Blue Vs. Green For Big Bass

[Whit Warriors]

Fished Ruark area Saturday July 2nd with a good fishing buddy and really left the lake wondering how the color of a bait works. Started fishing early before the sunshine even thought about waking up. The dark colored big worms was working reall well. Zoom makes a 10" worm in a couple of colors that have worked really well for me under very low light conditions & at night. Zooms, Blackberry, Blueberry, Blue Fleck, Black Emerald, and Tequila Sunrise are my favorites. The ZOOM Ol' Monster worm is big worm style. Berkly Powerbait worms (7" & 10") in its darker colors work well day or night.

WE caught most of our largemouth on this bait with these colors. This has been my normal low light & nighttime lure & color choice for years.

After the sun was high, bright, and hot I switched to a green pumpkin baby brush hog, carolin rigged, and proceeded to catch absolutelty NADA. My friend kept fishing the Zoom Blackberry worm and kept catching bass (not any big ones, but at least he was catching them). We both fished a jig in PBJ and green pumpkin and caught a couple little ones. My fishing partner went back to the Zoom Blackberry around 2 pm and caught 4 more bass off one bank while I was killing time with a green pumpking shakey head worm and getting the net.

So the question I am pondering in my head is why does the GREEN's work will in the Spring daytime, but not as well in the Summer daytime? What in the world does a bass think a dark blue colored bait is? Bluegill? Snake? I have the most confidence in the GREEN's, but have been convinced that the BLUE's are just as effective. Needless to say a dedicated angler needs both colors and needs to know how to fish which one under the right conditions. Do I have it figured out, not yet, but I am learning. That is what makes fishing - fishing.

Whit Warriors

[rps]

Years ago Fishing Facts, and later InFisherman, published some fascinating articles on color - what colors scientists speculate fish can see based on their eye structures and what colors remained or turned under low light situations under water. Red disappeared early (thus the red and pink fishing lines) while purples and blues stayed true longer than everything except the yellow/chartreuse and day-glow families. The Color C-lector fad was based on some research by an Oklahoma? scientist/fisherman along similar lines.

Based on things I've read and watched happen, I think the primary controlling variables are action, shape, and sound that affect the lateral lines that fish rely on to feed when their eyesight won't work. If you don't believe it is their primary feeding tool, you need to fish Lake Eufala in Oklahoma when it is a cross between strawberry milk and chocolate milk. As far as color, I have concluded that light, dark, reflective, matte, and translucent are second place factor in the getting bites. Last place, in my mind, is actual color.

I would bet your partner's success was based more on size, shape, and action than color.

Does this mean I don't have preferences and confidence baits? Of course not. But I am old enough to remember when those preferences and confidence baits were quite different from today - and some of them worked really well.

Of course I have been known to be wrong. Often enough that I don't count.

[dennis boatman]

Pink!!!!!

[fishbait3]

Pink!!!!!

of course u and ur pink worms lol, but they do work.

[Walcrabass]

Fished Ruark area Saturday July 2nd with a good fishing buddy and really left the lake wondering how the color of a bait works. Started fishing early before the sunshine even thought about waking up. The dark colored big worms was working reall well. Zoom makes a 10" worm in a couple of colors that have worked really well for me under very low light conditions & at night. Zooms, Blackberry, Blueberry, Blue Fleck, Black Emerald, and Tequila Sunrise are my favorites. The ZOOM Ol' Monster worm is big worm style. Berkly Powerbait worms (7" & 10") in its darker colors work well day or night.

WE caught most of our largemouth on this bait with these colors. This has been my normal low light & nighttime lure & color choice for years.

After the sun was high, bright, and hot I switched to a green pumpkin baby brush hog, carolin rigged, and proceeded to catch absolutelty NADA. My friend kept fishing the Zoom Blackberry worm and kept catching bass (not any big ones, but at least he was catching them). We both fished a jig in PBJ and green pumpkin and caught a couple little ones. My fishing partner went back to the Zoom Blackberry around 2 pm and caught 4 more bass off one bank while I was killing time with a green pumpking shakey head worm and getting the net.

So the question I am pondering in my head is why does the GREEN's work will in the Spring daytime, but not as well in the Summer daytime? What in the world does a bass think a dark blue colored bait is? Bluegill? Snake? I have the most confidence in the GREEN's, but have been convinced that the BLUE's are just as effective. Needless to say a dedicated angler needs both colors and needs to know how to fish which one under the right conditions. Do I have it figured out, not yet, but I am learning. That is what makes fishing - fishing.

Whit Warriors

[Walcrabass]

On the subject of colors.... I believe that the water temperature(thus the temperature of the fish) has a lot to do with it. For example I have noticed that red is a good color when the water gets really hot. It doesn't matter if it is a crankbait, spinnerbait, worm, jig etc. Red works when it is really hot. The color of the water also makes a big difference. For example; Fish try to match their surroundings so they can hide or ambush. Clear water and a light colored bottom almost always mean a light colored fish, baitfish included. We need to take the hint. When the water is chocolate you need to throw something that will make an image in the water. Possibly Red Shad, Black, Blue, Chartruese. I firmly believe that the more senses you appeal to the more fish you catch. With that said then the eyes of the fish are very important to stimulate. One example I can give to show what color or lack of color can acheive when fishing is a recent trip to Stockton. The water was fairly clear and I tied two of the same exact size and color stand up Jigs on two different rods. Both were 1/2 Oz. Bluegill Bandits. One rod had 14 pound Florocarbon and the other had Trilene XL in Clear/Blue Fluorescent. Obviously you could see the Trilene in the water. I caught 22 Bass that day. I would deliberately use both rods in the same spot with the same retrieve. I caught 20 of the Bass on the Florocarbon. Only two on the Trilene. As far as the Green Versus Blue goes I can tell you to use something that shows up in the water.... they can't eat what they can't find. My thoughts are that water temperature and water clarity both influence what color I use.

I have to agree that the Black, Dark Purple, Black Neon, and Dark Blue are a favorite after dark. Provided that it is truly dark, not full moon. Electric Blue, Red Shad, and Green/Shad can really show up in the moonlight if the water isn't too muddy.

[Hammer time]

I remember watching a fishing show in the late 80's with a study on bass vision. The guy was a college teacher at OU I think and he invented the color c-lector. He proved that bass have both color and black and white vision. Color vision in the day and black and white at night

Using a reward and punishment system he got bass to react to 3 different shades of blue, if they bit the right one a reward if not a shock. Also he explaind that the first our of darkness is when bass are changing to black and white vision from daytime color.

Me and my buds have always called it the hour lull when night fishing, not that I have had trips were have caught them at dusk with no lull going into the first hour of darkness but most trips it holds true.

At night I use a black single spin with a black blade and a black triler. Black has the most contrast in low light. Or a black worm or black/blue or black/red jig. Usually the blade because of the vibration to help those bass find and hammer it.

Day fishing clear water greens, blues and plums and mostly translucent colors work for me. Just some of my thougts guys.

[Walcrabass]

Hammertime you are correct about their vision. You are also correct about the last hour before dark. In that time period if there is some heavy cover in fairly shallow water I go to a topwater noise maker. If I am fishing deeper water I use a Black Neon Stand up Jig with Black Neon Trailer. I also have a couple of strands of red in my Jigs and the head is Black with Red Flake.My Black Neon skirts have a little flash to them as well. You wouldn't believe how well they work in the last 30 minutes before dark. You are the first person I have heard make these same thoughts public. As far as the Black spinnerbaits with one blade go there probably isn't a better night time Spinnerbait. What size do you usually throw? As far as the worm thing goes I usually throw 15" at night. It just gives them "More" to find and "More" to feel. As far as night fishing goes I hope to be at Stockton on Saturday night. Just one more thing........I don't require nearly as much Sun Block Lotion at night.Good Luck everybody.

[Hammer time]

Hammertime you are correct about their vision. You are also correct about the last hour before dark. In that time period if there is some heavy cover in fairly shallow water I go to a topwater noise maker. If I am fishing deeper water I use a Black Neon Stand up Jig with Black Neon Trailer. I also have a couple of strands of red in my Jigs and the head is Black with Red Flake.My Black Neon skirts have a little flash to them as well. You wouldn't believe how well they work in the last 30 minutes before dark. You are the first person I have heard make these same thoughts public. As far as the Black spinnerbaits with one blade go there probably isn't a better night time Spinnerbait. What size do you usually throw? As far as the worm thing goes I usually throw 15" at night. It just gives them "More" to find and "More" to feel. As far as night fishing goes I hope to be at Stockton on Saturday night. Just one more thing........I don't require nearly as much Sun Block Lotion at night.Good Luck everybody.

Walcrabass, I us a 3/8 ounce blade unless huge wind then I go to 5/8. Mostly 10" power worms and 3/8 jig.

How was Sat night trip?

I'll be going Tue night and will post report. I forgot to mention that on my last trip I seen what I thought was a mountain lion on the bank, turned out to be the biggest bobcat I have ever seen. We checked each other out for what seemed like 20 minutes until the big cat slowly walked away. I was awe struck. Beautiful creature!

[Walcrabass]

Hammertime,

Thanks for the spinnerbait sizes. I personally like the 1/2 oz. and heavier if I am going deep or it is windy. I almost always throw a 1/2 Oz. stand up Jig. It seems to give me better "feel" for what is going on. The trip Saturday night was not record breaking. Fished from Mutton down to 1 mile past Birch Branch, Fished up Son's Creek about one mile, Fished in Googer a little bit. Only found one fish willing to bite in the brush piles. All others were on smooth gravel and less than 15 feet deep water. Threw Willow leaf Black Neon Spinnerbait until a little after dark. Threw Black N Blue Spinnerbait with big Colorado after dark. Threw a variety of 10 to 15" plastic worms before and after dark. Mostly Okeechobee, Black Neon, and Dark Purple. Fished until 3:30 A.M. Only caught about 8 fish. Not even a sniff on the Spinnerbaits. Never fished a Jig but wish I had as the fish were a little bit short striking that night. Just wanted to find out about the spinnerbait/worm bite. Had several bites that I am pretty sure were Drum but never hooked one. That seems to happen quite a bit when I am using Crawdad oil on my baits. Once again if I had been using a Jig I probably would have caught one or two. Don't mind eating those Drum either. Good luck Tuesday Night. Please post with some pretty specific information as I will probably go again next Saturday night.