# ..Understanding colors..



## dstiner86

So I've done some research on my own, but you know how trustworthy the internet can be. So im coming to you guys and probably rehashing a few older posts ..but colors do they truly matter? how do you chose? There so many different combos I've read like natural for clear. bright for murky. dark at night. Reflective when sunny...are there any that really should be stuck too or any i should just ignore 

personally last year i used the same bright colored Joe fly in every condition above and caught something on it. so i don't really understand why to worry does picking the right color really matter or is it all just in the presentation.. Sorry to ask kind of a ignorant question but ill be honest until last year i maybe had three lures that rarely seen water if i fished it was hook and bobbers.. Since then fishing became a passion or as my girlfriend calls it an addiction .. And the days of hooks and bobbers been replaced by lures and softbaits .. (unless im catfishing).. 

and to stop myself from rattling on and hopefully get some advice eventually... Again i ask.. Color or presentation what should i worry about more?

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## Wow

Hey dstiner86. Presentation is first and foremost. If the presentation spooks fish, fails to get their attention, is beyond their strike range, drops to fast or is the wrong speed, color won't matter at all. Experience is the best teacher. When you catch a fish, take note, because you probably did everything right. The more you catch the more you learn about presentation. Under similar circumstances, anywhere on that body of water, you'll catch fish. Use the same knowledge on any lake.
Color is still important, as well as size. You already have a good grasp of the general wisdom. Tackle makers would love for you to buy all 16 colors. You probably need no more than 3 or 4. Try to match the baitfish, crayfish or bugs that your prey is currently eating. At night and murky conditions, contrast rules.
Here's a link for some serious discussion about color.

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=217944

Whatever you do, don't hang up the hooks 'n' bobbers. Sometimes it's the only thing working. Have a productive year, --Tim


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## tadluvadd

presentation is a big factor.so are water conditions,time of year,matching the hatch,and what type of fish you are going after.you can read a whole bunch on studies on fish eyesight,but in my opinion until one can see through a fishes eyes we will never know for sure.here is my findings---largemouth, if fishing muddy water,matching the hatch can mean chart. and white may seem like a bluegill to a bass.they see the flash of color or,after their lateral line feels the vibration.that flash confirms its a gill,or another prey fish such as a shiner or shad. its not always about what a fish actually wants to eat. its double trouble for bass during spawning cause gills raid nests. thats why the old saying goes any color is good if its chart and white.i have had better luck using this rule of thumb--the clearer the water,the more natural colors i use.the darker or more muddy the water,the brighter the color or darker depending what you trying to imitate. that said,crappie are really finicky on color.i have had a buddy or vise vs. fishing the same lure but different color,and will out fish me ten to one.the next day,that color wont even get a nibble.river smallmouth can differ depending on what river. golds, blacks,silver always looks like some sort of bait fish. in clear water,browns greens and pumpkins look like crayfish.I have always had better luck trying to fool a bass into mistaking color for something else then trying to let him get a good look at a natural color.imagine a shark looking at a white surf board.to the shark looking up at the sun,it looks like a black seal because its seeing the shadow side. hence PRESENTATION.most will have to be found out by trial and error,but there is no set in stone formula.hope i dident confuse you or go on to long.


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## Amerson

Thanks for the good info. 


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## Wow

tadluvadd said:


> presentation is a big factor.so are water conditions,time of year,matching the hatch,and what type of fish you are going after.you can read a whole bunch on studies on fish eyesight,but in my opinion until one can see through a fishes eyes we will never know for sure.here is my findings---largemouth, if fishing muddy water,matching the hatch can mean chart. and white may seem like a bluegill to a bass.they see the flash of color or,after their lateral line feels the vibration.that flash confirms its a gill,or another prey fish such as a shiner or shad. its not always about what a fish actually wants to eat. its double trouble for bass during spawning cause gills raid nests. thats why the old saying goes any color is good if its chart and white.i have had better luck using this rule of thumb--the clearer the water,the more natural colors i use.the darker or more muddy the water,the brighter the color or darker depending what you trying to imitate. that said,crappie are really finicky on color.i have had a buddy or vise vs. fishing the same lure but different color,and will out fish me ten to one.the next day,that color wont even get a nibble.river smallmouth can differ depending on what river. golds, blacks,silver always looks like some sort of bait fish. in clear water,browns greens and pumpkins look like crayfish.I have always had better luck trying to fool a bass into mistaking color for something else then trying to let him get a good look at a natural color.imagine a shark looking at a white surf board.to the shark looking up at the sun,it looks like a black seal because its seeing the shadow side. hence PRESENTATION.most will have to be found out by trial and error,but there is no set in stone formula.hope i dident confuse you or go on to long.


HUH?--Tim


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## tadluvadd

just read half tonight and the rest tom. weather sucks anyway


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## dstiner86

Alright well thanks to both of you... I've been really just trying to stress learning proper presentation instead of the whole color situation.. And by how it sounds presentation is the key the others just help i guess u can say.. And no tad after the third time reading it it wasn't confusing at all  

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## FishandHunt59

Remember that Depth and speed are very important, color is really the last part of the puzzle!

Steve


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## dstiner86

FishandHunt59 said:


> Remember that Depth and speed are very important, color is really the last part of the puzzle!
> 
> Steve


Speed is where i have the trouble.. Especially in these cold waters i kept finding myself reeling quicker and quicker with each cast so i had to smack my hands and slow myself down



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## sherman51

first and formost if its on the internet it has to be true,LOL.

i think there are times when color plays just as important of a roll as anything elce. but most times its the other way around.

a few yrs ago i bought some crawler harnesses in different colors with quick change clevises. we were catching fish like crazy on this one color. but it seemed like every time we got a nice fish it would shake atleast one of the blades off. so we put on a new harness. when we run out of that color we put some other color on, and the fishing really slowed down in a hurry. so we took the rigs that had one blade left of the good color and put together a few good rigs. we put them on our lines and right away the fishing picked up untill we lost the blades off those rigs. so this time i know that color played an important roll in catching fish.

but i do believe most of the time getting the lure in the right place and running the right speed is the most important. but that is still most of the time. we have been fishing and doing so so. and hear on the radio that somebody is catching fish on copper watermelon. we change our lures to copper with some in watermelon. and the fishing picked up. i do have about 3 or 4 colors that i depend on, but im always ready to change colors if a certain color seems to be catching more fish. and i am always trying new colors on atleast one rod.

so all in all i do believe the color can at times be as important as all the othe factors. but thats just my opinion.
sherman


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## brianl90

If the water is clear with a great deal of visibility I would go with lighter colors and something that has more flash i.e. spinners. This will drive them nut resulting in a hit.

When dealing with darker waters and less visibility go with darker lures. I like green, blacks, and blues.

Like what many of the others are saying presentation is important especially speed.


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## SMBHooker

General rules to follow:

- Murky water = Bigger baits & Brighter colors with a slower retrieve. 

- Clearer water = Smaller baits & Natural colors with faster retrieve. 


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## ranger373v

Check up on color and depth, as you go deeper, colors change, then go away. So throwing a red crank bait in 30 foot of water might not be a good idea, sure fish can hear, detect via latteral, and sometimes smell. But color is somewhat important. I learned this scuba diveing. And it transfered over to fishing. Now it matters kess when the river is rolling mud lol.


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## maniac1

There are those times when the fish are in a peek feeding time and they will hit almost anything, but we all know those times are fewer and further between than we would like.
If color didn't matter then we would all be fishing with White or Black baits, right?
I know without a doubt that color does matter. Match the hatch with color as well, except when conditions dictate otherwise. Such as water clarity and Night fishing, especially night time top water. Most of the time you only really need a few different colors. Light colors, such as white or semi clear or light colors for clear water, but dark colors also can be productive in clear water. Darker and or brighter colors for stained or muddy water, cloudy days etc. If you have some bait fish colors and greens, browns, black, white, chartreuse, then you are usually covered pretty good. i like to carry some Spike it markers to customize colors on the water when conditions dictate a change. sometimes just changing the color of the tail of a lure makes a big difference in catch ratio. We could talk a lot more in detail about this topic, but there are just a few basics on color, and as you gain more time on the water, you also see where color does play a very important role in fishing success. Good Luck and good fishing!


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## MassillonBuckeye

maniac1 said:


> There are those times when the fish are in a peek feeding time and they will hit almost anything, but we all know those times are fewer and further between than we would like.
> If color didn't matter then we would all be fishing with White or Black baits, right?
> I know without a doubt that color does matter. Match the hatch with color as well, except when conditions dictate otherwise. Such as water clarity and Night fishing, especially night time top water. Most of the time you only really need a few different colors. Light colors, such as white or semi clear or light colors for clear water, but dark colors also can be productive in clear water. Darker and or brighter colors for stained or muddy water, cloudy days etc. If you have some bait fish colors and greens, browns, black, white, chartreuse, then you are usually covered pretty good. i like to carry some Spike it markers to customize colors on the water when conditions dictate a change. sometimes just changing the color of the tail of a lure makes a big difference in catch ratio. We could talk a lot more in detail about this topic, but there are just a few basics on color, and as you gain more time on the water, you also see where color does play a very important role in fishing success. Good Luck and good fishing!


Many of us do fish mostly blue and black.. And every other color under the sun. I've yet to see conclusive evidence regarding any certain color and fish response. I feel its everything together. There's a reason fish aren't eating the leaves on and in the water. Even if you colored the back half of the leaves chartreuse  if they aren't moving like something alive, they aren't getting bit. Does your cat care what color its feather toy is? Any other wild animal discern prey items based on color alone? Only in regards with what NOT to eat, ie; poisonous or unappetizing in some other way. I don't think fish are conditioned that way. There really isn't anything in their environment like that. If there were, you'd want to Avoid that color. Too many guys swearing by Pink Panties, Monkey Puke and everything else to worry about matching the hatch or changing baits like a madman. Just my $.02 and I don't like red lures, jugs, grubs etc.. Never seemed to do any good on em, although I haven't used many other than bleeding presentations. Also, there is some science indicating red is the first color to go underwater... But one of my fishing buddies(and I'm sure plenty of other people) loves it and catches fish so go figure!


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