James RickardThe color of money, er...LURES
June 21st 2007 00:13
People often ask about the colors they should use on their lures. Unfortunately, I haven't come across many hard and fast rules when it comes to fishing. Just when I thought I had found someone with all the answers, my fishing guru ended our conversation with, "...but, you gotta do whatever works." Duh!!!!!! After I heard that answer to too many of my questions I figured, "What the heck?" and began this blog.
The most popular answer to the question of lure color is "Match the hatch." What the heck does that mean? So many times, I felt like anglers were a bunch of good ol' boys with their own secret language! Basically, this means you try and match your lures to whatever the fish are feeding on.
Sadly to say, I can't tell you EXACTLY what color to use. In matching the hatch, it's your job to find out what the fish are eating and go with that color. This may mean you have to talk to another angler or, possibly, ask the guy behind the counter at the bait shop. An example of matching the hatch would be fishing for bass and you know that they are feeding on craw crabs. In this situation you would try and go with something AROUND that size in an orangey-red hue. Shad is a popular bait fish and if you go that route you want to use something in a pearly-white. (preferably NOT teeth!) Chartreuse is another popular color you'll probably run into. This is a yellow green that, I think, leans toward the yellow. At any rate, it can be a VERY effective color in clear water.
What about the reflective stuff? Good question--if you were wondering this, you've either been fishing before or you have the itch! Lures with a reflective finish can be very effective because they reflect light, making the targeted species think they're after bait fish. However, it's not advisable to use reflective lures on an overcast day. It simply reflects the surroundings and looks like a dull blob to the fish.
Picking the EXACT color can be a crap shoot AND--what if you have NO idea what the fish are eating but you still want to "match the hatch?" Here are some tried and true suggestions:
If the water is clear, go with a lighter color. Chartreuse and pearl, as we discussed, are good bets. As the sun goes down or in darker water, you will probably want to go with a darker lure--something in the blue/black range.
What does all this mean???? Not much because I have a confession to make that will mess up your head but I think is a good example of what the guru meant. I caught the biggest fish of my life (over 24") on a yellow and red lure in clear water. Further, the most productive lure I've ever created was light and dark green and I used it in ALL colors of water! Unfortunately, I can't show you a picture of either because I've lost the first one and the one I made was one of my first efforts and didn't hold together very long because I didn't know what I was doing.
So, when it comes to color, you can follow all the guidelines out there but, it's like the guru told me, "...you gotta do whatever works."
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
The most popular answer to the question of lure color is "Match the hatch." What the heck does that mean? So many times, I felt like anglers were a bunch of good ol' boys with their own secret language! Basically, this means you try and match your lures to whatever the fish are feeding on.
Sadly to say, I can't tell you EXACTLY what color to use. In matching the hatch, it's your job to find out what the fish are eating and go with that color. This may mean you have to talk to another angler or, possibly, ask the guy behind the counter at the bait shop. An example of matching the hatch would be fishing for bass and you know that they are feeding on craw crabs. In this situation you would try and go with something AROUND that size in an orangey-red hue. Shad is a popular bait fish and if you go that route you want to use something in a pearly-white. (preferably NOT teeth!) Chartreuse is another popular color you'll probably run into. This is a yellow green that, I think, leans toward the yellow. At any rate, it can be a VERY effective color in clear water.
What about the reflective stuff? Good question--if you were wondering this, you've either been fishing before or you have the itch! Lures with a reflective finish can be very effective because they reflect light, making the targeted species think they're after bait fish. However, it's not advisable to use reflective lures on an overcast day. It simply reflects the surroundings and looks like a dull blob to the fish.
Picking the EXACT color can be a crap shoot AND--what if you have NO idea what the fish are eating but you still want to "match the hatch?" Here are some tried and true suggestions:
If the water is clear, go with a lighter color. Chartreuse and pearl, as we discussed, are good bets. As the sun goes down or in darker water, you will probably want to go with a darker lure--something in the blue/black range.
What does all this mean???? Not much because I have a confession to make that will mess up your head but I think is a good example of what the guru meant. I caught the biggest fish of my life (over 24") on a yellow and red lure in clear water. Further, the most productive lure I've ever created was light and dark green and I used it in ALL colors of water! Unfortunately, I can't show you a picture of either because I've lost the first one and the one I made was one of my first efforts and didn't hold together very long because I didn't know what I was doing.
So, when it comes to color, you can follow all the guidelines out there but, it's like the guru told me, "...you gotta do whatever works."
Here are some color examples to think about when you choose a lure.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
You'll see how you jump above the line with my vote, worth 10.
Happy fishin' James.
katyzzz