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crosseyedbass
02-11-2009, 02:39 PM
I am one of those guys who think color does matter!


Don't Get So Wrapped Up In Color Selection!


by Roger Lee Brown

How many of you anglers who walk into Tackle Shops, Discount Stores, K-Marts, Wal-Marts, etc., go straight to the sporting goods department, look for the fishing rods sticking up in the air to zero in on the Fishing Lures and Plastic Baits section? Then, when you get there you start looking over all of the enormous selections of all the different baits and different colors that are offered by the many bait companies that are on the market today, and you're not really sure of exactly what is really needed, so "The Big Question" comes to mind; "What colors do I really need?" especially when looking over all the plastic baits. Well, let me tell you a little secret that most anglers don't know!, and that is; "You don't need a multitude of colors in your arsenal." That's right! and let me say it again..... "You don't need every color that you see!." Now, some anglers may suggest the comment; "well my partner and I use this certain color on this certain body of water, and it catches a lot of bass" or others may say; "I saw this magazine article from one of the top Pros, and he said to use this; yellow, spotted, half stripped, 7", curly tail, floating, thing-a-ma-jig plastic made by so & so, and I saw a picture in the magazine of the 14 lb. bass he caught off of this certain plastic bait, and now I've really got to have some of these." Now before we get started, let me explain something to you. The Bassin' Industry is a "Multi-Billion Dollar Industry" in today's world and growing more and more every day. Most of the Pros that lecture these "Bass Seminars" have an obligation to their sponsors to demonstrate, promote, and to advertise their sponsored product (Nobody gives anything for free anymore!). For example, attend one of their fishing seminars and just see if they don't try to sell you on a "certain product", or the technique that they may use with this "certain bait." There are more Outdoor TV Fishing Shows, Outdoor Magazines (related to freshwater fishing), Bass Tournament Organizations, Bass Fishing Sites (on the World Wide Web), Bass Fishing Clubs, Bait and Tackle Manufacturers, Bass Boat Manufacturers, Rod Companies, Reel Companies, and it goes on and on and on, as there ever was before. (That's probably why Bass Fishing is considered to be America's #1 freshwater sport!) And ALL! of these companies are in the market to make money.


Now, let's go even a step further, okay? What sells all of these products? Hmm, let's see now, advertisement (Marketing) and promotion are about the two best ways of selling a product that I'm aware of and I'm sure that there are more, but first let's concentrate on these two for just one moment. Let's talk about fishing shows to give you an example! I've co-hosted several TV Fishing shows in the past and let me tell you that "Most,"of the time, (Not All!) but "Most" of the fish that you see being caught on the show are caught prior to the actual filming of a show. Yep! now you might ask yourself; "well I saw the guy set his hook and then reel in the bass." All I can say to you is this; "Don't believe everything that you see!" with today's editing equipment, professional camera personnel, and the right camera shots anything is possible. So let me explain how it works; #1, you cast out the sponsored bait product (whatever bait or baits the show is sponsored by, keeping in mind that the fish were actually caught prior to the show, and in most cases on totally different bait). #2, while you start your retrieve, you rare back with your rod like you just got a strike and pretend to set the hook! (on actually nothing at all). Then the camera will stop filming. #3, then, you simply reel your sponsored bait back in to the boat, grab a fish (in the case of a bass show, a bass) out of the livewell and place the hook of the "sponsored product" in the fish's mouth. #4, Next you place the fish back into the water (with ease, and always keeping the slack out of your line), then you let the fish swim away from the boat. #5, then at this time, the camera starts rolling again and starts filming you fighting the fish back to the boat!...(Really quite simple!) That's how Most! of the filming is done.

It's not so much the bait, or color, or technique used to catch the bass during the filming, they just want to show you how much bass all of these "certain baits" can actually catch! (but do they really?), that's called Marketing, OR!, take a look at the packages of most of the baits today. They have to look appealing on the shelves to the consumer (this is called Packaging). Just keep this in mind!, most baits on the market today are made and packaged to catch anglers and not so much the fish.

Now, I'm telling you this because of all the different products and especially all the multitude of COLORS that you must decide on which ones to buy. Okay, let's get back to the colors...... First of all I want you to understand that I am NOT saying that a certain color of a plastic bait will or will not work under any different circumstances, but I will say that you don't really need more than approximately 2 dozen colors of plastics to catch bass on any body of water throughout the United States. Now stop and think a minute! There are, without exaggeration, on today's market thousands of colors and combinations of colors when it comes to plastic baits. Remember what I just said! I said only 2 dozen colors, and not hundreds of different colors!, whew!, what a money saver, Right!..... And, if you usually fish deeper than 20' depths most of the time, you don't even need to have that many colors. The reason is, is because the deeper a colored bait drops through the water it starts to loose the color of the bait itself. That's right, the deeper it goes down into the water the color spectrum starts to diminish. In other words, if you had a multi-colored plastic worm and you cast it out letting it drop to a 25' depth, the colors of that multi-colored plastic worm would be "Shades of Grays and Blacks" in that depth of water.

Just like scuba diving, when you get down to a certain depth everything looks Black and White!, well the same goes for colored plastics (Now, how many colors does an angler actually need when fishing these deeper patterns?) It doesn't matter what color you throw into 20' plus depths because "All Colors" will basically all look the same on the bottom. The only difference now will be is your shade variations. So, why buy hundreds of different colors of plastic baits when they will all loose their color at deeper depths? (Makes no sense to me!) So there is a lesson to learned!, probably the most important factor to keep in mind when fishing with plastics is; "The Presentation" of the bait is what really counts! and not so much the color....... I teach my students presentations, techniques, as well as colors that they can use anywhere so they can be highly effective when it comes to catching bass on any body of water!




"The Bass Coach"


www.capital.net/~rlbrown (http://www.capital.net/~rlbrown)

bababooey
02-11-2009, 06:52 PM
Wow, this guy really nails the essentials everyone needs to know. I'm surprised no one from one of the big tackle companies tried to give him a set of concrete shoes yet. ;)

gjb1969
02-11-2009, 07:34 PM
well i was just looking at my box and there is a noticable color that is very low in number in my go to box that one color did the trick for me so the not worring abought color its hard sometimes the color thing rings true thats my two cents tite lines and good fishin:thumbsup:

Monty
02-14-2009, 09:10 PM
Darkskies was talking abot how orange was out catching other colors by a good margin (in areas where there was light) last year.
Most of the surf fishing with plugs is done in the top water coulmn.
I believe plugs with some type of shine/reflective chararistic is a good thing.

4940

4941

4942

Rip-Plugger
02-14-2009, 10:31 PM
wow Monty,thems some odd characters ya have there,looks like they be killuzz,I bets you be hittin' them BIG som'beeches wit 'em.
ya also have some fine cat imitations too!
how do dose swim?,,on top?

let me know how ya like that heavy duty lip on the dirty banana.

R-P

jimmy z
02-15-2009, 03:17 AM
I've been saying that fro years. Presentation first. That's what will attract the big gals. :)

Rip-Plugger
02-15-2009, 08:17 AM
I agree with Jimmy-Z,

presentation first,profile,action,vibration and pattern[like a mackeral pattern vs a plain pattern].

I have been in such a situation where green/white plug,1 with the wavy pattern,1 without,the wavy pattern caught more,both had the same colors but not the same patterns.


R-P

DarkSkies
02-15-2009, 08:25 AM
4942


Hey Monty, ya got 4?? :kooky:;) God bless, all full grown, or any of them kittens? :thumbsup:

Monty
02-15-2009, 11:09 AM
I found their mother run over by a car one morning in front of our house, so we adopted her 4 kittens (weeks old). They are in-house cats, one and a half years old. They are awsome, great personalities. (They were known as the "terrorists" for a few months during one of their phases..
As to not hijack this thread:
In Zeno's first book he talked a lot about yellow, I think a lot of people (me included), stocked up on yellow plugs. I noticed nothing special about yellow this past year with swimming plugs. My go to pencil is yellow body/red head. Even with that I started using white body/red head and that produced just as good. (I do have a thing for red heads). Since I will be out there in the dark more this year I plan on using a lot more dark plugs. Does anyone think that the shades (dark vs light) mean a lot to success?


Hey Monty, ya got 4?? :kooky:;) God bless, all full grown, or any of them kittens? :thumbsup:

surfwalker
02-15-2009, 11:50 AM
Color of a plug has driven me crazy for years. I use certain colors for certain situations (water clarity, sky conditions-cloudy, overcast, sunny), and time of day or night. I'm funny, I like to catch Bass with what I want to throw. If I'm catching pretty consistantly, not a blitz, with one color, I will try the same plug in another color. My results have been pretty even. Then I'll try an entirely different plug, same color and get shutout. Then go back to the original catchers and I'm into them again. So, in these cases it was the action of the plug. It may not be true in all cicumstances because sometimes I can only produce on a chartreuse color. Drives me crazy, what attracks the Bass to your plug first, the action or the color. I have tons of colors of plugs, but it seems like the 6 or 7 colors I carry are my producers.
Yellow/red head and the chartreuse in the popper family has treated me very well, but I have done better with white/red head. As far as the dark, depending on the water clarity I will toss a black plug, if it doesn't produce then I move onto blk/sil/white bottom. If they don't produce, then I toss anything. Just remember not to get stuck on one plug because it produced in the past, vary. I don't have any clear cut answers as far as color, my patterns for plugging may be very different from others. Sorry for the long rant, but color and action are always on my mind at the wetline.

Happy Trails

surfstix1963
02-16-2009, 05:50 AM
I do not think color plays a major role with poppers because it is a reaction strike to the pop that causes the fish to hit, white poppers work for me.Darters and other swimmers are a different story they are fished slow presentation is the key here the fish has a better chance to see and not just react to what it is chasing. Take sandeels they appear a brown & white w/a little silver/pearlish side color but when they are schooled up and swimming in tight packs they cast off a slight olive green/chartreuse color.Bottom structure changes the hues of what the fish see eg. Montauk with the bottom full of rocks and vegetation make yellow the hot color. Many baitfish with pearly/silvery sides will cast off mainly bluish and pinkish hues(mullet,anchovies,spearing) with little green and yellow(porgies,weakfish) and I believe the color thing comes into play when your lure matches the hue being cast off by the baitfish against the bottom color.I do believe brighter colors work better in murky water thats a visual thing though.The next time you have the chance to see schools of bait close up if the fish aren't there watch for awhile and you may learn something valuable in the fishing game.When I hit the beach if the fish are not blitzing I take a look around to see where the points,bars and troughs are and how the water is reacting after the wave breaks and washes back to the ocean if it is pulling going back in it is doing the same to the bait that may be close to the beach.Sorry this was so long winded but it is just my two cents I may be totally wrong but I catch fish.:fishing:

VSdreams
08-18-2009, 10:16 AM
The Great Color Debate

by: 60 second angler
Ask a dozen anglers about using certain colors at certain times and you'll probably get a 50/50 split on their answers. All the "experts" weigh in on the subject, someone catches a big fish on a certain color and they sell off the pegs, this color in dark water, that one in clear…well, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say color has nothing to do with catching fish. There, I publicly said it so let the fallout begin. But I do have something to back up the claim...proof, if you will.


What kind, you ask? Pretty darn good, if you ask me. I'm colorblind and when you start mixing up those greens, browns, reds, yellows, chartreuses and such, well, I just can't tell the difference. I can sum up my fishing in one word. Contrast.
I'm big on contrasts. Nearly everything I own, save jigs, feature a good contrast in color. By that I mean my bucktails will have a light blade and dark tail, or the reverse. Cranks, jerks, topwaters, all have a dark to light or opposite layer. If I have a red hook, it's by accident because I can't see it. I can't tell the difference between bronze and gold on my spinnerbait blades. Sunrise and sunset tails? Looks the same to me. Purple and blue? Same thing. So, what do I do? When I start seeing baby ducks disappearing on the water I actively toss my topwaters for muskie. In the spring, it's a weedless jig and a minnow for walleye. And I keep them all in one spot and just grab one, regardless of color. The one's I like to use don't come unpainted so I just put my finger in the box and whichever one sticks, I use it. The minnow doesn't care. I boat lots of fish so they must not care either. Just the "experts" care, I guess. It all boils down to that old fishing adage, "location, location, location."

On my TV program, "The 60-Second Angler" I used a BP measuring stick as a fishing rod to prove it's how you use something, not necessarily what you use that can catch fish. I'm going to prove it again this season with another unorthodox method, this time a "lure". I may even use the stick again just to reinforce the fact that fishing doesn't have to be as complicated as it's made out to be. My good friend Joe Bucher even backs me up on that one. Most of what's out there is made for the shopper. I defy any recreational angler to tell me the difference between a 5:1 and a 5.3:1 gear ratio on a reel. But, I digress.

This piece is about color and I think I've driven home the point that it doesn't make any difference. I laugh out loud when guys come into the sport shop where I work and want a specific color. After qualifying them a little about the conditions they'll be fishing in, I discover they want to use it at night!!! Now, I ask you what difference color is going to make at 2:00 in the morning? I'll never figure that one out.

For me, if the lure says perch and the lake I'm fishing has perch in it, it's a no-brainer. Besides, how may "firetiger" fish have you seen swimming around lately? But, that particular color has…that's right…contrast! If I'm fishing artificial lures, especially for muskie, they have to be noisy. I could care less about color. Unlike their cousin the northern pike, muskie don't see all that well and need to hear things before they decide to chomp on it. So, I'm ready for the flack now. But look in my boxes. Talk to the guys I fish with. The lures are natural in color or feature contrasts. It's that simple. See you on the water...


http://www.60secondangler.com/articles/colordebate.cfm

DarkSkies
02-21-2012, 08:45 AM
I do not think color plays a major role with poppers because it is a reaction strike to the pop that causes the fish to hit, white poppers work for me.Darters and other swimmers are a different story they are fished slow presentation is the key here the fish has a better chance to see and not just react to what it is chasing.

Take sandeels they appear a brown & white w/a little silver/pearlish side color but when they are schooled up and swimming in tight packs they cast off a slight olive green/chartreuse color.Bottom structure changes the hues of what the fish see eg. Montauk with the bottom full of rocks and vegetation make yellow the hot color.

Many baitfish with pearly/silvery sides will cast off mainly bluish and pinkish hues(mullet,anchovies,spearing) with little green and yellow(porgies,weakfish) and I believe the color thing comes into play when your lure matches the hue being cast off by the baitfish against the bottom color.

I do believe brighter colors work better in murky water thats a visual thing though.The next time you have the chance to see schools of bait close up if the fish aren't there watch for awhile and you may learn something valuable in the fishing game.









I've been saying that for years. Presentation first. That's what will attract the big gals. :)





Color of a plug has driven me crazy for years. I use certain colors for certain situations (water clarity, sky conditions-cloudy, overcast, sunny), and time of day or night. I'm funny, I like to catch Bass with what I want to throw. If I'm catching pretty consistantly, not a blitz, with one color, I will try the same plug in another color. My results have been pretty even. Then I'll try an entirely different plug, same color and get shutout. Then go back to the original catchers and I'm into them again.

So, in these cases it was the action of the plug. It may not be true in all cicumstances because sometimes I can only produce on a chartreuse color. Drives me crazy, what attracks the Bass to your plug first, the action or the color. I have tons of colors of plugs, but it seems like the 6 or 7 colors I carry are my producers.

Yellow/red head and the chartreuse in the popper family has treated me very well, but I have done better with white/red head. As far as the dark, depending on the water clarity I will toss a black plug, if it doesn't produce then I move onto blk/sil/white bottom. If they don't produce, then I toss anything. Just remember not to get stuck on one plug because it produced in the past, vary. ....color and action are always on my mind at the wetline.

Happy Trails



3 posts from this thread that stand out to me, and are worth re-visiting...thanks guys! :thumbsup: :HappyWave:

DarkSkies
02-21-2012, 08:51 AM
Some notes I posted today on color.....


Note on color for the new guys out there....

You will see in my posts I say "color doesn't matter"....
That's true to an extent. Sometimes it does...
As when for some reason they will only hit black, or when on the darkest of nights, they will hit a chicken scratch yelllow plug more frequently than other colors...


There is no rhyme or reason to this...standard theory is that you should fish darkest colors near the new moon, and lighter colors during the full moon cycle. The reasoning behind that is that those color shades should show up better in that respective lunar cycle...but as you get out there more and more, you will see that what is "supposed" to work doesn't always...

For example, the Daiwa SM and SP which you see me talking about has produced some nice fish for me, but only about 25% of my fish during this robust winter cycle. If I just had a mindset that "Daiwa was best" I would have missed out on a lot of fish. Food for thought, people.....







There are so many variations. that I don't like to stick to one set of rules of what color the fish are "supposed" to hit....
1. What about a full moon cycle where it's cloudy, moon obscured by clouds?
2. What about a new moon cycle where it's dark, but the area where you're fishing has some ambient light?
3. What about the differences between rough surf and calm surf?
4. What about the conditions where water is dirty, as opposed to crystal clear?

All the above present different challenges as to what you might throw, sizes and colors, that might give you an edge over another profile or color.
That's why I try not to be in a "square box" mindset, but rather try to view each night as a different challenge,,,because in colder water the fish react differently than they do when the water is 55-65.

DarkSkies
02-21-2012, 08:52 AM
Sometimes I have to experiment for hours to find something that works, other times I'm able to do it within 15 minutes or so...but it's more often the case that it takes me a while, each night, to get into a groove where you can really get into some nice fish.

Your job, as you continue to learn, is to "crack the code". When you do it, you get rewarded. Fail to do it, and you're casting and casting, seemingly for nothing.....:(




My primary colors I rely on are black, yellow, and white...that's why you will hear me say color doesn't matter....

As long as you are close to one of the above 3 colors, and it's the right color for that night....the scale pattern, the two tone, etc...are IMO not as important as your presentation....





**Work on your presentation, change it up, experiment a little until you notice a difference in the action you're getting, and you will have taught yourself something very valuable that no seminar can teach you...how to have confidence in your own abilities, and learn to think on your feet out there...which IMO is more important than any book or internet post you will read..