# Topwater color opinions



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Other than the underside of a top water lure being a light color, do you feel that the color of the top of the lure is significant. I ask this as the fish cannot see the top color. Your opinions and reasoning please,


----------



## JShort (Sep 16, 2011)

I don't think the color on top makes much difference at all. The main thing is the bottom color, but I think the sides have something to do with it to. Bass will catch a glimpse of the sides every once in a while so I think that color matters.


----------



## BuckeyeBassMan (Jun 8, 2004)

I think on a Zara spook the other color can be important. When you walk it, the bait rolls some, flashing the sides. Maybe not the very top though

A flat sided double prop bait will lay in its side when you pull it. Then right itself when you stop. Fish should be able to see the top then.

Sent from my XT907 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## JSykes3 (Oct 14, 2010)

BuckeyeBassMan said:


> I think on a Zara spook the other color can be important. When you walk it, the bait rolls some, flashing the sides. Maybe not the very top though


This is what I was going to say. On some baits that you walk, the fish will partially be able to see the top color, atleast the sides.


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't think the color of the top of a top water bait makes a difference either. Like you said ... there's no way a fish can see the top. As far as fish seeing the color on the sides of a top water bait. I have no doubt that they can see it under certain conditions. Especially if the color on the sides extend below the water line of the bait.


----------



## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

stay natural, make sure you can see it.... the most important things when considering walking baits....

frogs... black or white.... same reason, you need to be able to see it yourself...


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I have been given to understand, and have seen pics of it, that because of the way a top water bait dimples the water the top of the bait is visible as sort of a "halo" around the underside of the bait. Now, whether or not this makes any difference to the fish, who knows?


----------



## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

If you have a topwater that goes underwater for any reason i.e. a popper or a plug when you jerk it , then the top of the bait reflects of the top of the water, so yes I do think it makes a small difference , especially when imitating frogs.


----------



## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

Imo it makes no difference because all they see is the belly and 95% of all lures and 100% of all critters on the surface have a lighter belly than their back. Imo the only reason you see such a proliferation of different colored lures is because some marketing exec was trying to make more money by fooling the public into thinking it matters. For the longest time the only color of jitterbug available was the white with red head. Now there's 40+ colors. That exec is hoping everyone will buy several different colors.

As I've always said , some lures catch fish and some lures catch fisherman.


----------



## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

A good topic of debate. I have mixed opinions on color of top water baits because of what I feel areconflicting results for me. While fishing a white pop R in the dark a good hour and a half before daylight I hooked into a bass. Big fish that I regrettably did not bring to the boat. No pic no fish...The white pop R was used because it was the smallest top water I had in my gear thinking that the smaller bait meant more fish. I have fished with a black jitterbug in the dark and taken some bass that way. Same results in the early moring and evening light. While skipping a blakemore roadrunner under overhanging limbs a errant cast put the lure in the branches with it hanging approximately 18 inches above the water. The small jig hung there semi motionless for over a minute while I paddled closer only to have a small bass come out of the water and grab it hanging himself out of the water until I could reach the lure and untangle it and release the bass. How the bass ever saw roadrunner out of the water and recognized it a a potential food source near motionless changed my mind on what a fish can see in or above the water. I will go out on a limb and say visibility depends on the water clarity, surface disturbances aka ripples, waves, angle and lighting. Trout fishermen will sneak up to a bank where they will make a cast because they believe the fish will see them. I would believe it is likely a passed on knowledge and an experience confirmed the fish see above the waters surface to different degrees depending on circumstances. As a kid in my aunts pool I would try to go under with a dive mask and try to see out to pool side which was possible. Surface reflection, and surface ripples were factors. I also would experiment with surface noise to find out if I could hear underwater the noise from the surface above. Too much time reading outdoor magazines as a kid about fishing and hunting. I have noticed that when surface is smooth close strikes as less or not existent so IMO the fish are cautions about what they see. A slight breeze with surface ripples the bite picked up. I do think fish see more than we believe. How much they process is a guess on my part. A good discussion IMHO.


----------



## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

Shortdrift said:


> Other than the underside of a top water lure being a light color, do you feel that the color of the top of the lure is significant. I ask this as the fish cannot see the top color. Your opinions and reasoning please,


Check out the frog picture. Frogs are natures top water treats for bass.
I generally lean toward the more natural colors. Unless the water is very tannic. Then I would think that loud/strong colors would work.

But I really think when it comes to top water presentations that the footprint (or silhouette) of the top-water lure, and the action it has, is most important. For instance, a 2-1/2 inch lure may not get the same results as a 4-1/4 inch lure, no matter what color the top or bottom of the lure.

Note - Again, I think it's the silhouette of the lure that is most important. And one more thing while we're on the subject... Most bass anglers would agree that dark days call for dark colors and bright/light days calls for light lures.

Hope I don't bore you people...


----------



## foxbites (Mar 15, 2010)

jignpig hit the nail on the head. Silhouette is what the fish see. 99.9% of the time I use topwater baits, it will be something with black in it. Don't matter if the water is clear or muddy. One of my favorite colors of buzz bait is black and blue skirt with a dark blue head. I use my pigtail frogs and my favorite color on that bait is black with a red head.
Now when I am fishing on top of heavy moss, color don't matter. All the bass see is the movement on the moss and hit at the movement. Frogs are good on the moss, but I like to rig a big plastic bait weedless and drag it across the moss.


----------



## mo65 (Aug 5, 2011)

Great topic here! I read a piece long ago that shed some major light on topwater bait color preference. I can't remember who wrote it...or where I saw it...but I sure remember what I learned from it! When a fish looks up at the surface, it sees a lot of light, and this is why nature's creatures are all white on their bottom side. It serves as camo. This is why black is such a great topwater color...even at night. It presents an easily spotted profile. Ever notice all black baits never follow the "color on top/white belly" scheme? :G


----------

