May 25, 2023 at 11:59 a.m.
Fish Like a GIRL
How to choose lure colors for soft plastics
Before I get started on lure selection and color, let me start by saying that confidence means a lot. I have a friend who throws almost nothing but a pink worm. His brother throws another "secret color" of worm that I have made for him. I would never think to throw that color, and I do not throw a lot of pink, either. But these two tend to do well no matter the body of water they are on. However, most "normal" people vary their color based on a number of things. I use the term normal in jest of course. But when either of them reads this, I am sure I will get a ribbing right back. That is the way of the angler, I suppose.
The first thing to consider is water color. As a rule, the clearer the water, the more natural of a bait color an angler should use. Of course, this is not always true, as the pink worm example shows. But for the most part, save the bright colors for dark or stained water. I like colors like green pumpkin or browns in clearer water.
I also find that a color like green pumpkin sometimes works better with a red or orange flake, depending on the bait. When using a crayfish imitation, for instance, I think the flake adds a little flash that is important to the fish. Watermelon red, too, is a color with which I have had good success in both clear and dark water. Browns have also been showing off a bit in the last year or two. Sometimes the least flashy presentations brings the best results, but right now, I would not bet against a brown bait. I know a lot of people who are having great success with them. Tilapia is another color that works well in clear water, but also in dark or stained water. This color has become popular over the last few years. I swirl it with a burnt orange to make a color I call Jambalaya. That quickly became a popular color as well. It works well in anything from a swim bait to a ned worm or even a six-inch lizard or a craw imitation.
In dark or stained water, a brighter color usually works well. For one thing, it is easier for the angler to see. My friend who throws the pink worm always says that is one of the only colors he can see in the water, Our eyes definitely do not get better with age. We laugh about this, of course, but it makes a difference. Even when the bite is super light, when he can no longer see the pink bait, he knows a fish has it and can set the hook without even feeling the bite. It makes sense, but it is not something on which I would recommend most anglers rely. However, if an angler can see a bait well, a fish can to, so it makes sense to use brighter colors in darker water. Chartreuse and orange are good, bright colors. I use chartreuse mostly as an accent color, such as on the tail of a swim bait or the tip of a worm. Methiolate is another old-school color that has gone by the wayside in the last decade or so. But it still gets results.
Black and blue or black and red are also popular colors in darker water. Black and purple is another of my favorites, but it also seems to work for me in clear water.
There is a lot of truth to the "match the hatch" philosophy and that is something anglers should keep in mind. Knowing what the main forage are for bass in a given lake is a good place to start. For many bass that is crayfish. Once an angler understands that it is crayfish bass are keying in on, though, they then need to know more about the crayfish themselves. They are not always the same color. Their color changes as they molt. They can be orange and brown, or they can be blue and green, with variations in between. Bait fish, obviously, are not always the same size. So when imitating a bait fish, an angler needs not only the proper color, but the proper size bait as well.
When it comes to swim baits, I like flashy colors. For the most part, swim baits are going to be a reaction bite. The fish key in on the movement of the bait and the water it is displacing. When the bait gets closer and they see it flash, it is often just the motivation they need to strike. I still like to use colors that make sense, such as a bluegill or silver and white, but fast moving baits are generally more about moving water and providing some sort of visual cue rather than looking exactly like the forage they are attempting to imitate.
Then, of course, there are times when a friend comes along and throws a bait that looks like nothing I have ever seen in a lake, and the fish cannot get enough of it. It happens. This is usually the case when it is a reaction bite. The fish may not necessarily be looking for a specific food, but something comes by making all kinds of noise and moving a little too quick, and the fish strike out at it. It may be curiosity. It could be protecting itself or its fry. Or it may simply be annoyed at whatever is making commotion. Nevertheless, it hit the bait and, as an angler, that is the important part.
I could go on and on about colors and which ones work in which water. As a general rule, though, natural colors are a good place to start in clearer water and bright colors, or black and blues, are a good place to start in darker water.
From there it is all about experimenting. One day green pumpkin orange may be the hot ticket and the next day it is watermelon red. Conditions change from day to day and throughout the day. A bait that was getting a lot of action in the morning may not produce at all in the afternoon. It can be hard to change up from a color or a bait that worked well earlier in the day, but it is important to stay alert to changing conditions and to know when a bait has run its course.
Comments:
You must login to comment.