Colors... how do you know which one to use?

[chex]

How do you know which color(s) to use?

Here is the little that I know:

- If it ain't chartreuse, it ain't no use (in the bay, where visibility is like 6")
- Red eyes makes a bait look weak, tired, easy prey.
- Red gills makes a bait look like it's swimming away, flashing it's gills... it's scared, eat it.
- Match the hatch

So why (according to thing's I've read on this forum)....

- are pumpkin colored gulp minnow working better for perch for some?
- are salt and pepper bass assassins working better for specs for some?
- do different colored lures work better at different time of the year?
- do black plastics work best for snakehead according to some?
- are firetiger colored cranks better for one season and blue ones better for another?
- did pink darts work better this year to get shad at fletcher's than any other color?

I'm sure part of it is science, and part is art. That's also why I love fishing so much.

[Capt C-Hawk]

All this science and conjecture, and to think, they swear fish are color blind. Must turn into differing shades of gray depending on light and water clarity. Or maybe the fish are smarter than the boilogists and just fake it.

How do you know which color(s) to use?

Here is the little that I know:

- If it ain't chartreuse, it ain't no use (in the bay, where visibility is like 6")
- Red eyes makes a bait look weak, tired, easy prey.
- Red gills makes a bait look like it's swimming away, flashing it's gills... it's scared, eat it.
- Match the hatch

So why (according to thing's I've read on this forum)....

- are pumpkin colored gulp minnow working better for perch for some?
- are salt and pepper bass assassins working better for specs for some?
- do different colored lures work better at different time of the year?
- do black plastics work best for snakehead according to some?
- are firetiger colored cranks better for one season and blue ones better for another?
- did pink darts work better this year to get shad at fletcher's than any other color?

I'm sure part of it is science, and part is art. That's also why I love fishing so much.

[dsiekman]

I'll add one to the list for ya. I tend to be very analytical. I've tried the same brand and size of 4" grub tails on the same day and have been getting fish on white over chartreuse 10 to 1. Granted, that's been mostly in the Severn with a few bay trips mixed in. I had one day when rootbeer was the color of choice. Who knows. I think they just like to screw with us.

[Bluegill]

I feel that for the most part fishing is unpredictable . For example you might be fishing crankbaits and they work great, then the next day same time , place and conditions only plastics might work . I think what we must always remember is don,t box ourselves in always try new things even if people say that it won't work you'll be surprised .

[Shady]

I usually go with more natural colors in clearer water and brighter colors in stained water. Not really sure why pumpkinseed works so well, it doesnt really fit into either category, but I'll definately say that pumpkinseed gulp alive minnows work good for perch in any water condition...

[Yak Fish]

After about 12' it doesn't matter which color in the bay. Light doesn't penetrate that far according to things I've read and people I've spoken with. White is supposed to be the most visible color as it's the last to disappear in the depths. You'll see white and chartruse umbrella rigs but not much else. I've personally found natural colors work better than the bright ones in water shallower than 10', but that's my experience. Others may differ. This is where the UV colors come into play. I have no personal experience but apparently fish can see it and it penetrates much deeper than the visible spectrum.

I've also been told that a good way to know how well your color is working is based on the fish you are catching on any given color. If the fish are short striking, your color could be improved. If they are inhaling it, you've got it just right!

[<MIKE>]

I'm still learning the art of fishing and have been lucky enough to fish with people who have more experience than me. When fishing with them I have sometimes used the same exact lure, color and setup all the way down to the same type of main line and they usually out fish me. The point I'm trying to make is presentation seems to be more important than color. If one color out performed all others why are there a seemingly endless array of colors in the rows and rows of soft plastics at Bass Pro.

I work for an advertising agency and I hear what gets discussed in marketing meetings everyday and I can tell you that what you see on store shelves is more about getting you hooked instead of the fish. Especially the products marked "new". I've even seen an electronic device at bass pro that claims to be able to suggest the best color based on present fishing conditions.

Unless you have a time machine it's impossible to recreate a situation in order to claim with certainty that one color or product out performs another. All you can rely on is averages. However, if the lure companies get marketing to promote chartreuse and white as the best colors in order to minimize their production runs and they in turn get the pros that the company sponsors to throw those colors and it catches fish people tend to follow. But, is it because of the color or from the fact that more people use that color due to marketing influence that it catches fish. I have caught fish using bubble gum pink and bright baby blue soft plastics. If fish are colorblind than size, shape and presentation seem to be bigger factors. Chaos and luck are also part of the equation.

[mytmouse]

I think this is what separates the great anglers from the decent ones... The ability to swap lures or even just the color. I can't tell you how many times I have been out and have had other color lures of the same type but I didn't switch, sometimes out of laziness but also sometimes of thinking I know what the fish want! LOL A lot of times when I go out on the yak I am with other people. I try to use a different color if we are using the same lure and see which one of us gets on em first or catches more. Then I will make the switch or tell them to switch.

Funny story... up in Jamaica bay this year we started targeting Fluke on the last couple of days. One day I was fishing alongside Cliff and he was pulling up fish after fish to my every now and again. Both of us were using bucktails with Chartreuse gulp, as a matter of fact, I think I let him have some of MY gulp! LOL Any rate, I finally broke down and asked him to show me his bucktail. It was a solid chartreuse whereas mine was a green sparkle. I switched off to my chartreuse bucktail and it was GAME ON!!! Now mind you, this was in about 30' of water, granted it wasn't the bay but it made a world of difference. I can't explain why, but it did! LOL

Since then I try to swap colors if one isn't working and stop being hard headed. LOL And like you said... this is why I enjoy it. If someone came out with a book on how to catch every species everytime... I probably would read it, but quit fishing sooner than later. Figuring them out is half the fun.

[ronaultmtd]

That is the reason why lures come in so many different colors and styles- Sometimes the action of one lure is tuned just ever so different that it catches fish while another exact same lure doesn't- seen this a lot salmon fishing with big spinners and quick fish lures- same with colors- the chartreuse Gulp curly tails produce when the white Gulp curly tails don't and vice versa- so I usually fish two rods- one with white and one with chartreuse until I see a pattern- same thing with stretch 25's- I will troll two rods- one with the Blue/silver stretch and one with the red/white stretch- see which one they want that day- I have caught fish on both and sometimes it doesn't matter- you catch them on both rods-

I carry several boxes of gear in my crate, just so I can keep swapping out combinations to get the fish cooperating- sometimes it isn't the lure ; it is the tide and water conditions- in a school of bait with breaking fish- it don't much matter what you throw- they will eat it-

[DanMarino]

For upper Potomac smallies I pretty much fish Green Pumpkin all the time. I guess in really muddy water I go with firetiger or white or black. But I'm usually throwing green pumpkin, especially in clear water conditions.

At Rocky Gorge and Triadelphia I've had great success trolling firetiger cranks. The next most productive has been olive and crawfish colored.

[On the fly]

Although this is on underwater photography it is a Good link with underwater pictures of fish and things with loss of light(and visible color). Also chart showing at what depths different colors are lost.

http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/13245

[susqeyaker]

we fished the susky for many years and if you are striper fishing in the dark you had better have a blue and silver broken back rebel. ive tried black and silver ones and got nothing. blue and silver rapals mite catch a couple. then there are times when anything will catch , but i never go without a blue and silver rebel. and thats in the dark. stripers have amazing eyes .

[Twistedfish]

I think color is more criticle for some species than others. I remember one summer we could only catch Spanish on silver Gotcha jerk jiggers with red eyes and nothing else. When you caught so many that they chipped the eye paint off, they would not hit the Gotcha. Switch to a new jig with eyes and I started catching Spanish again. Very strange. I have heard of similar color trends with spec trout.

In general I'm big on white and chartreuse for swimming baits or plastics and dark blue or black for top water plugs. I have a ton of plugs in other colors but dak blue or black seem to catch me more fish. I have caught some of my biggest OBX stripers on dark blue diving plugs at night.

Danny

[BassMoore]

i have days i kill perch on 3 inch chart grubs...i go to the severn were its clean water pumkin seed n salt n pepper is the ticket.. bay bridge black grubs r my go to.. its all about the shades or glow the baits give off under the water

[DOGFISH]

Generally, dirty, stained water bright colors, thus the bay with white and chartreuse. In clear water use natural colors. On bright days use flashy colors such as gold and chrome. On cloudy days use opaque colors such as white or similar. If in doubt, default to natural colors. The fish do not usually starve because there are no chartreuse menhaden swimming in the bay.

With that said, sometimes you also need to match the hatch, as it may be. Such as on days when the fish are feeding on anchovies, possibly that is when openning night is good. A lot of time it is just a lure that you have confidence.

I have a thing about changing out the hooks on my crankbaits. I will put a red hook of the same size on the belly hook and change out the tail hook to one size larger of the same or similar color. For stripers in the bay, I trade out to 3x. I don't know what the difference, but since I started doing this my success rate seems to have increased. Red is the first color to fade out in depth. At around 15' it fades out completely. Of course, with the stronger hooks, I don't have the stripers straighten out hooks that were intended for large mouth bass.

This all goes without mentioning sound, rattles and vibration.

Oh yes, and don't ever forget, there are lures designed to catch fish, and there are lures designed to catch fisherman.