Color? 2024
Wurming67 reply :
What are your thoughts on color? Do you think it's just a confidence thing or does it really apply to different water claritys?
CroakHunter reply :
Both
I've fished 8+ feet visibility and all they'd eat was a black and blue craw. I've fished 2" of visibility and caught one of my top 10 bass on a green pumpkin jig.
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/6/2018 at 6:22 PM, CroakHunter said:Both
I've fished 8+ feet visibility and all they'd eat was a black and blue craw. I've fished 2" of visibility and caught one of my top 10 bass on a green pumpkin jig.
I believe it's a confidence thing bass are predators living in the wild they have 3 functions survive,eat and reproduce they don't think about it or analalyze they react.Just my opinion I'm not an expert.
Jig Man reply :
Most of the time confidence but once in a while it is all about color.
TOXIC reply :
I have a past Elite Series Angler as a good friend. He and his family have stayed with me both in Virginia and when I was in Florida. I have been able to pick his brain on a lot of things "fishing". I asked him your exact question and his response was that for anglers, color is over rated. He advised to keep colors related to water clarity and pay more attention to hues rather than specific colors. He said to group your colors for clear water, stained water and muddy water. That being said I do believe there are colors that are more "universal" and work in combinations of water clarity. Yamamoto's #1 selling color in plastics is 297 (green pumpkin, black fleck). I have caught fish on that color from Wisconsin to Florida.
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/6/2018 at 7:17 PM, TOXIC said:I have a past Elite Series Angler as a good friend. He and his family have stayed with me both in Virginia and when I was in Florida. I have been able to pick his brain on a lot of things "fishing". I asked him your exact question and his response was that for anglers, color is over rated. He advised to keep colors related to water clarity and pay more attention to hues rather than specific colors. He said to group your colors for clear water, stained water and muddy water. That being said I do believe there are colors that are more "universal" and work in combinations of water clarity. Yamamoto's #1 selling color in plastics is 297 (green pumpkin, black fleck). I have caught fish on that color from Wisconsin to Florida.
I seem to good with white in clear or murky water .
Troy85 reply :
Haha, need a "both" option. I think its a big confidence thing, but I do think it plays a part sometimes. I have had a few times when the catch rate dramatically increased after changing color, same bait, same spot but different color. Overall I'd say presentation is more important than color.
keagbassr reply :
Voted yes but I believe color can matter at times as well regardless of water clarity.
EGbassing reply :
On 6/6/2018 at 5:54 PM, Wurming67 said:What are your thoughts on color? Do you think it's just a confidence thing or does it really apply to different water claritys?
I pretty much just fish colors that I like. (watermelon/red flake, black/blue flake, etc.) I don't really think it matters to the fish very much. Never noticed any difference in my catch rate. 
geo g reply :
The more stained the water, the darker the color. Clear water more natural colors, watermelon and green pumpkin.
TOXIC reply :
On 6/6/2018 at 10:01 PM, geo g said:The more stained the water, the darker the color. Clear water more natural colors, watermelon and green pumpkin.
Yep, that's the common perception but I can offer a situation where that isn't the case. On Lake St Clair when smallie fishing, when the sun is out the smallmouth just tear up a 297 (Green Pumpkin/Black Fleck) Senko. When it is cloudy they prefer a 305 (Baby Bass) which is much lighter than a 297. Just one case where the Smallmouth must not have read the rules!! ????
Team9nine reply :
"Color occupies in most fisherman's minds, about 50 percent of their thought process in a given days fishing, and really, it should occupy only about 2 percent. There are many, many things much more important in locating and catching fish than color"
- Rick Clunn
No doubt there are instances where it makes a difference, but I go with the majority of cases where I simply choose a color based on either/both confidence or water color, or just because, and let the chips fall where they may until proven otherwise.
WRB reply :
Color is important to me, if I don't like it the lure stays in the box.
Over the years color has proven to be critical during a tough bite and it's tough where I fish 80% of the time. When it matters it really matters, when it does't everything works.
Tom
Catt reply :
When it comes to selecting colors everyone has their own personal repertoire of confusion!
I have seen days/nights where color made absolutely no difference what so ever.
Many times I've seen 4-5 boats with 2 anglers per boat, all within casting distance of each other, all throwing Baby Brush Hogs in various colors, & all catching quality/quaintly.
I have seen days/nights where color made all the difference in the world.
Back in the 70s I set a record for the largest 15 bass sack with a 3/8 oz spinnerbait with a pink/chartreuse skirt & a #5 chartreuse Colorado blade...2 nd & 3 rd place was Larry Nixon & Tommy Martin...we were all in the same cove.
I have seen days/nights where I had to constantly change colors to continue getting bit!
Colors at night
I throw the same colors at night that have been productive during the day. If I'm on a productive pattern that includes a Redbug worm you can bet your sweet bippy that I'll be throwing that worm after the sun sets!
I let the bass tell me, hey dummy I don't like that color no mo!
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits ect
I feel flash & vibration are more important than color...see the top three comments!
That's good start from a dumb Cajun ????
buzzbaiter83 reply :
I think the biggest factor in choosing color is matching prey colors for the water you’re fishing. In the river here where there are no shad, I catch twice as many fish on a watermelon super fluke but at the local lake they want a shad color. I think water clarity does come in to play but not as much as we may think. Shad and crawfish are the same color whether the water is muddy or clear and bass eat them regardless.
BassWhole! reply :
I'm pretty sure you can't ask an either or question and have it answered with a yes or no, so I'm going to say maybe...
scaleface reply :
I dont know how to answer the question yes or no . Its worded funny .
i think color is important a lot of times . Thats been my experience .
WRB reply :
Every lake is different and some lakes color preference changes during the day.
A private lake I get fish occasionally gets low fishing pressure and color rarely matter, use what you prefer.
The highly pressured lakes with clear water things change regarding color preference.
The smallmouth and spotted bass tend to like brighter colors in lures and soft plastics, both are more aggressive then largemouth bass. The largemouth are also different, northern strain being far more aggressive and less color dependant then Florids strain LMB that tend to be the most dependant on color preferences. FLMB in clear deep structured lakes can be very selective and frustrating when it comes to color preferences. Everything being equal, you are where the bass are located using the right presentation, depth, cadence, line type and size with the only difference being a specific color between catching and not catching bass.
I can't tell you how many times a fishing partner is catching or not catching bass using exactly the same presentation and tackle as I am, the only difference being a specific color soft plastic. Change to the same worm and color that is working and instant success. This happens more often then not at lakes Casitas and Castiac and more at Casitas then Castiac.
Tom
Glaucus reply :
Natural colors in clearer waters and darker colors in dirtier waters will likely get you more bites most of the time. So, yes, I'm confident in the right color in the right situation, and thus I fish better, and yes, color does matter, but it isn't the top priority and less traditional colors for the conditions will still likely work, even if a bit less.
OkobojiEagle reply :
what's a "yes" vote and what's a "no" vote?
Wurming67 reply :
yes if u think the color u choose is confidence u have in that color or.no it has to do with color of situation.....
On 6/7/2018 at 3:55 AM, OkobojiEagle said:what's a "yes" vote and what's a "no" vote.
Catt reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 1:34 AM, buzzbaiter83 said:Shad and crawfish are the same color whether the water is muddy or clear
Absolutely false, fish & crawfish in muddy off colored water will light to pale colors with washed out details. Fish & crawfish in clear water will have vibrant colors & details.
On 6/7/2018 at 3:53 AM, Glaucus said:Natural colors in clearer waters and darker colors in dirtier waters will likely get you more bites most of the time. So,
So natural colors don't work in dirtier water & darker colors don't work in clear water?
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 3:28 AM, scaleface said:I dont know how to answer the question yes or no . Its worded funny .
i think color is important a lot of times . Thats been my experience .
I agree your question is worded confusionally.
lo n slo reply :
i tried to vote for both but it wouldn’t let me.
my cousin throws a texas rigged 5” Zoom gp lizard with the tail dipped in chartreuse Spike It and catches plenty of spots and largemouth 10 months outta the year. wont throw nothing else. beats anything i’ve ever seen.
Glaucus reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 4:03 AM, Catt said:
Absolutely false, fish & crawfish in muddy off colored water will light to pale colors with washed out details. Fish & crawfish in clear water will have vibrant colors & details.
So natural colors don't work in dirtier water & darker colors don't work in clear water?
If you read the rest if my post, that is not what I said at all.
Tennessee Boy reply :
I think you will see a big difference between black and white. Maybe a little difference between white and chartreuse. No difference between black and blue. The color of the glitter in your plastic worm only matters if it makes you happy.
Of course there may be times when these rules don't apply????
Catt reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 3:53 AM, Glaucus said:Natural colors in clearer waters and darker colors in dirtier waters
Why start with that?
That's what most start with when discussing color & is usually a reference to someone's color charts.
Rahlow reply :
I believe dark colors mean more in “stained” water than color itself, less light equals less color rendition,
WRB reply :
Ever heard of Butch Brown or Bill Murphy? One thing both trophy bass anglers had in common was a good understanding of big bass habits based on thousands of hours studying and catching these special bass. Murphy was a dental color technician and unstood every nuonce of color variation under every lighting condition. The variations with white for white under different lightning and shades is mind boggling let alone the entire color spectrum visible to the human eye intrepation by the human brain.
Murphy understood changing colors was important to catch bass.
Butch Brown is very meticulous duplicating prey colors with his lures and spent hundreds of hours studying variation of wild and hatchery raised rainbow trout under different lightning conditions. Various shades of green in the trouts back, size and number of dots, shades of coral pinks and silver white bellies. Like a taxidermist artist duplication a fish mount Butch creates life like lures.
Why go through all this studying, observation and detailed colors of prey if it doesn't matter. Because details do matter and the success of both Brown and Murphy clearly prove that color matters. Detail and color matter to me and are the key to my success.
None of you who debate color on this thread have spent more time bass fishing and successfully catching giant then I have. Butch Brown and the late Bill Murphy knew color is important and their success proves it.
You can ignor the facts or keep an open mind and experiment with colors to improve your bass fishing. You might learn there more choices then black and blue or green pumpkin. What you learn is bass can be unpredictable.
Tom
Glaucus reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 6:20 AM, Catt said:
Why start with that?
That's what most start with when discussing color & is usually a reference to someone's color charts.
Because I have a thought that doesn't end at the first sentence? Read further and you'll see somebody's complete thought.
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 4:03 AM, Dwight Hottle said:I agree your question is worded confusionally.
My bad ,what I'm trying to say is do throw a certain color bait because you have confidence in that color or your throw a certain color because of the water is dark,stained,clear,murky etc..
Wurming67 reply :
This thread has taken a direction I didn't expect that's sad.I was just curious if some of you threw a certain colored bait because you just have a ton of confidence in it or you throw a certain color bait because of a certain water condition.Thats all????????????????????
Graham reply :
Yes.
All jokes aside, I believe color can be an important piece of the puzzle. That said I don’t believe it is always the most important piece.
Tennessee Boy reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 7:28 AM, Wurming67 said:This thread has taken a direction I didn't expect that's sad.I was just curious if some of you threw a certain colored bait because you just have a ton of confidence in it or you throw a certain color bait because of a certain water condition.Thats all????????????????????
Thanks for starting the thread. Anything that gets people thinking deeper about their fishing is a successful thread. I enjoyed thinking about your question and reading everyone's responses. Now I've got to go reorganize my plastics by water color.
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 9:04 AM, Tennessee Boy said:Thanks for starting the thread. Anything that gets people thinking deeper about their fishing is a successful thread. I enjoyed thinking about your question and reading everyone's responses. Now I've got to go reorganize my plastics by water color.
I'm throwing white baits only from now on????
Arcs&sparks reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 6:50 AM, WRB said:hatchery raised rainbow trout
There’s big bass in my local lake that probably feed on the smaller rainbows. Here’s a couple of males I caught one night, can you tell me which lure color I should choose? ????
greentrout reply :
I'm just a simple humble basser with some wins and losses and color does matter...
Catt reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 6:52 AM, Glaucus said:Because I have a thought that doesn't end at the first sentence? Read further and you'll see somebody's complete thought.
Don't get your panties in a wad!
I read & fully understand your thoughts but apparently ya can't see my point of view!
@WRB here's an interesting read ????
https://m.bassmaster.com/tips/catch-biggest-bass-your-life
WRB reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 9:46 AM, Catt said:
Don't get your panties in a wad!
I read & fully understand your thoughts but apparently ya can't see my point of view!
@WRB here's an interesting read ????
https://m.bassmaster.com/tips/catch-biggest-bass-your-life
Thanks,
Mike Long was a good trophy bass angler that got caught up the pressure to succeed. I agree with his lure choices;Jigs were good to me!
Tom
A-Jay reply :
Always such a highly debated topic. So many insightful responses.
Like many have posted here, I've had situations where colored really seemed to matter and other's where it didn't appear that the color of the presentation was the major triggering factor.
So does that mean color matters or does that mean it doesn't ?
I honestly don't know.
What I will say is that when I feel like I'm fishing "the right color" I definitely fish more confidently.
When I feel confident, I believe I focus more, fish cleaner, and am willing to fish harder & longer to get bit - (#stubborn).
That can & often does equate to more or bigger bass and every once in a while - both.
So in that sense, Color is important to me.
I also know that when I've been doing well on a certain color, and I run out on the water, initially, I'm not feel too sporty about having my success continue. Sometimes it does, often it does not.
Is that because of the color or my lack of confidence ? I can't say.
All of this is one reason why I USED TO totally switch it up right in the middle of a bite to see if they'll eat something else. I do Not do this any more.
You can probably guess why.
Good Topic
A-Jay
Glaucus reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 9:46 AM, Catt said:
Don't get your panties in a wad!
I read & fully understand your thoughts but apparently ya can't see my point of view!
@WRB here's an interesting read ????
https://m.bassmaster.com/tips/catch-biggest-bass-your-life
My panties are fine.
Apparently you didn't understand my thoughts because you asked me a question about something I didn't say, as if I said it, and you're right, I can't understand your point of view because you didn't give me one.
buzzbaiter83 reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 4:03 AM, Catt said:
Absolutely false, fish & crawfish in muddy off colored water will light to pale colors with washed out details. Fish & crawfish in clear water will have vibrant colors & details.
So natural colors don't work in dirtier water & darker colors don't work in clear water?
I think you misread that. I didn’t mean they were the same color to our eyes or even the fish’s eyes. I meant that they didn’t actually transform into a new colored version of themselves & fish are used to seeing & feeding on them in different colored water.
Troy85 reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 9:14 AM, Wurming67 said:I'm throwing white baits only from now on????
One color for all conditions?!?!?! Get out of here with that blasphemy!!!!!! ????
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 8:30 PM, Troy1985s said:One color for all conditions?!?!?! Get out of here with that blasphemy!!!!!!
????
Just because ????
fissure_man reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 6:20 AM, Catt said:
Why start with that?
That's what most start with when discussing color & is usually a reference to someone's color charts.
@Catt why not start with that? You need to start somewhere.
In your skepticism of color charts, are you endorsing a totally random approach?
To me, starting from generally or locally accepted patterns (which may or may not be tabulated in a chart), and/or making selections based on personal experiences all seem like pretty reasonable approaches.
Catt reply :
On 6/8/2018 at 2:34 AM, fissure_man said:
@Catt why not start with that? You need to start somewhere.
In your skepticism of color charts, are you endorsing a totally random approach?
To me, starting from generally or locally accepted patterns (which may or may not be tabulated in a chart), and/or making selections based on personal experiences all seem like pretty reasonable approaches.
I make my color selection based on my personal experience.
My experience tells me natural colors work in darker waters & darker colors work in clear waters.
If ya never throw it you'll never know it works!
One of the deadliest colors I throw in clear water (15-20') at night is called Starry Night, it is a clear worm with a translucent smoke on the back & tons of silver glitter. Had I followed generally or locally accepted patterns I wouldn't have found out how productive the worm is.
Lot of guys talk as if they know how bass perceive colors, I prefer to have the bass tell me!
Wurming67 reply :
What baffles me is how good white works and I generally fish stained water and sometimes clear water.Main reason I use it cause I can see the fish eat it easier.
I just bought some baits I have really good success with in white and bought them in June bug and watermelon to test this theory.
Dens228 reply :
I'm no expert by any means but I can say that for me a Watermellon/Pearl laminate has caught 90% of my bass via plastics. I've tried other colors and even when catching them on other colors if I switch to the above I still catch them. If I'm not catching anything and switch to the above I often start catching them.
Jig Man reply :
Well color mattered today. We caught 46 bass with 14 of them being keepers. We threw lots of different kinds of baits in lots of colors. We caught fish on every color except JUNE BUG. I had one tied on for about 3 hours. I'd throw it for a few casts after we had caught something. I never had any action of it at all.
So some times color matters.
Bassguytom reply :
On 6/7/2018 at 3:59 AM, Wurming67 said:yes if u think the color u choose is confidence u have in that color or.no it has to do with color of situation.....
I don’t know man did my wife put you up to this??? Sometimes she will ask me a question that there is no right answer to and I always seem to get in trouble no matter how I answer. I’m going with my standard “whatever you thing is best honey”. ????
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/8/2018 at 9:19 AM, Bassguytom said:I don’t know man did my wife put you up to this??? Sometimes she will ask me a question that there is no right answer to and I always seem to get in trouble no matter how I answer. I’m going with my standard “whatever you thing is best honey”. ????
Lol!!! I've fished my whole life stained water and for the most part have used June bug and black and blue colors lately white has been working so I bought some other colors green pumpkins and watermelons to see what happens I'm no professional fishermen by any means I do it for strictly enjoyment and love being on the water I generally do pretty decent but I believe it's just finding them just my humble opinion.
soflabasser reply :
Having confidence in what lure you are throwing and knowing how to present it well is far more important than what color a lure is.
fissure_man reply :
@Catt if your point is “be open-minded,” fair enough. But I don’t think there’s anything lost by starting from a framework of ‘generally accepted’ colors, confirmed by personal experience, even if only to allow focus to stay on the variables that are most important (not color choice, IMO).
I guess if I thought every day was a puzzle that could be solved by selecting the right color, my approach would be different. But for every experience I've had where it really seemed like color was critical to success, there have been countless experiences where the 'key' was something else. So I pick a few go-to colors and then go to work figuring out those other keys.
If the day comes that a bubblegum jig is the only way to get bit, I'm going to have a bad day. I'm ok with the odds of that.
Catt reply :
It is generally accepted that under difficult or pressured conditions to give em something they aint seen before!
I do...I give em colors they aint seen...at least by none of y'all
Wurming67 reply :
I'm a pretty open minded guy I spent like a $100 on different colors of baits I have success with and going to apply those colors to water conditions and see if I notice a difference.Cant tell you guys what baits they are cause they were specially made for me once I win the bassmaster classic and sign a huge endorsement deal than I will reveal them,you guys are gonna have to keep buying the same baits as every other fishermen.
Columbia Craw reply :
It's kind of funny how anglers look at the importance of color. The type of bait I employ has a direct correlation to the various colors I have selected.
Baits that provide a lot of vibration and or commotion are limited colors. Baits that don't are based more on contrast than actual color. Baits that fish will have a period to look at and size up have the largest color options. Over the years I've dialed in most of the bait colors I use, especially plastics. Crankbaits is another thing. I'm still working on that one.
scaleface reply :
Only thing I can tell you is I lost my "Fire Tiger" 14.5 Dredger . That wont do . I'm going to Sheels tonight to purchase another .
Wurming67 reply :
I think it's awesome how 90 percent of the people responded to this thread to hear other prospectives,it's made me step out of my box and try something different I think that's what's awesome about this forum not the ones be littling people or bragging how great of a bass fishermen they are if you are that good you don't need to let everyone know join flw ,mlf or bassmasters and show us on TV how great you are.
Wurming67 reply :
My preliminary findings so far are with soft plastic baits that are fast moving baits toads, swimbaits etc color wasn't a big factor,slower moving baits worm,senko etc color was a factor.
WRB reply :
Watermelon red flake not long ago was more popular soft plastic color, then green pumpkin red flake. The popular flavor of the day is what 90% of bass anglers use and a high percent of bass will be caught on that color. The question is what color is what the bass prefer?
I learned this Lession a very long time ago, bass have color preference and we need to experiment to discover the preferred color at the moment.
For example the first color jigs I used was a black Doll Fly 3/8 oz hair jig back in the mid 50's and caught bass on it and stayed with black jigs for 10 years believing black was the best color for jigs,but that is all I used. One day I came to the marina and someone I knew showed me his stringer of big bass caught on jigs and I was shocked because it was a tough day for me. My freind showed his purple vynl football jig and I asked where do you get those! I added purple vynl jigs to my lure choice and soon discovered purple out fished black most of the time.
Point is; give the bass a choice.
Tom
Wurming67 reply :
On 6/14/2018 at 12:55 AM, WRB said:Watermelon red flake not long ago was more popular soft plastic color, then green pumpkin red flake. The popular flavor of the day is what 90% of bass anglers use and a high percent of bass will be caught on that color. The question is what color is what the bass prefer?
I learned this Lession a very long time ago, bass have color preference and we need to experiment to discover the preferred color at the moment.
For example the first color jigs I used was a black Doll Fly 3/8 oz hair jig back in the mid 50's and caught bass on it and stayed with black jigs for 10 years believing black was the best color for jigs,but that is all I used. One day I came to the marina and someone I knew showed me his stringer of big bass caught on jigs and I was shocked because it was a tough day for me. My freind showed his purple vynl football jig and I asked where do you get those! I added purple vynl jigs to my lure choice and soon discovered purple out fished black most of the time.
Point is; give the bass a choice.
Tom
where I fish shiners and shad are very prevelant so I'm thinking of testing out those color schemes from what I read those are at the top of the bass menu,I'm a power fishermen never enjoyed fishing slow baits never put much thought into colors and have done pretty good till I joined this forum now thinking about using different colors.
Wurming67 reply :
Off the topic but since I've joined this forum I've become more diverse of a fishermen and a better fishermen,using baits and techniques I never did before so thank you !!!
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