When Fishing Gets Tough

[mic]

It's a good thing color doesn't matter as  much as some of the other factors, because I pretty much use only a few basic colors, and choose colors based solely upon water conditions.

Topwaters--light, minnow imitating colors exclusively, the darkest I ever go is the purple back, tan sides, light belly Sexy Dawg.

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits--white, chartreuse, and black

Crankbaits--brownish crawdad colors or minnow imitating colors; my homemade crankbait requires a skirt, and I only paint it in two body colors, browns and minnow imitations, and the skirt is always white, chartreuse, or a combination of the two, or once in a while yellow.

Superflukes--pearl, period.

Bottom bumping soft plastics and jigs--either black or a color that matches the bottom of the river, which will either be a brownish or greenish color.  I don't worry about what color the flakes are, only the main color.

I don't even own any other colors of soft plastics.  No smoke, no purple, no fire-tiger crankbaits, no bubble gum flukes.  No real green colors like watermelon--the only greenish colors are more olive than green.  No blue.  

It removes a lot of decision making.

 

No purple... man I used to have so much respect for you.  Not even one electric grape worm in the box of yours.  You call yourself a fisherman.  

[Al Agnew]

Actually my color selection is based almost entirely on choosing colors that are visible to the fish but not TOO visible.  Moderately clear to very clear water, I want colors that blend into the background against which the fish are viewing it.  Murky water, where the lures are NEVER extremely visible, I want colors that contrast somewhat more with the background, so that they don't get totally lost.  Hence the light, and bright (chartreuse) colors for topwater and high in the water column lures in clear water--those light, bright colors are being viewed by the fish, looking up, against a light, bright background.  And the darker, natural color lures for bottom bumpers in clear water, because they blend into the bottom colors in clear water.  And black is the default color in murky water because it stands out against many backgrounds

[joeD]

How about we ask the fish?

After all, they're the ones eating treble hooks and plastic.

Correlation is not causation. 

The assumption that our lure selection and presentation is the difference is false. 

Whoops! Never mind. This just in!  Yes, it is our skill and lure selection that makes a difference. Uber anglers will always overcome difficulties!

FISH ONNNN!!

[fishinwrench]

Color definitely matters, and alot of it is seasonal.   Nobody can argue the effectiveness of a Red rattletrap in early Spring and a Chrome one thereafter, a Bubblegum lizard during the spawn, a Chart/wht Spinnerbait during Spring and Fall, a Black/blue jig in early Spring/late Fall, Natural shad colored jerkbaits in Feb-March, ect.    The sales of Green Pumpkin/Pumpkin pepper/Tequila Sunrise plastics are off the charts and that isn't because of any fad, it is because they are Ultra effective more times than not.  

Some color things are personal, like I can't throw anything with Orange on it.  But the staple colors have all been figured out IMO and I stick with them.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

 Al said, no bubble gum flukes

My daughter would quit fishing without bubblegum flukes.

I got her into bass fishing using a white fluke because you can't hardly screw it up.

I took her to bass pro and I said why don't you pick out what you think will work.

That pink fluke surprised me so much I throw it quite a bit now.

Then again ,maybe it's these metro sexual bass we're catching in the suburban lakes around here.

Pete

 

 

[Johnsfolly]

One of the lakes that I fish locally, the pink fluke outfishes pearl or baby bass patterns. I still fish the other colors, but pink really gets the strikes even in the same weed beds and cover areas. Bubblegum worms work really well there also.