does lure colour attract fish or fishermen?
does lure colour attract fish or fishermen?
I think being in the right place at the right time, and using the appropriate presentation represents 2/3 of the equation. Would a hungry fish really ignore one colour and hit another? Seems to me, colour only matters when they are neutral and need coaxing, but I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise .
Re..
Never been sure on this, I always figured it doesn't matter. But there are definitely some distinct days when one color catches more than another. I find a lot of the time with bass, one color seems to catch a lot of rock bass and another color gets less bites, but catches more largemouth. Or when fishing a place where you can only use pretty much one type of lure (like the Caledonia Dam/grub connection), switching up to a different color than everyone else can do the trick on tough days.
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Markus
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I have convinced myself that with the right color you will catch more fish. Granted there are fish that will just smash anything that goes by, but I have been experimenting with the same lures while pike fishing and there are very convincing results that support the idea of one color is better then the other.
I had a silver frenzy crankbait that consistantley out performed every other lure in the box. To put the lure to the test, I'd run 4 of the same crankbait at the same time. 1 being the silver one and the other 3 would be other colors. 4 out of every 5 fish came off the same lure. I'd even move the rods around in different holders. Same thing.
I had a silver frenzy crankbait that consistantley out performed every other lure in the box. To put the lure to the test, I'd run 4 of the same crankbait at the same time. 1 being the silver one and the other 3 would be other colors. 4 out of every 5 fish came off the same lure. I'd even move the rods around in different holders. Same thing.
I think it can, but it's not the end-all be-all of lure selection. In general I would say that getting the depth right is more important than colour, but there were some definite days when a certain colour definitely was preferred.
Last year on the Sask River the wife and I were drift-trolling bottom-bounce spinners with leeches. Her blade was white, mine was perch (orange, yellow, green). In the morning it didn't matter - we both caught tons of decent walleye. After supper - she out-fished me 6-1 until I tied on a white spinner and instantly started matching her fish for fish.
Another time we were jigging. My jig head was yellow with a black eye, Dad and brother's were yellow. We all caught fish, but theirs were all walleye and mine were mostly pike.
Ice fishing for pike - red was the ticket. Any fish caught in our little cluster of huts/holes was caught on a red spoon (Daredevils, Len Thompsons and especially Crocs). Until we figured that out, nobody had a hit. As the word got around, everyone starting catching.
I can say also with a fair degree of certainty that the walleye in Jan Lake, SK have a definite preference for orange. White, chartreuse and yellow will catch fish, but when they slow down or get picky try orange (or orangish).
But usually rather than waste all day trying every lure/colour in my box, if after 2-3 changes the fish are still off I:
a) try deeper,
b) switch to a different presentation (jigging to casting, casting-trolling) or c) move
Last year on the Sask River the wife and I were drift-trolling bottom-bounce spinners with leeches. Her blade was white, mine was perch (orange, yellow, green). In the morning it didn't matter - we both caught tons of decent walleye. After supper - she out-fished me 6-1 until I tied on a white spinner and instantly started matching her fish for fish.
Another time we were jigging. My jig head was yellow with a black eye, Dad and brother's were yellow. We all caught fish, but theirs were all walleye and mine were mostly pike.
Ice fishing for pike - red was the ticket. Any fish caught in our little cluster of huts/holes was caught on a red spoon (Daredevils, Len Thompsons and especially Crocs). Until we figured that out, nobody had a hit. As the word got around, everyone starting catching.
I can say also with a fair degree of certainty that the walleye in Jan Lake, SK have a definite preference for orange. White, chartreuse and yellow will catch fish, but when they slow down or get picky try orange (or orangish).
But usually rather than waste all day trying every lure/colour in my box, if after 2-3 changes the fish are still off I:
a) try deeper,
b) switch to a different presentation (jigging to casting, casting-trolling) or c) move
Last edited by saskie on Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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wolfe
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I think a little of both (with regard to the subject question of this thread).
Certainly, there are water conditions (clear / cloudy) etc., where a color could influence the bite. And speaking from personal experience, I find more action on lures which mimic natural prey coloration, particularly silver (that flash just screams "YUM! MINNOW!"), black, perch- and crayfish-imitations. But that's not to say that some gaudy colors haven't caught me fish, as well -- such as hot yellow/chartreuse tipped twister tails for many species.
I do think, however, that some of those paint jobs today are for our benefit. Some look more like hot rods. The manufacturers have to "lure" us with the product first and then we'll use it to attract some fish!
I am sure you can catch a fish on most anything, if you're in the right place at the right time. Hence, the creation of the SPOON!
W.
Certainly, there are water conditions (clear / cloudy) etc., where a color could influence the bite. And speaking from personal experience, I find more action on lures which mimic natural prey coloration, particularly silver (that flash just screams "YUM! MINNOW!"), black, perch- and crayfish-imitations. But that's not to say that some gaudy colors haven't caught me fish, as well -- such as hot yellow/chartreuse tipped twister tails for many species.
I do think, however, that some of those paint jobs today are for our benefit. Some look more like hot rods. The manufacturers have to "lure" us with the product first and then we'll use it to attract some fish!
I am sure you can catch a fish on most anything, if you're in the right place at the right time. Hence, the creation of the SPOON!
W.
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SkeeterJohn
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I have certainly started to pay a little more attention to what i'm tying on the end... I think the list of things that we should pay most attention to are action, speed, depth, size, colour. We do seem to concentrate on one rather than all of them but that's why we sometimes don't catch much 
It's ok paying attention to what you're doing but not making changes when you realise you're doing something wrong is also something we're all guilty of.. fishing all day with 2-3 lures and then getting home and saying.. i should have done this or tried that.
Back to colour... i have read some interesting articles and seen some very informative videos over the past few months and colour is certainly important.
I think the theory goes that if the fish will get a good look at your bait it's going to figure out that it's not something real it can eat and pass it by.... that's why it seems that dull colours such as browns, whites, blacks etc are used in clear water. When it's so merky you can't see 1ft down then you are trying to get the fishes attention and a chartruce, yellow, or bright bait would be used.
Then we'll just throw a curve ball in and say that on clear water you may want to fish something bright and fast and make the fish react to your bait... notice i say fast... if it's bright and in clear water and you retrieve slow then again they are going to see it for what it is and probably skip the meal.
Colour plays a role and i am trying not to concentrate on it quite as much as i have in the past... every river and lake has what seems to be an "in" colour but if it's "in" then the chances are everyone else is fishing with it and if the fish are seeing the same thing over and over again then they will wise up to it.
When i used to carp fish in the uk colour was a big big thing along with scent... some would even fish black baits on the bottom of sand bars so the baits would stand out.. others brown baits so they'd blend in ... I know of a few lakes where orange baits worked and everything else was a waste of time... on another, anything yellow spooked the fish as they associated it with corn which had be overfished a few years before. On my local lake everyone was fishing with bright colours so i made up a batch of natural coloured baits with natural flavours and caught the lake record at the time.
Different waters need different techniques but doing something different to everyone else sometimes pays off. This becomes even more complicated when we're dealing with rivers that can change colour overnight... if one day a river is clear and the next it's coloured you should probably change your bait to match the conditions...
Confusing at times isn't it and that's why we don't always catch... colour, action, speed, depth, and size... they all play a role.
And that's why you see 100's of colours for every type of lure you can find.. I have started to think because i mostly fish the st. lawrence ,which is generally very clear, my best baits should be the more natural colours.
Wolfe has it bang on... again though if you fish mostly cleaer waters that's perhaps why the more natural baits work better... and i totally agree that some manufactures play on bright colours to grab our attention... take a look at the packaging next time too... it's not just bright baits that they use
It's ok paying attention to what you're doing but not making changes when you realise you're doing something wrong is also something we're all guilty of.. fishing all day with 2-3 lures and then getting home and saying.. i should have done this or tried that.
Back to colour... i have read some interesting articles and seen some very informative videos over the past few months and colour is certainly important.
I think the theory goes that if the fish will get a good look at your bait it's going to figure out that it's not something real it can eat and pass it by.... that's why it seems that dull colours such as browns, whites, blacks etc are used in clear water. When it's so merky you can't see 1ft down then you are trying to get the fishes attention and a chartruce, yellow, or bright bait would be used.
Then we'll just throw a curve ball in and say that on clear water you may want to fish something bright and fast and make the fish react to your bait... notice i say fast... if it's bright and in clear water and you retrieve slow then again they are going to see it for what it is and probably skip the meal.
Colour plays a role and i am trying not to concentrate on it quite as much as i have in the past... every river and lake has what seems to be an "in" colour but if it's "in" then the chances are everyone else is fishing with it and if the fish are seeing the same thing over and over again then they will wise up to it.
When i used to carp fish in the uk colour was a big big thing along with scent... some would even fish black baits on the bottom of sand bars so the baits would stand out.. others brown baits so they'd blend in ... I know of a few lakes where orange baits worked and everything else was a waste of time... on another, anything yellow spooked the fish as they associated it with corn which had be overfished a few years before. On my local lake everyone was fishing with bright colours so i made up a batch of natural coloured baits with natural flavours and caught the lake record at the time.
Different waters need different techniques but doing something different to everyone else sometimes pays off. This becomes even more complicated when we're dealing with rivers that can change colour overnight... if one day a river is clear and the next it's coloured you should probably change your bait to match the conditions...
Confusing at times isn't it and that's why we don't always catch... colour, action, speed, depth, and size... they all play a role.
And that's why you see 100's of colours for every type of lure you can find.. I have started to think because i mostly fish the st. lawrence ,which is generally very clear, my best baits should be the more natural colours.
Wolfe has it bang on... again though if you fish mostly cleaer waters that's perhaps why the more natural baits work better... and i totally agree that some manufactures play on bright colours to grab our attention... take a look at the packaging next time too... it's not just bright baits that they use
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bass ackwards
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Canadian Bacon
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Color is so regional in selection that there is no pat answer, much depends on water clarity, depth fished, time of day and sun levels to set just a few criteria.
Historically the best selling colors are Tennessee Shad (black/white), Chartreuse, Fire Tiger (chartreuse variation), Hot Tiger (red crawfish) and white, all other colors are a much smaller percentage of the overall #.
Best visability runs from reds in shallow water to blue at the deepest levels.
Bass see more color than walleye. Natural color selection is best for bass fishing and high tone yellows - oranges are the #1 selection for walleye.
You must also consider the element of flash or color deflection a running bait puts out relative to the effects of sunlight penetration.
The method of lure color selection is best arrived at through experience on the water, start with basic colors and then work with variations of that pattern proven to give results. Keeping a log that allows the listing of the days activity will really be an asset over time.
Over the past forty years chasing walleye I can say quite realistically that many thousands of dollars were spent on trying to arrive at the magic formula. I still carry about 50 pounds of lures with me on every trip simply because I want to have the right bait at the right time but the variations are all based on a proven pattern - just enough differences in color to suit that day or hours' preferred combination.
Then you can start to assess bait size and style - - guaranteed to take a lifetime to accomplish but oh so much fun.
Historically the best selling colors are Tennessee Shad (black/white), Chartreuse, Fire Tiger (chartreuse variation), Hot Tiger (red crawfish) and white, all other colors are a much smaller percentage of the overall #.
Best visability runs from reds in shallow water to blue at the deepest levels.
Bass see more color than walleye. Natural color selection is best for bass fishing and high tone yellows - oranges are the #1 selection for walleye.
You must also consider the element of flash or color deflection a running bait puts out relative to the effects of sunlight penetration.
The method of lure color selection is best arrived at through experience on the water, start with basic colors and then work with variations of that pattern proven to give results. Keeping a log that allows the listing of the days activity will really be an asset over time.
Over the past forty years chasing walleye I can say quite realistically that many thousands of dollars were spent on trying to arrive at the magic formula. I still carry about 50 pounds of lures with me on every trip simply because I want to have the right bait at the right time but the variations are all based on a proven pattern - just enough differences in color to suit that day or hours' preferred combination.
Then you can start to assess bait size and style - - guaranteed to take a lifetime to accomplish but oh so much fun.
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wolfe
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Bassackwards (great name!! ) -
Firstly, welcome to the group!
Secondly, I agree with you in regards to the dark top / light bottom coloration, at least when it comes to surface lures. My favorite surface lure would be the Heddon Torpedo in the chrome-black top with chrome bottom; second would be either "baby bass" or the natural frog variations. These have always performed better for me than the others.
Lots of natural prey (frogs, minnows) have that lighter underbelly and darker top.
W.
) -Firstly, welcome to the group!
Secondly, I agree with you in regards to the dark top / light bottom coloration, at least when it comes to surface lures. My favorite surface lure would be the Heddon Torpedo in the chrome-black top with chrome bottom; second would be either "baby bass" or the natural frog variations. These have always performed better for me than the others.
Lots of natural prey (frogs, minnows) have that lighter underbelly and darker top.
W.