shakyhead with a green pumpkin/red flake trick worm on an 1/8oz shakyhead behind my boater. After I caught my first 2 keepers, he declared he didn't not even have a shakyhead because he hated finesse fishing. So I gave him the exact same one with a green pumpkin trick worm. He scrounged up a few keepers but never got his limit while I culled several times behind him doing the exact same thing with almost the exact same bait. The red flake must have been doing something for them. That was at Lake of the Ozarks, which gets a ton of fishing pressure, so a tiny thing like that could make a big difference.

[roadwarrior]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Color doesn't matter, until it does.

[Jaderose]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Color doesn't matter, until it does. 

 

Pretty much exactly my thought.  

[jimmyjoe]

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Color doesn't matter, until it does.

 

   Color ........ or contrast.       jj

[DitchPanda]

Color seems to matter in two situations to me: pressured bite (either from fishing or weather) and clear water. 95% of the time you can get by with black, green pumpkin or white.

[BigAngus752]

10 hours ago, Michigander said:

That's awesome! One of the things I look for when working out the color game, as I am a color believer in my waters, is determining if they want a two tone color or not. Looks like your fish did!

I'll have to remember to try that also.  Thank you. 

[Michigander]

27 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Color seems to matter in two situations to me: pressured bite (either from fishing or weather) and clear water. 95% of the time you can get by with black, green pumpkin or white.

Most of my waters are both clear and pressured, so probably why I am a color believer.?

[BigAngus752]

10 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Color doesn't matter, until it does.

 

24 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Color seems to matter in two situations to me: pressured bite (either from fishing or weather) and clear water. 95% of the time you can get by with black, green pumpkin or white.

I felt good for figuring this out on this particular occasion, but my mentality about the whole things is that this specific "thing" worked on this specific lake during this specific week.  I don't feel like it goes any further than that.  It may work again somewhere/sometime else but that's another "thing".  

[Eddie101]

Thanks for throwing another X variable into a BR approved convoluted bass catching formula. I need that info like I need a hole in the head. 

 

 

 

Well, I guess I need to order a black magic marker..........

[MIbassyaker]

I can think of three reasons why color might matter:

(1) One color increases visibility over another, in helping bass detect the presence of the lure given clarity, stain, and background cover elements, vegetation, etc.

(2) Bass register one color or pattern as prey moreso than another. This is more about triggering a strike after they detect it.

 

Both of these assume color has an influence over and above that of other visual cues, such as movement or profile. Both should also matter more in well-lit conditions than low-light conditions, as the distinction between colors inherently diminishes with reduced light.  Increased fishing pressure could make (2) more likely if bass become more discriminating in what they strike.

 

The third reason has nothing to do with the bass:

(3) The angler fishes one color differently than another because of expectations, confidence, etc., whether they realize they are doing it or not.

 

I tend to think (3) accounts for most of the color differences anglers experience, and that (1) and (2) contribute only occasionally.

 

In this case, something as obnoxious as a Trap shouldn't be hard to detect, so #1 is probably out. But #2 could apply if bass were keying in on countershading (darker back/ lighter belly) as a visual cue.

 

[soflabasser]

How you work a lure is more important than what color the lure has. Sometimes color can make a difference when you are trying to get a reaction bite or when trying to imitate the color of the prey the bass eat in the area you are fishing in but it is not always the case. Seems like people that rely on color the most are people who's fishing improves since they feel more confident with a specific color.

[scaleface]

After the spawn I usually tone down my bright spinnerbaits to  more dull baitfish colors . This year I also toned the blades down too . Every  person I saw chucking spinnerbaits  on this one lake were throwing the same bright lures and doing so-so . I wore them out on muted colors   from June to November  .  

[king fisher]

If a bass can see color, than they will surely use that ability to help them find and catch prey.  Could they find and catch prey with out color vision?  I'm sure they could.  A color blind person gets by just fine.  Most people would agree, being able to see color is not the most important sense a hunter can have but it is an advantage for a human hunter trying to find game.  I'm sure it is also an advantage for a bass.  If bass are using their ability to see color to their advantage,  it only makes sense for angler to try and use lure color to their advantage.  

[BigAngus752]

13 hours ago, scaleface said:

After the spawn I usually tone down my bright spinnerbaits to  more dull baitfish colors . This year I also toned the blades down too . Every  person I saw chucking spinnerbaits  on this one lake were throwing the same bright lures and doing so-so . I wore them out on muted colors   from June to November  .  

 

I had a similar experience on a small, electric-only lake near my home.  Every guy that fishes there says "white spinnerbaits are the deal here!".  I was on the lake this year in my boat and there were three other boats with four fisherman.  ALL four fisherman were throwing white or white and chartruese spinners!  Two guys in the same boat throwing the same thing!  I couldn't believe it.  I threw a blk/blue bladed jig and a gray/white lipless.  In two hours I caught three bass and one of the other boats caught one bass.  That was it.  Once word of "the deal" gets around, it's ain't "the deal" anymore...

[00bullitt]

I will say this....Garmin Livescope is worth 10 times the investment in what you pay. I've learned more about fishing in the past 3 months than I have in 20 years. Color/Contrast matters tremendously!!!! As does presentation and bait size.

It will turn a bite off or on in a flat second. Just yesterday....on Lake Keowee in SC, I was dropshotting a Watermelon red flake worm in 25'. Saw fish checking it out. I was on two big schools feeding up on baitfish. I put a blue craw color on and boom, 3 fish back to back. They turned off again....still there, I see em on Livescope (and I know they are bass). Switched to Morning Dawn.....Boom! 4 more. Did that for 3 hours on the SAME SPOT. Kept changing til the sun got overhead and  Iiterally followed that same school to 40'. They would not touch a drop shot at 40', but they destroyed my vertical jigged blade bait. Big spotted bass too!

Tried crankbaits in some schools suspended on deep creek ledges at 18-25'. They were reacting to my shad colored Berkley Dredger 20.5, but wouldnt commit. Had several follow it to within feet of the boat. Visibility here is 8-10'. Changed to green craw color and they started eating.

Watching fish react to top water is insane. I throw various top water baits over deep schools. They are ALWAYS interested to come up to about 5' below the surface and return. Calling fish up from the depths is REAL. You know what gets bit when they wont commit to topwater? A Fluke.....a poor little innocent noiseless fluke! Yep, they come up from 25' to eat a Fluke.

Subleties make the difference! When all they see are baits that make noise, they tend to go after the noiseless ones.

Livescope is a game changer if you wanna learn bass behavior.....and CATCH MORE FISH.

[BigAngus752]

36 minutes ago, 00bullitt said:

I will say this....Garmin Livescope is worth 10 times the investment in what you pay. I've learned more about fishing in the past 3 months than I have in 20 years. Color/Contrast matters tremendously!!!! As does presentation and bait size.

It will turn a bite off or on in a flat second. Just yesterday....on Lake Keowee in SC, I was dropshotting a Watermelon red flake worm in 25'. Saw fish checking it out. I was on two big schools feeding up on baitfish. I put a blue craw color on and boom, 3 fish back to back. They turned off again....still there, I see em on Livescope (and I know they are bass). Switched to Morning Dawn.....Boom! 4 more. Did that for 3 hours on the SAME SPOT. Kept changing til the sun got overhead and  Iiterally followed that same school to 40'. They would not touch a drop shot at 40', but they destroyed my vertical jigged blade bait. Big spotted bass too!

Tried crankbaits in some schools suspended on deep creek ledges at 18-25'. They were reacting to my shad colored Berkley Dredger 20.5, but wouldnt commit. Had several follow it to within feet of the boat. Visibility here is 8-10'. Changed to green craw color and they started eating.

Watching fish react to top water is insane. I throw various top water baits over deep schools. They are ALWAYS interested to come up to about 5' below the surface and return. Calling fish up from the depths is REAL. You know what gets bit when they wont commit to topwater? A Fluke.....a poor little innocent noiseless fluke! Yep, they come up from 25' to eat a Fluke.

Subleties make the difference! When all they see are baits that make noise, they tend to go after the noiseless ones.

Livescope is a game changer if you wanna learn bass behavior.....and CATCH MORE FISH.

That is certainly good information and confirms a lot of what we, as fisherman, tend to believe (or want to believe).  I'll keep the info in mind but I have absolutely no interest in Livescope.  If that was the only way I was allowed to fish, I would quit fishing for good.  But I'm glad that other people use it because it makes for fantastic intel on what we're trying to do.  

[roadwarrior]

50 minutes ago, 00bullitt said:

I will say this....Garmin Livescope is worth 10 times the investment in what you pay. I've learned more about fishing in the past 3 months than I have in 20 years. Color/Contrast matters tremendously!!!! As does presentation and bait size.

It will turn a bite off or on in a flat second. Just yesterday....on Lake Keowee in SC, I was dropshotting a Watermelon red flake worm in 25'. Saw fish checking it out. I was on two big schools feeding up on baitfish. I put a blue craw color on and boom, 3 fish back to back. They turned off again....still there, I see em on Livescope (and I know they are bass). Switched to Morning Dawn.....Boom! 4 more. Did that for 3 hours on the SAME SPOT. Kept changing til the sun got overhead and  Iiterally followed that same school to 40'. They would not touch a drop shot at 40', but they destroyed my vertical jigged blade bait. Big spotted bass too!

Tried crankbaits in some schools suspended on deep creek ledges at 18-25'. They were reacting to my shad colored Berkley Dredger 20.5, but wouldnt commit. Had several follow it to within feet of the boat. Visibility here is 8-10'. Changed to green craw color and they started eating.

Watching fish react to top water is insane. I throw various top water baits over deep schools. They are ALWAYS interested to come up to about 5' below the surface and return. Calling fish up from the depths is REAL. You know what gets bit when they wont commit to topwater? A Fluke.....a poor little innocent noiseless fluke! Yep, they come up from 25' to eat a Fluke.

Subleties make the difference! When all they see are baits that make noise, they tend to go after the noiseless ones.

Livescope is a game changer if you wanna learn bass behavior.....and CATCH MORE FISH.

WOW!

 

[Luke Barnes]

Very interesting. I could see how color would make a difference in a bass discerning if its a food fish or a fish it doesnt want to eat. Im guilty of switching lures all together and not changing up color. I need to do that more before I change lures all together. I insist on having multiple colors of the same thing, I need to switch them up!

[Bankc]

To me, color falls into two categories.  Contrast or natural.  Either they're looking for a lure that looks like bait, or they're looking for a lure that stands out.  That's about as far as I take it.