The super clear water conundrum

[Al Agnew]

Maybe a color that really stands out will work at times in a lure that is fished slowly on the bottom, but to me, it's still all about negative versus positive cues.  A color they aren't used to seeing, in something they have the time to examine closely, is one more in a bunch of negative cues.  Maybe at times that makes no difference, or maybe at times even works better.  But I'd rather minimize the negatives.

As for colors that really stand out, we've had this discussion before.  What stands out to the angler above the surface may NOT stand out to the fish; it's all about contrast with the background.  Fluorescent yellow is my favorite example.  It's about the brightest color we ever use in lures--to US.  We look at it in our hand, or look down at it in the water, against the rather dark, green or brown background of water and bottom, and we think it's extremely contrasty and therefore highly visible to the fish.  But if it's a lure running close to the surface, the fish is looking UP at it, against a background that's the brightest part of the fish's world, the water surface, sky, sunlit foliage, etc.  So to the fish, the bright color blends into the background and doesn't stand out at all.  Black would be the highest contrast color in a lure in that case.  

[fishinwrench]

Consider this: If a fish can see better in clear deep water wouldn't the fish also assume that it could be seen better there?   If that's truly the case then I would expect the fish to feel more secure (hidden) in shallow water with some surface disturbance, or tucked in under shallow cover.

Or maybe fish just don't care whether they can be seen or not. Birds don't give a crap whether we can see them or not, I guess because we aren't perceived as a threat. They seem to know that we can't just chase them down and catch them but still they'll only let us get so close before flying off.   Probably about the same distance you can get to a Robin in your yard is the same distance you can get to a fish in clear water before it spooks or changes it's normal relaxed behavior.

When we look into the water we are looking in the same direction that the light source is coming from.  The fishes view is completely different (opposite) so I have my doubts that it can see very clearly.  Matter of fact it probably sees above surface objects better on cloudy days than on sunny days, yet our angling results usually lend us to assume the opposite since low light periods typically seem pretty good.

Now you've got me thinking how shade bends at the surface....or whether it does.  Are the shady spots really where we think they are ? Or where they look like they are?  They might not be.

[LittleRedFisherman]

5 hours ago, Seth said:

Clear water is my favorite. Only need maybe two lures

My favorite clear water bait stands out like a sore thumb, but the bass love it! 

I think I know Seth your go to after fishing with Tommy the other day!  

[Mitch f]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Are the shady spots really where we think they are ? Or where they look like they are?  They might not be.

Shade is always my casting target

[timinmo]

My conundrum(?) is when deep water is on one side and shaded water is on the other side.  What to do? 

[Seth]

10 hours ago, LittleRedFisherman said:

I think I know Seth your go to after fishing with Tommy the other day!  

I'm sure he mentioned it....

[Mitch f]

54 minutes ago, Seth said:

I'm sure he mentioned it....

Seth tickles the bass with pink worms...

and tickles his toes with the bass from the speakers

[Al Agnew]

13 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Consider this: If a fish can see better in clear deep water wouldn't the fish also assume that it could be seen better there?   If that's truly the case then I would expect the fish to feel more secure (hidden) in shallow water with some surface disturbance, or tucked in under shallow cover.

Or maybe fish just don't care whether they can be seen or not. Birds don't give a crap whether we can see them or not, I guess because we aren't perceived as a threat. They seem to know that we can't just chase them down and catch them but still they'll only let us get so close before flying off.   Probably about the same distance you can get to a Robin in your yard is the same distance you can get to a fish in clear water before it spooks or changes it's normal relaxed behavior.

When we look into the water we are looking in the same direction that the light source is coming from.  The fishes view is completely different (opposite) so I have my doubts that it can see very clearly.  Matter of fact it probably sees above surface objects better on cloudy days than on sunny days, yet our angling results usually lend us to assume the opposite since low light periods typically seem pretty good.

Now you've got me thinking how shade bends at the surface....or whether it does.  Are the shady spots really where we think they are ? Or where they look like they are?  They might not be.

No, because fish use depth to be safer from overhead predators like ospreys.  And they aren't less visible to overhead predators in shallow water.  The same cone of vision the fish have underwater, point starting at the fish's eyes and widening until it reaches the surface, then widening even more, is inverted for above water vision.  The higher that osprey is, the wider the cone of vision into the water is.  And so it doesn't matter to above water predators how deep the fish is, only how high the predator is.

As to shade...yes, in a backhanded sort of way, it bends.  It's the sunlight that bends, actually.  So the shade bends because it's the absence of direct sunlight.  It depends, of course, on the angle of the sun, and the angle at which YOU are looking at the edge of the shade.  Gets a little complicated, but in practice it probably doesn't matter much to anybody experienced at peering underwater...your brain is automatically compensating for the refraction and "knowing" about where the shade is.  

And I've spent enough time snorkeling that I can tell you that I can see very well through the water surface from below, unless I'm looking almost directly into the sun, the same as it is if I'm above water looking at the sky.

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, Seth said:

I'm sure he mentioned it....

It's the yella shirt that does it!! 

[Mitch f]

This is a pretty decent article

 

http://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Article/5-Keys-to-Catching-River-Current-Smallmouths-101451633