De-Mystifying The Wiggle Wart

[abkeenan]

24 minutes ago, *T* said:

Every time these color discussions come up I wonder about, but am not sure about, a couple of things. How do the eyes of bass perceive color?  Are they receptive to wavelengths in any way similar to humans.  Even people see the same colors differently.  And, underwater, at different depths and in different water clarity conditions, how are reflected colors there distorted from the colors we see out of the water in daylight viewing.  I'm sure you've seen how images from photos or pics on computers can show color inaccurately.

Got to say, it's great to see these artful skills of you folks who paint up baits.  And if it ups your confidence when fishing, it's a good thing.

I am on the side of giving color a little too much credit most times. I like to keep things natural looking since I fish the clearer section of the lake around the dam. So I don't throw a lot of chartreuse or black which guys in muddy water typically throw. I stick to greens and browns on pretty much all my soft plastics or craw imitators. Any moving baits like swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, cranks (non-craw/wiggle wart type cranks), jerkbaits, etc I am usually throwing a shad pattern in various forms of whites, smoke, silver/chrome and stuff that flashes.

Bass are an aggressive species and will attack just about anything that moves in the end. But upping your chances of getting them to commit by matching their normal forage only makes sense and of course should lead to more fish to the boat....in theory.

[Old plug]

15 hours ago, abkeenan said:

Old Plug isn't into Old Plugs? 

NOPE. Have some but not many. Jigs,plastic worms,and grubs Is about it for me. All sizes shapes and forms. After veiwing a picture just minutes ago of another friend holding two massive Hybrids I think I will be putting my Down riggers back on the boat next year and trolling some plugs. I cannot cast a plug all day anyway . matter of fact maybe not 15 minutes. To much stress on the left shoulder and I am so left handed I hate to use the right hand use. Feels very awkward after casting with the left for 70+ years. 

[Champ188]

3 hours ago, abkeenan said:

I am on the side of giving color a little too much credit most times. I like to keep things natural looking since I fish the clearer section of the lake around the dam. So I don't throw a lot of chartreuse or black which guys in muddy water typically throw. I stick to greens and browns on pretty much all my soft plastics or craw imitators. Any moving baits like swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, cranks (non-craw/wiggle wart type cranks), jerkbaits, etc I am usually throwing a shad pattern in various forms of whites, smoke, silver/chrome and stuff that flashes.

Bass are an aggressive species and will attack just about anything that moves in the end. But upping your chances of getting them to commit by matching their normal forage only makes sense and of course should lead to more fish to the boat....in theory.

I'm with you but I'll add one thing ... bass in dirty water hardly starve to death and they eat the same forage as the ones on the big end of the lake. To my knowledge, there are no chartreuse/hunter orange shad or fuscia crawdads. So up to the point that the water is just chocolate brown, I usually throw something on the natural side myself.

[Old plug]

Champ .... I think scent means a terrible lot more than color. I really believe when fishing for bass is at its best with artificials  its because they are in the mood to play more or less and chase something. Reminds me of cat behavior. When they are not in that mood your best bet is  a reaction bite. Someone interviewed Briian Maloney at this recent Walmart tourney here at LOZ. Brian made a statement"hit them on the head with it "  When it comes to reaction bite fishing there is no truer words to be told. 

 

[abkeenan]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

I'm with you but I'll add one thing ... bass in dirty water hardly starve to death and they eat the same forage as the ones on the big end of the lake. To my knowledge, there are no chartreuse/hunter orange shad or fuscia crawdads. So up to the point that the water is just chocolate brown, I usually throw something on the natural side myself.

I'm not much a mudcat like you river guys. Only time I fish the brown waters is when Long Creek is chocolate milk after TR gets hammered for a few weeks or month of rain. A few years back it was as muddy as I've ever seen it. There was a good jig and shallow crank bite there as a result but that is a rare event to have that much color. I think fish in those conditions are using their ears/lateral line for thump/vibration to hone in on meals more-so than fish using their vision in clear water. That's the only reason I would think that maybe having that bright yellow or solid black might be a little better in those super lo-vis water situations to help get some more attention. But yeah, in the end they are eating the same stuff as the rest of the fish in the lake.

[Champ188]

28 minutes ago, Old plug said:

Champ .... I think scent means a terrible lot more than color. I really believe when fishing for bass is at its best with artificials  its because they are in the mood to play more or less and chase something. Reminds me of cat behavior. When they are not in that mood your best bet is  a reaction bite. Someone interviewed Briian Maloney at this recent Walmart tourney here at LOZ. Brian made a statement"hit them on the head with it "  When it comes to reaction bite fishing there is no truer words to be told. 

 

Plug, I've used that same analogy about playing with a cat where reaction bites are concerned. And I've seen it proven in big trailer-type tanks at outdoor shows. I like to say you can't force one to eat when he's not hungry, but you still stand a chance to tee him off or tease him into biting by continually putting something into his private space.

[Quillback]

7 hours ago, *T* said:

Every time these color discussions come up I wonder about, but am not sure about, a couple of things. How do the eyes of bass perceive color?  Are they receptive to wavelengths in any way similar to humans.  Even people see the same colors differently.  And, underwater, at different depths and in different water clarity conditions, how are reflected colors there distorted from the colors we see out of the water in daylight viewing.  I'm sure you've seen how images from photos or pics on computers can show color inaccurately.

Got to say, it's great to see these artful skills of you folks who paint up baits.  And if it ups your confidence when fishing, it's a good thing.

Here's a video that explains things.  Short version is reds and oranges are filtered out by water at about 15 feet.  That's for reasonably clear fresh water, dirtier water it could be less than 15. 

 

[kjackson]

Interesting video, Quill. It doesn't go into the ultraviolet wavelengths, which many fish can see.  UV does penetrate farther in the water column and is more visible to some fish in dark conditions--dirty water or low light or whatever.

[abkeenan]

15 hours ago, Quillback said:

Here's a video that explains things.  Short version is reds and oranges are filtered out by water at about 15 feet.  That's for reasonably clear fresh water, dirtier water it could be less than 15. 

 

That video makes me think of line also. Remember when Cajun Line came out with their red line? Using the info suggested in that video was their selling point that red gets filtered out first thus the Cajun Line was the most invisible of all lines.

Also, remember when red hooks were the rage? You will get more bites on a red hook than a bronze or nickel hooks. But if red is filtered out first wouldn't those hooks be LESS visible to the fish or completely invisible beyond the 15 foot'ish range?

Quite a few people also use green mono on Table Rock as it blends in with the natural green tinge/stain that lake has for most of the year. But according to that chart green is in the mid range, if not beyond, of being filtered out last. How does that make any sense then? 

Just like anything else you can take data and skew it anyway you want to argue your point. I guess in the end it gets back to fisherman being a gullible group who falls for snake oil marketing time and time again. And I'm okay to be part of that group!

[Flysmallie]

Nobody understands how a fish perceives color, Yes there are some scientific theories out there but no one truly knows except for the fish. And they aren't talking.