James RickardDoes lure color really matter?
January 17th 2008 07:14
You hear a lot about artificial lures. I talk a lot about artificial lures for that matter!
One question people often have when looking at the variety of lures on the market is, "Does the color really matter?"
I would have to say, "No," and then back up and cover myself.
While it is true that fish primarily react to the action of the lure, the color cannot be discounted entirely. Instead of going off the deep end and buying a bunch of lures, I vehemently recommend slowly building a collection of lures that work in your area.
Although your location will dictate the final color scheme of your lures, if you're putting together an arsenal, I would highly recommend a Jitterbug. I know a lot of fishing buffs are shaking their head right now but I've caught fish on this lure every season for what must be the last 15 years! In fact, it is the only lure I have that I replace with the identical item!
While local conditions dictate lure choices, a few pointers always hold true--
1. On bright days in clear water, light or chartreuse lures usually work.
2. At night, try black, deep blue, or even a dark purple.
3. Don't use reflective lures on overcast days. They just reflect the drab surroundings.
4. Although red is the first color to disappear under water, it doesn't start blurring out until over 10 feet. Fish are probably going to think anything in shallow water that shows up red is a wounded fish.
One question people often have when looking at the variety of lures on the market is, "Does the color really matter?"
I would have to say, "No," and then back up and cover myself.
While it is true that fish primarily react to the action of the lure, the color cannot be discounted entirely. Instead of going off the deep end and buying a bunch of lures, I vehemently recommend slowly building a collection of lures that work in your area.
While local conditions dictate lure choices, a few pointers always hold true--
1. On bright days in clear water, light or chartreuse lures usually work.
2. At night, try black, deep blue, or even a dark purple.
3. Don't use reflective lures on overcast days. They just reflect the drab surroundings.
4. Although red is the first color to disappear under water, it doesn't start blurring out until over 10 feet. Fish are probably going to think anything in shallow water that shows up red is a wounded fish.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
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Comment by James Rickard
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Fish react on movement and flash 80% of the time and color and OTHER (whatever that may be) accounts for only 20%! Science has only done "FOR SURE" studies an about half a dozen fish. Of the thousands of species out there, there's GOT to be one or two that can distinguish color. However, I think like most animals, fish,as a whole group in general, are going to be more attuned to the heat register given off by another fish. If they can tell color at all, I figure it has to be in shades of gray rather than hues as we see them. At best, I think most of them see the world as a black & white movie! Finally, what about the fish that exist in the deep? It's a proven fact that there's little or NO color down there because there is no light and no sun for photosynthesis. If those fish could come to the surface, they'd have no use for color vision!