I'm primarily a crappie fisherman and definitely believe you should use the same color all the time. Might as well use same weight jighead. Oh,stick with that short rod for shooting docks. One other thing,never,ever under any circumstances use nibblets.
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What's the purpose behind the different colored lures?
- Thread starter ringorock
- Start date
littlejon
Senior Member
Funny thing is when I look at this pic I ask why are they so worried about color, I would be more concerned about what those big hooks are, lol
BassMan31
Senior Member
The color filter graph is misleading. Water doesn't filter color but does absorb light. Color intensity depends on light penetration at a given depth. Red will be removed out of the visible spectrum first and be replaced by more blue/black as diffused light diminishes. Red lures (and line) don't disappear.
If water is clear enough, red will still appear red further than 20 feet down.
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LittleDrummerBoy
Senior Member
The lure below is by far my most productive lure in Lanier. I keep blaze orange nail polish in my tackle box and everything I use gets a splash of orange.
There was a lake in New York where nearly everything I caught was on firetiger crank baits with rattles.
I don't have lots of theories, but I do like to keep using what works in a given lake, and steer away from lures that don't.
There was a lake in New York where nearly everything I caught was on firetiger crank baits with rattles.
I don't have lots of theories, but I do like to keep using what works in a given lake, and steer away from lures that don't.
ringorock
Senior Member
I'm looking at all of these responses, but from a bait fish perspective, they don't change colors. A silver shad will always be silver. Does a fish feed on different species of life when water clarity changes based on their colors? I don't know enough to even guess, but shads don't come in clown colors in real life. In any event, I did order a rippin rap ultra light in clown and only because chrome was out of stock. We will see.
fish hawk
Bass Master
They like that profile,color just gives them something to aim at.
Green pumpkin, watermelon, black, white all seem to work pretty much everywhere.
Time was, if you wanted to catch bass on Oconee, you needed a blue worm. High Falls was the same way for a while.
I've seen other lakes where the fish hit a red worm 10 times better.
In clear lakes, sand seems to work great.
Sometimes, color matters. Other times, it's all bull. Your mileage may vary.
Time was, if you wanted to catch bass on Oconee, you needed a blue worm. High Falls was the same way for a while.
I've seen other lakes where the fish hit a red worm 10 times better.
In clear lakes, sand seems to work great.
Sometimes, color matters. Other times, it's all bull. Your mileage may vary.
rgreen1377
Member
Hot Pink has situationally been a killer for me. Especially around striper and spots.
“You can throw any color you want as long as it’s white.” Isn’t wrong.
Color seems to be more important on swimbaits and large presentations in clear water for wise and pressured fish IMO.
Pretty sure whatever color gives you confidence personally is the best color. If you aren’t fishing confident you aren’t fishing well.
Some of the new “Matte” finished baits get bit better side by side with the exact same color scheme under the appropriate conditions. Not sure if that is conditioning and pressure with the fish just seeing something new.
“You can throw any color you want as long as it’s white.” Isn’t wrong.
Color seems to be more important on swimbaits and large presentations in clear water for wise and pressured fish IMO.
Pretty sure whatever color gives you confidence personally is the best color. If you aren’t fishing confident you aren’t fishing well.
Some of the new “Matte” finished baits get bit better side by side with the exact same color scheme under the appropriate conditions. Not sure if that is conditioning and pressure with the fish just seeing something new.
woodmaster9
Member
RE: "What's the purpose behind the different colored lures?"
Primary purpose is to sell lures.
Think about it... you go to the store to get a lure and you find they have 14 colors. You don't know which one is 'best' to get so you buy 5. haha
Primary purpose is to sell lures.
Think about it... you go to the store to get a lure and you find they have 14 colors. You don't know which one is 'best' to get so you buy 5. haha
woodmaster9
Member
As a very experienced scuba diver, I would agree with you if you are fishing the waters of the caribbean or the south pacific on a sunny day, however, here in ga, in most of our lakes, the visibility is only about 6 or 7 inches most days, perhaps 4 or 5 feet on a very good day.
EAGLE EYE 444
King Casanova
I have read all of the above replies and most of them surely reminds me of my late grandfather. He grew up on the banks of the Savannah River in Lincoln County, Georgia....and then he watched as the river became known as CLARK'S HILL LAKE when the lake was created and was completed back in the early 50's.
He and his best friend fished at least 4 days out of each 7 days over a period of 40-50 plus years during the warmer seasons. They were the ultimate in being so competitive in everything that they did including fishing, hunting, raising a huge garden every year that included having the most corn, tomatoes, green beans, butter beans, turnip greens, collard greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, watermelons, cantaloupes, apples, pears, and plums etc.
All of these competitive type things set the stage for their fishing exploits which pretty much consumed their lives and especially after both of their wives died at much younger ages.
Keep in mind that most of their fishing exploits NEVER involved all of the "famous lures" that most of us have and fish with in today's world. They made lots of their own lures back then from certain types of wood (some types of wood will float and others won't) and they painted them in several different colors with their own paint schemes. The fact is that they caught all kinds of fish with their rods and reels, fishing poles, line hooks, trot-lines and even wire fish baskets and that helped them to have food to survive.
Also keep in mind that the monofilament type lines in all sorts of strengths like 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50 lb test variations didn't exist back then. They ONLY had the braided black and or dark green colored lines to use and most of those were about 20-30 lb test as well.
I still remember well what my Grandfather said about him making and painting up his "plugs" in lots of different colors (the word lure had never been developed back then). He said using different colors on his "plugs" was the same as ANY man that didn't want to see his wife or girlfriend in the same color clothes every day. He said that you need some variety in your life and my Grandfather and his close friend, Mr. Bob, proved that for sure as they always caught lots more fish than any of the other people that went fishing.
I use that same motto when I am fishing as I DO have lots of various "lures" and they have lots of different colors and they all seem to have a different swimming technique that attracts several types of fish.
From the time that I was just a little boy, I remember that my family grew up with a plaque that hung in the main hallway of our house and it was dedicated to our Grandfather and his friend.
It simply stated:
"MOST FISHERMEN ARE LIARS, EXCEPT YOU AND ME.......
AND SOMETIMES, I DOUBT YOU" !!!!
My Grandfather died back in 1973 at the age of 85 years old but I still do a lot of things that I learned from him as my name was derived from his namesake.
He and his best friend fished at least 4 days out of each 7 days over a period of 40-50 plus years during the warmer seasons. They were the ultimate in being so competitive in everything that they did including fishing, hunting, raising a huge garden every year that included having the most corn, tomatoes, green beans, butter beans, turnip greens, collard greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, watermelons, cantaloupes, apples, pears, and plums etc.
All of these competitive type things set the stage for their fishing exploits which pretty much consumed their lives and especially after both of their wives died at much younger ages.
Keep in mind that most of their fishing exploits NEVER involved all of the "famous lures" that most of us have and fish with in today's world. They made lots of their own lures back then from certain types of wood (some types of wood will float and others won't) and they painted them in several different colors with their own paint schemes. The fact is that they caught all kinds of fish with their rods and reels, fishing poles, line hooks, trot-lines and even wire fish baskets and that helped them to have food to survive.
Also keep in mind that the monofilament type lines in all sorts of strengths like 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50 lb test variations didn't exist back then. They ONLY had the braided black and or dark green colored lines to use and most of those were about 20-30 lb test as well.
I still remember well what my Grandfather said about him making and painting up his "plugs" in lots of different colors (the word lure had never been developed back then). He said using different colors on his "plugs" was the same as ANY man that didn't want to see his wife or girlfriend in the same color clothes every day. He said that you need some variety in your life and my Grandfather and his close friend, Mr. Bob, proved that for sure as they always caught lots more fish than any of the other people that went fishing.
I use that same motto when I am fishing as I DO have lots of various "lures" and they have lots of different colors and they all seem to have a different swimming technique that attracts several types of fish.
From the time that I was just a little boy, I remember that my family grew up with a plaque that hung in the main hallway of our house and it was dedicated to our Grandfather and his friend.
It simply stated:
"MOST FISHERMEN ARE LIARS, EXCEPT YOU AND ME.......
AND SOMETIMES, I DOUBT YOU" !!!!
My Grandfather died back in 1973 at the age of 85 years old but I still do a lot of things that I learned from him as my name was derived from his namesake.
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Yep. I've seen times when just dipping the tail of a worm or fluke in chartreuse dye meant all the difference in wearing them out, and not catching anything.
Also, I've noticed many times while vertical jigging for walleye, you'll catch a couple on a certain color, then they don't hit any more. Put on a different color and drop it back down there, and wham!
fish hawk
Bass Master
Also dont forget yella is good to a fella
I do know that when I troll crappie jigs, 1 color will always get more bites than the other. But, I don't change the other rod. Because later, they change their minds and the other one starts getting all the bites. I can only reel one in at a time anyway, so I just leave multiple colors out.
rgreen1377
Member
Also dont forget yella is good to a fella
If it ain’t chartreuse it ain’t no use!
fish hawk
Bass Master
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