Do bass change color due to water clarity? 2024

Murray reply :

Do bass change color patern due to water clarity? A friend and I went fishing at a private pond which has been uber-cloudy with algae deposits set by the owner. We were in awe by the clarity of the water. It was so clear we could spot-fish...well, tried to. It was more like watching the fish swim away in terror of the cotton candy lizard. But, when the fish did start biting--they were a suprisingly color patern than normal Alabama largemouth. Instead of solid-esque bloches, it was more of what i called a EKG machine display. Anywho, the main question is. DO BASS CHANGE COLOR DUE TO WATER CLARITY???

Raul reply :

Yes sir they do, they even change color depending upon the location and cover in the same impoundment.

Randall reply :

Yes. They will be pale in dirty water and have clear distinct markings in clear water. Deep fish can be pale also while shallow fish in clear water will have the best markings. Has a lot to do with the amount of light that hits the fish I guess.

Rattlinrogue reply :

Where I fish the shallows are swamped with grass.The shallow water bass are a darker green with coal black back.The deeper bass that I catch are pale in comparison.

Master_Hunter_1977 reply :

I agree with the others. Yes they do change colors. One thing that is cool is how fast the can actually change colors.

Scott

guest reply :

It helps to observe bass colors compared to the usual dollar bill colors of shallow bass. If for instance I'm walking a Zara Spook and a bass hits it over deep water, I can tell whether it came from the deep to get it, or not. If pale, I know it came way up from around very pale weeds or bare bottom structure, so I'll usually try making it easier on the lazier larger bass below by switching to a deep running crankbait. Vegetation gets more pale deeper, lacking sunlight to activate chlorophyl, while shallow weeds have increasingly more green cells. A lunker would be less inclined to swim so far for a topwater bait. Also, I don't see many bass of any size repeat that, so maybe only 1 in a hundred are willing to give up many calories for that meal. Getting a lure closer to a deep suspended school often gets a repeated bite going. If a bass in that same deep water, not far from a weed edge, turns out to have all its colors, I figure my lure called it horizontally from shallow water near darker vegetation, my cue to fish closer to the weedline, again increasing my chances of more bites. I'm pretty sure receptors in the bass eye regulate it's coloration, part of it's defense system as well as ability to camoflage to be able to ambush prey. A bass would have a hard time concealing itself if not for that ability.

As for how long it takes to change, I think it mostly takes a long time, pale bass in the livewell remaining pale all day, while fully colored bass remain fully colored in the same livewell. I can't say I've noted a bass changing colors quickly, but wouldn't discount the possibility.

Jim

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Our fish are totally opposite of R-Rogues. The water is super clear but the deep fish are very dark and the shallow fish barely have a diamond pattern showing.

bigbill reply :

I agree yes they do change color due to water clarity but the amount of sunlite that the water allows to go thru it can change the color of the bass too. I think the water clarity and sunlite work together. If there is also thick cover it can also filter out the sunlite too.

NiTrO 90210 reply :

Fish are dafinately alot paler in clearer water. I was fishing a tourney a couple of months ago and the water wa real dark and I caught a bass that was real dark with a really yellow belly. First time I have ever seen a bass that color.

KenDammit28 reply :

everything thats happening in a body of water effects the coloration of fish. Generally, deeper fish(less light penetration) will be a more pale color and shallow fish(more light penetration) will be more pronounced. However, you have to factor in turbidity, the clarity of the water, the general bottom color, water color, if the fish is in vegetation, swimming openly..so many things.

Just remember the general rule of thumb that in any given body of water, the pale fish are either deep or hiding deep in cover and the dark fish are out in the open or pretty shallow.

KenDammit28 reply :

thought this would be of interest, too.

"In coloring, largemouth bass are usually dark forest green on the back with lighter green sides, pale green bellies, and a mottling of black blotches that form an irregular horizontal line running from the eye to the caudal fin. A largemouth bass's color, however, will change with age and will be affected by the clarity of its home waters. Young largemouth bass are brighter in color, with greater contrast in markings; with age, the colors become duller and the black markings less conspicuous. Old fish become very dark. In murky waters, largemouth bass are often dark brown or nearly black, while fish from clear waters are lighter and brighter. "

from http://www.woodsandwild.com/fishing/bass.html

RoLo reply :

In my experience the darker the water the paler the bass.

In perennially muddy waters like Carnegie Lake, NJ and Mercer Lake, NJ,

the bass are a washed-out silver color with barely perceptible lateral lines.

In Florida's clearest spring-fed waters, bass exhibit the most striking colors and patterns.

They have greenish hues and black, blocky median lines that I've never seen on bass from murky water.

Bass from crystal clear water are absolutely gorgeous! :o

Roger

KenDammit28 reply :

why do you think it is that bass change color like that? I'm not a big cold-blooded animal study..so do reptiles and amphibians and other fish do the same thing?

KenDammit28 reply :

oh yeah, they don't change color PATTERN..they just change the "vibrance" of their colors.

RoLo reply :

Quote
they don't change color PATTERN..they just change the "vibrance" of their colors.

Oh yeah, they sure do change pattern.

Bass from constantly muddy water are patternless, with barely perceptible lateral lines.

Bass from crystal clear springfed rivers have gorgeous patterns I've never on any other bass.

Quote
why do you think it is that bass change color like that? I'm not a big cold-blooded animal study..so do reptiles and amphibians and other fish do the same thing?

I think it has everything to do with 'camouflage'.

Mother Nature is constantly striving to make her creatures less visible.

Camouflage in muddy water is unnecessary because the available light is inadequate to make a difference

In clear water where it matters, she has ample light to do her best work.

Big Mama's job is to produce a dark upperside that blends into the darker bottom;

and a light underside that blends into the lighted sky overhead.

If fishermen were wise they would not strive to match the hatch, but use RCS instead.

That's an acronym I coined about 35 years ago which stands for "Reverse Counter Shading".

In my opinion, every lure is painted wrongly and upside-down. If instead, you kept the dark hues

on the bottom and the light hues on top (where they belong), you'd achieve two big advantages:

1. Your lure would be significantly more visible to predators

2. Your lure would simulate a sick disorientated creature that is moving upside down through the water.

So if you ever hear mention of 'reverse counter shading', you now know from whence it came

Roger

KenDammit28 reply :

What you described about pattern isn't a change of pattern at all, though. However "non visible" the coloring of a largemouth, its pattern is still the same, just not "colored in", if you will. Changing its pattern would be like going from the largemouth coloration to the coloration of a bluegill....the pattern is always there, just doesn't always show up.

what I was asking was..what in bass makes them change color that way? After searching with the right keywords, I found the answer, I think.

"for the most part, the

result of changes in certain star-shaped pigment-bearing cells in the

skin, called chromatophores. Different ones contain granules of black,

yellow, orange or red pigment. In a dark-colored animal, for example,

the chromatophores with black pigment have the granules scattered

throughout the cell. When the skin fades these granules become

concentrated into a microscopic dot, leaving the remainder of the cell

colorless. This exposes chromatophores with other colors. Still deeper

in the skin are glistening silvery cells that reflect light like a mirror. The

control of these color changes involves the retina of the eye, nervous

system, the hormones in the blood, and so forth. The story becomes

very complicated."

so they do have little magic dust in their scales, lol.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

This is Dorothy. She is a resident bass we have been catching for 5 or 6 yrs consistently. She has a very distinguishable growth or chunk of scar tissue in her mouth which makes her easy to identify.

This is Dorothy in the summer in 5-10 ft of crystal clear water

This is Dorothy in November out in 20+ ft

RoLo reply :

Great Example!!

Dottie is my kind of girl

Roger

guest reply :

Many animals change skin/fur colors to better blend in with the environment changes. A chamelion lizard lives at the front of my home. When it rests on a dark green holly, it turns dark green. When it hops onto a red leaved shrub, it takes on those colors. When on the light green faded astro turf it blends in. It's mostly an involuntary action beginning with the eyes, same with a bass. They can see themselves in a mirror and have no idea what color they are. Well, I suppose a lizard could whip its tail around and get an idea. ;D I fish ultra clear water and find bass from an ugly pale with practically no markings to magnificently text-book colored, all in the saame clear conditions, depending on where they were when caught. I'll take sides on the changing spots issue, not believing they change patterns, but spots are highlighted more or less by exposure of constantly present arrangements of pigments in the skin.

I think the reverse bait color idea is arguable. A bass that knows much should be wary of a fish imitator lure that doesn't have a pale belly, as they see fish with pale bellies all day every day of their lives. I don't fish lures with dark bellies, nor do I see live fish with dark bellies. It has to be pale yellow, white , pearl, or chrome for me. The bass seem to agree that's what they prefer. On this note I'll point out I'm not impressed with the artistic (realistic) detail of tops of topwater lures, all of which no bass sees. You could just spray paint the backsides with black paint and catch the same bass.

Jim

RoLo reply :

Quote
I think the reverse bait color idea is arguable. A bass that knows much should be wary of a fish imitator lure that doesn't have a pale belly, as they see fish with pale bellies all day every day of their lives.

QUESTION: What is the first thing that happens to a crippled or dying baitfish?

ANSWER: It loses it ability to remain upright!

This is no accident, but is Nature's way of perpetuating "Survival Of The Fittest".

When a sick baitfish, frog, snake, etc, rolls upside-down the darker upper-side

contrasts strongly against the sky. If the predator is "above" the inverted prey,

the pale underbelly will contrast against the darker bottom. A creature with RCS

stands out like a heckler in a crowd and no creature lasts very long

that wears this calling card of "vulnerability". BTW: This is not something that I read,

but something that I firmly believe.

Every time an angler matches the color pattern of healthy prey,

he's playing into Nature's hands and making his lure less visible.

Unfortunately, due to the herd instinct of anglers, lure patterns with "reverse counter shading"

are almost impossible to find (monkey see, monkey do).

Roger

Raul reply :

Low_Budget, that 's the best example of how the same fish can show two different coloration patterns under different conditions. Excellent !

guest reply :

I realize you are a true believer about that, and I'm glad that bait paint arrangement works for you. But...I'm not sold enough yet to begin repainting lures. For now I only see high value in what you describe in terms of a follow-up bait. I think most of the bass I've caught have bit lures indicating a prey that isn't dying, but would appear fairly normal, though maybe not so healthy, secure, or wise. Occasionally I fish a fluke spiralling down to imitate a baitfish in trouble, mostly in late fall into winter when baitfish begin dying off from cold water temps, or as a follow-up to a search bait. Your reverse color scheme would work well for that. I doubt bass find enough dying prey from mid spring through early fall to survive on them, except for schooling bass chasing baitfish usually in the fall when they wound and gorge on them by the truckloads. But I believe bass mostly look up and to the sides, having a frontal blind spot, watching for light colored fish bellies. I've been down there and have seen schools of fish go over, and it's a wall of light bellies which contrast quite well with the ghostly surface that usually has a light silver cast to it unless perfectly calm and pretty clear. Then I could see the boat and people leaning over watching my bubbles. Seeing a fish above is easy. Looking down on their backs takes an expert to know what you're looking at. I tried to see bass on bottom, but couldn't pick them out until they moved. I'll give that up and let the bass figure out how to see fish backs below them. I count on bass feeding mostly on prey they have to chase or ambush during warm water temp. When I first tied on an old artificial topwater lure, it was black on all sides, probably dipped in paint. If memory serves me well, probably most old baits were like that until relatively recently when more realistic patterns emerged. I do remember Heddon River Runts coming out with a light colored belly, at least two toned in color for a welcome change, white & black, white with red back, then later came white with green back. Then came the fancy herring bone stripes and scale finishes. It took a long time for folks to accept the fancy paint jobs, most baitshops here carrying mostly the old style lures for many years. I would admit we caught lots of bass on all white, all balck lures, and since I'm more experienced fishing than then, can't say I catch more bass now because of that change in coloring. I do believe new anglers are having higher success using modern baits compared to the old days.

When I use hardbaits I intend to cover a lot of lake acreage quickly with bait action more closely imitating "foolishness" until I get a pattern going, not finding a presentation imitating dying prey to be a good way to start the day off with. If I select a dying prey lure, it's a followup to catch followers or short strikers, or simply to try catching more bass out of a hole, needing something that remains in a specific strike zone as long as possible. I started with a spinnerbait this morning, found bass, caught 14, the bait retrieved at a fast clip 18-20 feet down. Later on in early summer I'll switch to slow T-rigged worming, imitating a creature busy feeding on bottom and oblivious to danger.

Well, that's pretty much my side of this.

Jim

Hawg_Hunter reply :

Quote
Our fish are totally opposite of R-Rogues. The water is super clear but the deep fish are very dark and the shallow fish barely have a diamond pattern showing.

Hey Russ, from you example, the shallow fish has a more detailed pattern than when she was caught deep?

KenDammit28 reply :

ouachita, I agree with you pretty much

I think its a big misnomer that most of what a bass eats is dead or dying prey. I am a firm believer that a majority of what they eat is "stupid" fish and animals that just don't pay any respect to the bass or are oblivious to them being there until its too late. I think one of the FEW times a bass eats dying prey is when they have already struck and couldn't swallow it the first time.

Rattletrap reply :

If you fish some of the waters in South Georgia and Florida, you'll see why they are sometimes called black bass. You can't even see the markings. They are dark black, shallow or deep.

guest reply :

According to my old Ichthyology textbook the term "Black Bass" came from the temporary coal black color of smallmouth fry, those fish included in "Black Bass", but actually neither largemouth nor smallmouth are bass, but members of the sunfish family. Stripers are true bass. I can't say I've seen black colors on a largemouth, but do see gree, brown and bronze, or the ashy pale beige we're talking about.

Jim

Rattletrap reply :

The bass turns so dark green that it looks black.

FlyRod reply :

Not only do they change colors, they sometimes grow eyebrows!

http://home.comcast.net/~diamondcjdesign/portfolio/beuregard-bass-colored.gif

Honest!

Rattletrap reply :

LOL!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

HH- It seems no matter what size the fish is,if we catch it in that back cove (2-4ft and mud bottom) it will have a black back. Must be their type of camo for skinny water.

Fishin' is so much like golf. You'll never get every variable perfect, there for we continue our pursuit for knowledge till they bury us!

RoLo reply :

Quote
It seems no matter what size the fish is, if we catch it in that back cove (2-4ft and mud bottom)
it will have a black back.

Think About That For A Moment:

Whenever the viewer is above the fish (predator or prey), he sees only the upperside of the fish.

To camouflage her creatures, Mother Nature colors the back of "all" creatures darker than their belly.

In this manner the back of the fish tends to blend into the darker bottom background.

Whenever the viewer is below the fish, he sees only the underside of the fish. Accordingly,

the bellies of "all" creatures are lighter than their backs so they disappear into the brighter sky above.

Now Think About This:

Pretend that you are Mother Nature looking down on **** sapiens, your most intellectual being.

You notice that Man has chosen the same color pattern for his fishing lures that you have chosen

to downgrade visibility (dark on top / light on bottom).

Now Here Is The Question: Between Man and the Porpoise, is Man still on top? :-/

Roger

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