Does Lure Color Matter Underwater?
 

For anyone who likes to fish. Kind of interesting article on choice of lure colors.
http://www.fix.com/blog/view-from-be...es-underwater/
Fisherman swear by this color or that color, but does it really matter?

Probably why spinners and shiners always worked so well.
Those little flashes of light as the critter moved through the water.

I don't fish anymore but when I was into it the only color I had any consistent luck with was a couple of spoons that were black and chrome. Next best was a spoon that was all chrome. YMMV

I remember working on perch-jerkers boats and the big thing then was a fish finder looking thing called the "Color-C-Lecter.You stuck the probe in the water and the needle pointed to a color on the dial you were supposed to use.What horseshit.You cant beat a regular ol rapala for anything. Which reminds me of how I hate bass fisherman.They all need their boat,right now,because they have a "tournament" that they never win and when the boat is ready dont have the money to pick it up.But they'll put yer name on the boat if you want to "sponsor" them. I ended up running them off they're such dipshits.Salt water guys are totally different.

I would make a popper out of wood.
Paint it red and white.

Work like a charm for Bass at sunrise and sunset.



MERC

Salt water fishermen by me are a different animal.

Think of the difference between someone on Bass Masters
and Quint ( Frank Mundus, Montauk ) from Jaws.

Being where I am from, I have always been more
of a salt water animal



MERC

.....I love Fly Fishing...Grandpa taught me to make my own flys..using colors.

Only racists think color matters.

I have a friend who ties flies. Hard to believe how much he gets for them.

Last I heard, from him, some of them go for over $6.00 each.
AND he is constantly telling folks that he just doesn't have the time to make as many as some guys want.

A few years ago he had a shoulder operation, the doc told him he would have to do rotation exercises, he demonstrated how he ties flies, the doc said that that would be an excellent exercise, doing that for a couple hours a day would be fine. :D

Insert lifelong fisherman's opinion here:

Depends on the day, week, moon, and sun if we're talking hard baits.

I like worms and leeches 80%. Why leeches? Other (local) people don't. Otherwise creek minnows/chubs/shad really BUY the nearby fishes.

Lures are for Pro's in tournaments although it is difficult to use natural baits as effective top-waters. Guess that's my other 20%. I do utilize "outdated" soft baits with props and harnesses often though.

Flies and fly-fishing are a labor of love I fail to comprehend. I'm sure it's fun.

I think it does. When I'm throwing a spinner/buzz bait it's usually white with a silver blade. Doesn't matter on water condition or clarity. When I throw jigs or worms for bass they'll be darker colors like blacks, browns, or dark greens. There again, it doesn't much matter what the water looks like.
Hard baits in open water are different. Clearer water I tend to go with more natural colors. Very often I tend to get as close to whatever kind of bait fish I might see swimming around. Darker or stained water I'll go more with the brighter neons and such.

It's hard to beat worms (nightcrawlers) or other. It's a nature thing. Leeches are kinda worms, fish don't fear another "worm". Creeks that offer bass, be they smallmouth or spotted (largemouth). Leeches and worms of any sort are regular and respectable bait. Minnows too if you're carrying/catching live ones to use.

I like it as "natural" as it can be. In eating your catch always be aware of what mankind has done. I'd rather eat a fish than catch one. I'd prefer to do both. There is compromise involved. Toxins, danger, and PETA...?

Edit to add there is a compromise but life is short. Live it.

I promise pics from my first good spring trip. Be it cats and panfish it will be good food I've consumed all my life. Comfort food.

(edit to add I do fish from waters I'd never eat from, Doesn't stop me from eating my catch elsewhere. States push an agenda of danger in eating catches. There may be something to that, how long will you live?)


Smell the grease, mmm. mmm good!

I think lure color likely matters far more when fishing streams, creeks, small rivers, etc., where you don't expect your lure to run deep.

I think so also Oswald. Fly fisherman spend hours making the proper fly for their particular fishing spots, including the correct colors. The article gets into color dissipation at different depths.
Fishing for stripped bass here in fresh water, the lure has to be moving at lightning speed. I had a dozen of them swim along side my lure and just stare at it, this while reeling it slowly one time.
Like Merc as kids we used wooden dowels. Painted them, put hooks on the lure and caught em fishing Long Island Sound. We worked for our money, no money for lures.

I used to get up early before work to top-water Bass around weed beds and Lilly pads back in the day. Jitterbugs, Torpedoes, and Crazy Crawlers (black) were my favorites.