# lure colors



## The Skink (Mar 9, 2009)

A good friend asked me what I understood about lure colors yesterday. I looked high and low and couldn't find the study I find to be interesting. I posted it somewhere but forgot where it was. Here it is. It is not all inclusive because some fish see color and some only see in grey-tones. Fish definitely see their world differently since their eyes are full of water and ours aren't. That's why we cant see too well under water. Evolution Baby! Anyhow, here is the study I found to be interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpQTh_tnJ6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTi5nJqEzvo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTqyVX3oZk0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5P6UMGiT7o

I have spent some time reading articles on this over the years and always find new details as our understanding evolves


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## The Skink (Mar 9, 2009)

maybe I should have put this in the newbie help


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Some good info there! 

I've been fishing for about 50 years, have been making my own lures & tying flies almost that long, and even did so commercially for many years & I can honestly say I don't know that much about lure/fly colors or why they work. I have my theories, but of course nothing is ever guaranteed or can be 100% proven! Only the fish know for sure! IMO, color is sometimes important, at other times not so much. The trick is figuring out when those times are! :redface:

However, in all that time I've had the most success on many species & in both freshwater & salt with white, black or chartreuse as the base colors on what I use, or a combination of these. Are they the best colors? I can't say they are, but they have been the most consistent for me. Of course, that could be because I probably use them more than anything else! 

I've got lures & flies in many, many colors and they all work at given times. There's the various "flash" colors too such as the silver/chrome, gold or copper & the holographic prism effects on spoons & spinners also to consider. Then, there's the confidence factor in what you choose & how much confidence you have in using it! We tend to use lures in a different manner when we have confidence in them, then when we don't or are uncertain. Human nature has some consideration here.

Plus, there's the marketing that goes into selling lures! Every lure maker has the next greatest fish catcher ever! Lately, it seems to be UV finishes! 

IMO there's no right or wrong to any of it, but it's certainly a lot of fun trying the different colors & experimenting to see what works for us! :fishing:

It's an interesting topic, and one that has many opinions & variables. opcorn:


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## The Skink (Mar 9, 2009)

I definately have my favorite colors too, and I do fish with more confidence when I use them. 40 yrs of experimenting and whether you want to or not, you will learn something. I do think its unusual that I catch more on lures that dont resemble fish or fish colors than i do on replica lures. For instance: what the heck is a stingray grub supposed to resemble? You are correct, there is no right or wrong. Back in the 80s, trout would only hit pink lures. This lasted for about 3 years then suddenly,they wouldnt touch them until the water got very cold. I learn something new every time I go fishing and I also adapt quickly. If I start fishing and dont get bites, I will switch colors often. The variables are endless


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

> I do think its unusual that I catch more on lures that dont resemble fish or fish colors than i do on replica lures.


On a bass fishing site I frequent, this topic was discussed. IMO, when fish are feeding, most any predatory fish, no matter whether in freshwater or salt, they'll look for the stray, or injured particularly when there's a lot of prey available. The easier meal that may not act in a normal manner that a healthy prey might act. Perhaps that's what they see with that type of lure. Sure, the fish have to eat & in the absence of an easy meal they'll find food, but I think they'll go for the easier meal first if it's available. If a lure or fly looks out of place, it's possible it appears to be an easier meal. That could also be said of odd colors that don't mimic the real thing or lures with unrealistic movement. It stands out & brings their attention to it. Speculation on my part here, as I can't say that's why with 100% certainty, but it's possible. 

In my attempts at making lures & those I've bought that were "realistic", many didn't work as well as I had thought they would. Same with flies. I have fished with color patterns, & profiles that caught a lot of fish & appeared close to the real thing, but am not sure those single aspects were the key. They all move differently too, whether designed into the lure, or how we impart action with the rod. Again, many variables & perhaps it's a combination that causes the fish to react positively. 

I've heard many times of guys fishing side by side, using the same lures & colors, same basic rod/reel/line combination, yet one guy is catching & the other isn't. They say they're doing exactly the same, but IMO I doubt that any two people will fish exactly the same. Sometimes it's the slight differences that work, others times it may require more extremes, while at others it doesn't seem to matter. 

I certainly agree with you about learning! However, there have been times it seems the more I learn, the less I know! 

I try to make it a point of learning with every fishing experience, even on those days I don't catch anything. I've found that most often I learn more from my lack of success than I do when I'm catching, provided I pay attention to what's going on! :redface:


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)




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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)




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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

I've been doing what bigjim5589 has been doing for many, many years. I tie flies, jigs, teasers,and bucktails and basically " match the hatch or baitfish " , whichever the case may be.

As a general rule clear sky,clear water = light colored patterns and dark sky/dingy water = darker patterns.

If I had to pick one pattern only it would be some variation of a chartreuse/white.

I have seen the one color trout pattern happen at Hatteras, Murrells Inlet, and Hilton Head. Hatteras one fall/winter they hit nothing but a rainbow trout pattern assassin with a plain lead head......another, cotton candy with a red head.....and at Hilton Head a white grub on an orange jig head. You could be standing right next to anglers using something different and you'd never get bit. And when that happens, every tackle shop will sell out of that quickly. Saw it happen with Gotchas at Emerald Isle one year when all the Spanish would hit was a black gotcha with a gold head and gold hooks.

But, if I were pressed to fish only two jig patterns for specks/reds anywhere, anytime in a sound it would be a white grub with a pink tail or a white grub with a chartreuse tail, red or plain lead head.

Same goes for flies. I've heard excellent tyers say " tie sparse, very sparse " yet there are times when a full body slow fall out catches sparse. But if I had to pick one fly pattern for the salt it would be a chartreuse/white pattern.

Part of the fun in fishing is comparing tackle boxes when nothing is biting. Keeps the economy going.


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