another epic "colors" discussion

[scott000]

i know, i know, i started a discussion about the whole bluegill color think but do you think color matters? what are your most productive colors? what colors that youve tried did no good for you at all?

1)i say yes it does matter, but not as much as things like action or presentation. lures come in so many colors but its good to have a variety but not a whole wizard of oz rainbow full.

2)Greens, Chartreuse and Black/red Flake

3)i bought a whole thing of junebug worms even though i hear its an amazing color and havent had any luck. i bet its just my presentation.

im just looking for opinions, mainly on what works best  

[jdw174]

My favorites are shad, chrome/blk back.  To quote Paul Elias, "Three colors will cover all your crankbait needs.  Shad, bream (blue/chart/orange), and crawdad".  Personally, I've had very little luck with crawdad finish here.  Up north it was a killer for smallies.  In jigs, I'm a sucker for black/blue.

[scott000]

all ive used for bass are plastics and poppers so i need help selecting crankbait colors

[Shad_Master]

I think there is no doubt that "color matters" -- I have seen too many examples of fish biting lures right next to other lures fished exactly the same way.  Now, is there a way to "know" what color will work?  NO, you have to experiment and try variations.  But there are some general "truths" about color that do hold up.  In clear water, you want more natural colors that mimic the bait that is in that body of water.  In muddy or stained water, you need somthing that will show up against the background and this is when either very bright (chartruese or fire-tiger for example) work best or dark (black, black/blue, etc.).  On a fishing trip a couple of years ago, I was stuggling to get bit while my partner was slaying them.  After he caught a really nice one I asked to look at it and saw crawdad pinchers in it's throat -- they were "robins egg blue".  I switched to a sweet beaver in this color and immediately started getting bites.  It's hard to "match the hatch" when fishing for bass because they will feed on a variety of food in the water, but anything you can do to mimic what you know to be there (especially in color) will help (IMO).

[BASS fisherman]

RW said a while back he likes dark colors for soft plastics, I agree.  My best producing color is watermelon for plastics.

For cranks, I like natural colors, meaning colors that mimick natural forage for bass.  But, I have also used very bright colors with good success such as a bright green crankbait that was crafted by Whittler.  

I have a wide array of colors for jigs, and it seems the dark colors play the role again as being the best selection.  Same with spinnerbaits.

If you can find the fish, most of the time color matters very little.  Like you said, it is the presentation that gets the bass to bite.  

[Raul]

The best color is a laminated LOCATION/PRESENTATION.

[earthworm77]

The bottom line on colors is this.....take it to the bank......color only matters when it matters!-ew-ism #9

[BucketmouthAngler13]

IMHO colors matter, details dont. What the lures does is more inportant that how it looks.

For cranks i like craw, shad, crome w/blue, chartruse and bluegill. For spinnerbaits black, chart. or white. For buzzbaits black and chart. and for soft plastics: anything.

[earthworm77]

Bucket, I agree if you are fishy anything other than clear water. I fished bath tub clear water and these fish scrutinize lures at times. It is enough to drive you crazy to see a 10+ charge your bait and then put the brakes on as it just touches its nose to the lure.

Color, detail, movement, size.....everything matters in this type of fishing. for most it is not the norm.

[The_Natural]

The people who fish for a living swear color matters.  Aaron martens, KVD, Gerald Swindle, etc. have all expressed their belief that color makes a difference.  I was watching a bassmasters episode I had DVR'd, and Gerald Swindle had a trap pattern going, and he was throwing an LVR D7 in Aurora black.  His bite fizzled, and he immediately switched to an LVR that was almost identical, but had a brown back versus a black back.  He proceded to catch a fish on the next two casts, and piped up about the difference it made to 'make a color switch'.  

[Raul]

Here 's a case for y 'all to chew upon a little.

Place: Lake Zimapán, Mexico

Date: Nov 19, 2006

Air temperature: 45°

Water temperature: 77°

Water clarity: 2-3 ft

Weather: Cloudy, windy

Hour: 8-10 AM

Location: Platteau with a 30 degree slope extending from the mountain into the main lake for around 100 ft to a 80 degree vertical drop to 70+ ft depth.

4 Anglers fan casting covering the platteau, fish located between 15-20 ft depth.

I caught 4 fish on a Black Sapphire ( black back, clear underside blue flake ) SS Utale ( #5 split shot rig ) worm in less than 15 min, because one of my partners insisted that it was the color of the bait the reason why he wasn 't catching anything and just to prove him wrong I switched to a Black Ruby ( Dark red back, clear underside red flake ) SS Utale worm, result 4 fish; since he was not convinced that color had nothing to do with it I switched to a Midnight Chartreuse ( black back, clear underside gold flake ) SS Utale worm, result 3 more fish, to go further I switched to a Margarita ( chartreuse green, gold flake ) Finesse worm with 3 more fish and he was casting to the same places I was casting, apparently all the fish were on my side of the boat, then I switched to a Stiko Green Pumpkin red gold T rigged weightless, result 4 more fish. Then I switched to a Live Pointer shell white color, result 2 more fish. Then.......aw man, we had to move beacuse he was whining like a 3 year old.

6 different colors

20 fish

Color or presentation ? you choose.

When you have located the features that are holding the fish and you are presenting your bait properly bait color matters little.

[Fishin49er]

In my opinion only 2 colors matter. A natural color and a loud color.  For example in crankbaits ill buy a shad or silver pattern and a parrot or char/blue pattern.  Spinnerbaits , ill buy a baitfish color skirt and a char. skirt.  Worms and jigs, something natural (brown or green) and something dark (black/blue).

[RoLo]

Whenever your lure is difficult to see due to current lighting conditions, you're bound to miss out on some action.

If a bass doesn't see the lure or even if he see's it too late, he's likely to pass-up it.

In my opinion, once a bass sees the lure, color is no longer an issue.

Can you imagine a bass rejecting a green plastic worm because he's waiting for something in pumpkin with red flakes ;D

Roger

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

For me , it's about hue, not color.

I only use natural colors, it's just whether it's a dark color or a light color.

The actual color is irrelevant.  

[Bud]

   For me , it's about hue, not color.

I only use natural colors, it's just whether it's a dark color or a light color.

The actual color is irrelevant.  

I will go with LBH  on this.   Match the hatch

[MALTESE FALCON]

I BELIEVE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS ARE LOCATION AND PRESENTATION. HOWEVER THERE ARE DAYS WHEN I CAN BE THROWING A CERTAIN BAIT WITH NO LUCK AND CHANGE NOTHING BUT COLOR AND START CATCHING FISH.

I'VE NOTICED ROLAND MARTIN HAS BEEN PLUGGUNG THE "COLOR SELECTOR" RECENTLY. HE DROPS A PROBE INTO THE WATER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND IT REGISTERS WHAT COLOR OR HUE THE FISH CAN SEE UNDER THOSE PARTICULAR CONDITIONS.

HE CLAIMS IT'S VERY ACCURATE.

I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SUBJECTS WE CAN DEBATE UNTIL DOOMSDAY AND NOT GET THE PERFECT ANSWER.

[Guest avid]

I'm sorry guys, but I just can't do this color this thing again.

Didn't we have another post on this like Yesterday??????????????

[roadwarrior]

Everyday...

So avid, what line should I buy? Wait, I need to stay on topic...avid, what is the "best" color for the "best" line?

[gatrboy53]

colors and patterns for the most part are for fishermen.confidence in the colors or patterns you choose make all the difference in the world,but nothing takes the place of presentation.water clarity,light refraction,and so many other variables dictate what bass perceive as color and we all know they are the most unpredictably predictable creatures that swim .i try to get as many colors as possible and keep changing untill i find something they want.sometimes it works ,sometimes it dont matter,sometimes i cant get em to bite anything i try.i dont know about the bass but all those colors sure make me feel better.

[Keithscatch]

I'VE NOTICED ROLAND MARTIN HAS BEEN PLUGGUNG THE "COLOR SELECTOR" RECENTLY.

Roland Martin plugs anything and everything on his shows. So I would take that with lots of grains of salt. He is a walking talking billboard for sponsorships now a days. To the point that it makes his shows hard to watch.

[flechero]

I'm sorry guys, but I just can't do this color this thing again.

Didn't we have another post on this like Yesterday??????????????

Yup, just like we had a bunch of "best spinning reel" threads yet you still started another one, just the other day. Seriously, you didn't know that even though the design is inferior, the Stella and Stradic were good reels before asking the question? And since you hate Christmas, Holiday threads are off limits too. Keep this up and we will only have curent lake reports to reply to.

Take all this tongue in cheek... I'm not trying to be a jacka$$ just pointing out that probably 75% + of what happens here can be read about in the archives... but the interactive nature of this board is what people like.

Now go buy your wife a nice present... she deserves it for putting up with the grinch!! ;D

[RoLo]

For me , it's about hue, not color.

I only use natural colors, it's just whether it's a dark color or a light color.

The actual color is irrelevant.

I will go with LBH on this. Match the hatch

Maybe I missed the point, but I didn't see mention of matching the hatch.

Most lakes contain several dozen species of fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

Living in the atmosphere, how would I know which hatch to match?

Roger

[senile1]

I'VE NOTICED ROLAND MARTIN HAS BEEN PLUGGUNG THE "COLOR SELECTOR" RECENTLY.

Roland Martin plugs anything and everything on his shows. So I would take that with lots of grains of salt. He is a walking talking billboard for sponsorships now a days. To the point that it makes his shows hard to watch.

Amen to that.  We could start another thread about this.  

[JiggaMan512]

Everyday...

So avid, what line should I buy? Wait, I need to stay on topic...avid, what is the "best" color for the "best" line?

[FIN-S-R]

Even though this has been beat down a few times, repetition helps retention. Lets see, color...June bug/ Ozark Smoke/whitish purple/ anything green or brown, and of course black. All these "colors" reflect wavelengths that are easy for fish to see and resemble most naturally ocurring forage. Then again I have caught fish on every color of everything I own pretty much. I think you can get more of a color effect in shallower water than deep, but there is always gonna be that 1 color that does out perform the rest. Just how do you find it though...Oh yeah Rolands color selector. Color matters, but not as much as some other things. Color is more of an enhancement factor.