Red Lures 2024
jhoffman reply :
Id like to know your thoughts on the color red. I was thinking about this last night. I own some red, they do work but for what reason I am not sure.
#1 - Its well known that the color red is lost at a depth of about one foot deep
#2 - Although I have cooked a crawfish and they turn red I have never seen one turn red in the wild. I have also never seen a red species of prey fish.
Why does this color work?
TNBassin' reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 8:39 PM, jhoffman said:Id like to know your thoughts on the color red. I was thinking about this last night. I own some red, they do work but for what reason I am not sure.
#1 - Its well known that the color red is lost at a depth of about one foot deep
#2 - Although I have cooked a crawfish and they turn red I have never seen one turn red in the wild. I have also never seen a red species of prey fish.
Why does this color work?
I don't get it either. Isn't there a red fishing line that is supposedly "invisible" in the water? So if red turns "invisible", then yeah...I don't know why it works.
hooah212002 reply :
Here is a pretty good article on it: http://www.midwestoutdoors.com/magazine/article.cfm/44/Does-Color-Make-A-Difference-To-Fish/.
Quote“Bass are functionally most sensitive to colors in the ranges of red-orange and yellow-green. However, that is not to say that “colors” like black and white, or colors like blue that are perceived as grey are ineffective, since sometimes these colors contrast better against the prevailing background than do colors to which the bass is more sensitive. For instance, in a reddish muddy river, although the dominant available color is red and bass are most sensitive to red-orange, a lure with a brownish red crawdad pattern would be difficult for the bass to see. Black lures, on the other hand, would contrast much better and be more easily detected.”
(a more in depth reading would be beneficial to get a better understanding)
jhoffman reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 9:18 PM, TNBassin said:I don't get it either. Isn't there a red fishing line that is supposedly "invisible" in the water? So if red turns "invisible", then yeah...I don't know why it works.
Cajun Red fishing line
jhoffman reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 9:26 PM, hooah212002 said:Here is a pretty good article on it: http://www.midwestoutdoors.com/magazine/article.cfm/44/Does-Color-Make-A-Difference-To-Fish/.
(a more in depth reading would be beneficial to get a better understanding)
I understand it doesnt vanish it bascially becomes a shade of gray. If its about contrast and we know it turns gray why not just make them gray to start with?
J Francho reply :
Crawfish are deep red as they emerge from their wintering holes. It is a crucial spring time color pattern on many lakes up here.
hooah212002 reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 9:32 PM, jhoffman said:I understand it doesnt vanish it bascially becomes a shade of gray. If its about contrast and we know it turns gray why not just make them gray to start with?
That depends on water clarity. It's not a black and white issue (pun somewhat intended lol). As the article indicates:
Quote“In clear water, the color red is the first to totally disappear, normally in the range depth of 35-feet. Blue light, in contrast, can penetrate down well below 100 feet. However, all that changes if the water contains floating algae particles or sediment. Algae strongly absorbs blue, violet, and red lights, leaving the water with mostly a green cast. Sediment tends to strongly absorb all but red light, leaving the water with a pronounced reddish color. Under these conditions, while there is less light available at any depth in general, the available light spectrums in these two scenarios are dominated by green and red light, respectively. Obviously, if a fish is to see well in these conditions, it must be sensitive to these colors, even if its highest color sensitivity lies somewhere else in the spectral range.”
roadwarrior reply :
Most of the year a Blue Chrome Red Eye Shad outperforms any other color for me.
However, in the spring Red rules!
MarkH024 reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 9:35 PM, J Francho said:Crawfish are deep red as they emerge from their wintering holes. It is a crucial spring time color pattern on many lakes up here.
Yes, I have seen dark red crawfish too.
jhoffman reply :
Ive never dug them out in early spring to see them. Im used to the color on most of my craws being between a very light olive to almost black.
Bobby Uhrig reply :
This is my #1 spring bait -I have caught so many fish on this red shad color that I just cant put it down I started as soon as water temps were in the high 30's and now in the lower 50's -They just attack it-so Im staying with this color
J Francho reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 11:08 PM, jhoffman said:Ive never dug them out in early spring to see them. Im used to the color on most of my craws being between a very light olive to almost black.
This isn't anecdotal observation - it's sort of a fact deal. They emerge red. It has to do with diet. Their color returns to normal as we head into summer.
jhoffman reply :
What are they eating, things like scuds or is it dying vegitation?
I know scuds due to the kerotine in them will turn trout flesh orange.
jhoffman reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 11:28 PM, Bobby Uhrig said:This is my #1 spring bait -I have caught so many fish on this red shad color that I just cant put it down I started as soon as water temps were in the high 30's and now in the lower 50's -They just attack it-so Im staying with this color
You can send me a few to test
J Francho reply :
I can't remember if it's iron in the clay they burrow into or the bugs they eat. All I know is they're red when they emerge. I'm not the only one that has noticed this, and several people agree that red is a great early color.
PondBoss reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 11:50 PM, J Francho said:You'd have to google it, I can't remember if it's iron in the clay they burrow into or the bugs they eat. All I know is they're red when they emerge. I'm not the only one that has noticed this, and several people agree that red is a great early color. Sometimes we gotta do our own research. You can't expect to be spoonfed all the time.
The first half of this was helpful. The second half was total D-BAG, why do you feel the need to do this all the time?
jhoffman reply :
I know how to use google, at least I hope so but I thought we were having a conversation. Guess not, share information on forum... odd idea.
hooah212002 reply :
Isn't this a bit like asking why black bears are black, or why Cardinals are red or Blue Jays are blue? It's genetics more than diet, but diet and location played a role in the past. Go to an area with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procambarus_alleni'>Blue Crayfish and blue hues will be hot in the spring instead of red.
An article for sauce: http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2013/03/more-fun-facts-on-blue-crayfish.html
QuoteAccording to this older paper (1970), crayfish coloring is likely the result of part genetics and part diet. The pigment responsible for coloration in crustaceans is a carotenoid called astaxanthin, commonly found in salmon, shrimp, crustaceans, crayfish, microalgae, yeast, krill and trout. It usually expresses itself as the color red if unbound to a protein, or a variety of other colors if joined to a protein. There is even some interesting research that shows some birds that eat crayfish actually develop red coloring of various body parts due to the ingestion and translocation of astaxanthin.
jhoffman reply :
Its nothing at all like asking why a black bear is black. I asked why red lures work based on the fact I have never seen a red one that wasnt cooked and the theory of color under the surface of water.
Yes I have seen diet affect those things eating them, hence the reference to trout eating scuds and turning orange. The scud doesnt turn orange until he is dead,
jhoffman reply :
Im sorry for asking a question that requires some actual thought or input on the subject. Ill stick to asking whether or not you can tell me what crankbait I should buy, thats always interesting.
hooah212002 reply :
This guy looks pretty red to me. And uncooked.
hooah212002 reply :
On 4/26/2013 at 12:10 AM, jhoffman said:Im sorry for asking a question that requires some actual thought or input on the subject. Ill stick to asking whether or not you can tell me what crankbait I should buy, thats always interesting.
And I am now sorry I actually did that research since it goes unnoticed.
jhoffman reply :
I agree, but I have never enconterd this on the waters I fish.
jhoffman reply :
On 4/26/2013 at 12:14 AM, hooah212002 said:And I am now sorry I actually did that research since it goes unnoticed.
it wasnt directed at you. I read what you quoted
J Francho reply :
I would search Youtube. I've also read about it in the In-Fisherman books on smallmouth and largemouth. I've observed it myself, as well as blue crayfish, especially after molting. These are things I've learned myself over the years. Yes, it's about sharing info and having discussions, but at some point you have to become a contributor, and not a taker. You can't just get all your answers spoon fed. Several quickly answered with the why, or that they've noticed it too. Now you have the basis to check it out and learn more. It's beyond the scope of a forum to go into researching the biology and physiology of local crayfish species and boil it down into one post especially for you. Especially when you seem bent on debating whether it's even true.
5fishlimit reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 11:28 PM, Bobby Uhrig said:This is my #1 spring bait -I have caught so many fish on this red shad color that I just cant put it down I started as soon as water temps were in the high 30's and now in the lower 50's -They just attack it-so Im staying with this color
This was working for me one day 3 weeks back, but my knot failed on a cast and I sadly watched it fly into the depths of the lake I was fishing. Ruined my mood for the rest of the day.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 8:39 PM, jhoffman said:Id like to know your thoughts on the color red. I was thinking about this last night. I own some red, they do work but for what reason I am not sure.
#1 - Its well known that the color red is lost at a depth of about one foot deep
#2 - Although I have cooked a crawfish and they turn red I have never seen one turn red in the wild. I have also never seen a red species of prey fish.
Why does this color work?
I always wondered this too. Below are some thoughts. Best I can do.
On 4/25/2013 at 11:50 PM, J Francho said:You'd have to google it, I can't remember if it's iron in the clay they burrow into or the bugs they eat. All I know is they're red when they emerge. I'm not the only one that has noticed this, and several people agree that red is a great early color. Sometimes we gotta do our own research. You can't expect to be spoonfed all the time.
I've never heard of this, and I've read a fair amount on crayfish. Maybe it's a local thing? I've dug wintering crayfish from leaf packs and they tend to be very dark, some almost black. I'm ready to be spoon-fed on this one.
There ARE a few species that are red as adults (C. rusticus and P. clarkii). P. clarkii is really red and is southern. C. rusticus is much dingier but just after molting and in clear water can be rusty red.
Red lures in spring seems to be more of a southern thing -or at least it started there -in Texas I believe. But there are other explanations for the popularity of red lures in spring. Here's Ralph Manns' take (paraphrased):
Red-orange is a contrast color for bass, esp amidst a green backdrop. It can be a good lure color, esp when plankton blooms give the water a green tinge. This is true all year but early season plankton blooms are also a time of food shortage when bass are especially ravenous and are interested in just about anything they can see and catch. I believe this explains success with red-orange lures in early spring.
I have a small res here that gets very dense plankton blooms turning it to pea soup. We've done really well with red crankbaits there and this particular water is the only reason I finally bought some bright red supposed "craw" colors.
Here's a related story about the importance of visibility story, one I've posted a bunch of times... and here goes again...
The Mystery of the Blue Lobster...
A number of years back I was at a research lab on the Atlantic coast. One of the projects they had going was to check out the feasibility of raising lobsters from eggs for market. While at it they hatched some bright blue lobsters. I inquired about them because I'd also seen a few blue crayfish. They said it was an interesting story...
Blue lobsters are something like one in a million in the wild. But in the lab they were finding a much higher percentage of blues (don’t remember the numbers). Turns out they are a fairly common color but the researchers theorize that the blue ones are selected out in the wild by predators (sculpins, sea robins, and striped bass mostly), thus nearly all wild lobsters are found in the usual earth tones. In the lab no such selective pressure exists, and blue ones are relatively common.
I can also tell an almost identical story about a herd of white deer in central New York State. Similarly, one of the reasons many flocking bird species all look alike is that the odd one, say the starling with a white tail feather, or the lone mallard in with a flock of Gads, is more apt to be targeted by hawks and falcons. When you are prey, it pays not to stand out. I believe this is at least one of the reasons that fluorescent (and possibly bright red-orange) lures can work so well.
As to another possible reason red is so popular with fisherman, I'll leave you with a poem I wrote and posted a few times here and there. It even turned up on a poetry site lol:
Seeing Red...a poem...Ahem...
Red is an apple ripe on the vine.
Red is of Kool-Aide, grapes, and wine.
Red is of tumescence, lipstick, lingerie, and high, high heels.
Red's pretty important to people.
Tackle manufacturer's see Green when they offer Red!
Makes me see Red.
{EDIT}: Ouch! Things got a little heated while I was typing merrily away. White Flag from me!
J Francho reply :
Don't have red lures on Oneida in April and May? Not getting bit. Seriously. Crayfish are beet red. All that may change when/if the gobies invade, but so far, it's still a crayfish lake in the spring.
SirSnookalot reply :
Quote#2 - Although I have cooked a crawfish and they turn red I have never seen one turn red in the wild. I have also never seen a red species of prey fish.
I think you mean red bait that prey fish eat, a red snapper is red and do eat other fish.
Paul makes a good about point about bait being identical as not to stand out, this is the very reason when we use live bait during bait runs we clip a fin so the bait stands out as it's swimming differently.
Hogsticker reply :
I think it's kind of a Southern thing that carried over to parts of the mid West. Sam Rayburn I believe. I can tell ya they don't work worth a crap in the N.W., however the majority of our waters are clear to very clear.
Bobby Uhrig reply :
I SAY WE LET EM GO LOL
J Francho reply :
Red Herring 
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/26/2013 at 1:12 AM, J Francho said:Don't have red lures on Oneida in April and May? Not getting bit. Seriously. Crayfish are beet red. All that may change when/if the gobies invade, but so far, it's still a crayfish lake in the spring.
Hey, I just read that C. rusticus was found in Oneida Lake and, true to its nature, is dominating crayfish habitat there:
http://www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/OLI/crayfish.pdf
J Francho reply :
Ahah! Thanks Paul!
Paul Roberts reply :
Happy to help. (But I'm still skeptical of the reasons behind RED.)
J Francho reply :
Well, it isn't because it disappears, lol. Water is pretty clear on Oneida, and we're only talking running around 5-6' deep. later in the year, some form of red, be it flakes in your senkos, or a red highlight in your crankbait is a long standing pattern, on this lake anyway. In spring, red seems to rule everywhere, along with blue.
mjseverson24 reply :
how about this one, blood is red. blood meens injured fish, which means easy meal. also gills are red, which means the fish is not looking which again means easy meal. one last point red and orange are colors that tend to trigger agression in many animals and some fish included. although they may not be able to see the color red as we do, they still see a shade of gray that is the equivelent of red to us.
Mitch
mnbassman23 reply :
Through my scientific experimentation's I have concluded that red is an exceptional spring time color, but will work thought the year.. These findings can be validated due to catching numerous big fish on the color. The end
iabass8 reply :
I've never researched why but on the Mississippi in many pools in IA, I've noticed a lot of crawfish during the spring and summer with red on their shell and their claws. Others have had nits of blue or straight green/dark green during the same time of year. Red cranks are a very productive bait throughout a lot of the spring.
J Francho reply :
Red doesn't work in summer.
TNBassin' reply :
I think you answered yor own question as to why he does it. I thought this place was called "BassRESOURCE", not "Do your own research, we aren't gonna just spoon feed you info". D-BAG is right...On 4/26/2013 at 12:01 AM, PondBoss said:The first half of this was helpful. The second half was total D-BAG, why do you feel the need to do this all the time?
SirSnookalot reply :
I would think most do their own homework, after all we're already on a computer, but we always don't find what we are looking for. That's one reason so many of us are on forums, to gain knowledge from other's experiences, nothing in print replaces real life. I've caught fish on red and just about every other color through out 12 months of the year.
J Francho reply :
Maybe "spoonfed" is the wrong term - I apologize if anyone found it insulting. It was meant to motivate others to look things up, and make observations while your out on the water. Even the OP said he never looked at crawfish in spring. First and foremost, I am a fisherman, and a member. I share what I know with other anglers. I also happen to moderate this forum. I'd like to think that role is transparent, but maybe it isn't. On the other side of this, there is NEVER a time when it's okay to call anyone, mod or member names.
Anyway, I'll be on Oneida this weekend for the annual Take a Soldier Fishing event, and all three in my boat will be throwing red Xcalibur traps and plugs. I'll report back. Last year we did pretty good on red baits:
TNBassin' reply :
"The main purpose of this site is the free exchange of information. There's so much to learn about bass fishing and so many unique situations that we decided to create forums where people can ask and answer questions or just talk about fishing in general. Here you will find people that bass fish just like yourself that enjoy the social aspects of fishing."
No where does it say to google it. 
JoePhish reply :
On 4/26/2013 at 12:27 AM, J Francho said:I've also read about it in the In-Fisherman books on smallmouth and largemouth.
Chapter 4 of Largemouth suggests that the majority of cones in a LMB's eyes are dedicated to detecting the red-orange-yellow portion of the color spectrum.
If this is the case one might deduct that though this portion of the color spectrum disappears first, LMB compensate by being able to see these colors better.
This may also help explain why a dash of orange or chartreuse sometimes makes a difference.
TNBassin' reply :
That dash of orange earned Cliff Pace the Bassmaster Classic Championship.
PABASS reply :
Jimmy states he was the first to do red eyes, copied it from an older timer that caught more fish then anyone he knew. I put red hooks on my suspending jerkbaits this season and so far its been dominating and these only DT 4'. This could be a conversation that goes a few different ways, lots of crawfish talk but I use red for baitfish imitation lure, red eyes, red dots, red gills, red hooks. Heck craws around here look like the the substrate they live in mud,rocks, leaves, I don't know of many lakes around here that have crawfish in them as they are typical to streams and rivers. Before I heard about what Cliff was doing I was dipping my craw type plastics in JJs majic Methylate, its seems fish respond well to this.
Paul Roberts reply :
No one said that red doesn't work. Colors in the earth-tones are probably the most popular and red in many waters and depths would fall into this category. I'm just not convinced that "red" means more to the bass than it does to the angler. Or asked a diff way, is red more important/exciting to anglers than it really is to bass? Now trout, that might be a different story.
J Francho reply :
QuoteI don't know of many lakes around here that have crawfish in them as they are typical to streams and rivers.
As many species can be found in streams, there are just as many that dwell in lakes. Just about any lake bass I've caught pukes up crayfish, especially in spring.
Paul Roberts reply :
As to red mimicing blood. I've not seen much blood when watching bass engulf bluegill or crayfish. Shad are fragile and do get their scales knocked off, but bloody?
Here's a shot of a bluegill a bass I'd just caught spit up. Interesting thing is, the plug has all the red! I suspect it's bc red is more exciting to anglers than bass. The bass did not try to eat this plug bc it had red on it.
JoePhish reply :
I come across forage that have red in them.
Shiners sometimes have a red tint in their fins. (Houdini colored baits are big down here.)
Noticed Redear Sunfish beds the other day.
We also have different types of Tilapia that have red somewhere on them.
Paul Roberts reply :
Yes, many fish use some red, esp in nuptial dress. But, the bluegills the bass in my waters eat don't. But oddly, many of my lures have red or orange on them. In my eyes it does sort of round out the color spectrum, but those are my eyes.
I like to customize my cranks -my match the hatch trout fishing spilling over I guess. One of my favorite colors has been "Tennessee Shad" which sports an orange belly. I've scraped that orange off and replaced it with iridescent pearl on a number of my cranks and they catch fish great.
J Francho reply :
I wonder who came up with the name "Spring Craw" for red, and why? Anyone have a history on that?
Maico1 reply :
On 4/27/2013 at 1:33 AM, J Francho said:As many species can be found in streams, there are just as many that dwell in lakes. Just about any lake bass I've caught pukes up crayfish, especially in spring.
I get the body parts like this........
Maico1 reply :
My all time favorite red is this Lucky Craft "Rayban Red".....http://www.ichibantackle.com/picture/8170lvmax500_clearred.jpg
But Wakin, Spring Craw, Aurora Craw and Aurora Ghost Craw works too....
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/30/2013 at 3:21 AM, J Francho said:I wonder who came up with the name "Spring Craw" for red, and why? Anyone have a history on that?
Here's my take -and it is merely an educated guess:
Its a Texas/Gulf Coast thing, originally, stemming from the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii a very prolific breeder and aggressive crayfish that tends to dominate other species. Pretty much a dead ringer:
But there is more... It appears that the two "red" species are on the move -apparently in bait buckets. I found this: "P. clarkii is ... listed as an invasive species in California, Maryland, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia."
As to red lures in spring:
Crayfish "migrate" to deeper water for winter. In some reservoirs ice anglers have video'd basin bottoms "carpeted" with wintering crays. They then come shallower in spring to occupy summer habitat -crevices, vegetation, and esp with this species, shallow burrows. Crayfish also migrate in trout streams, from riffles to deepest pools and eddies and I've made good use of this in very early spring with crayfish patterns. March/April browns can be packed with crayfish then. More by far than any other time of year.
But P. clarkii is "red" pretty much year round. My take is that crays are esp available/vulnerable in spring (and presumably fall?) and much less so when they find summer hides.
As to Oneida specifically, clarkii is not (yet) known to be there. But C. rusticus is, a (somewhat red species, esp in clear water), and is a recent invasive being officially recorded in Oneida in 2005, but assumed to have been there for some unknown period prior. C. rusticus is also an aggressive domineering crayfish.
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