I was wondering if anyone knew who came up with the names of  the colors that all manufacturers use today like green pumpkin,watermelon seed and junebug to name a few.

Good question.

I don't think they used the Hallmark card people as we would have really wacky names.

Hope someone can shed a light on this, especially the other names out there, like Morning Dawn, Moccasin Blue, etc. 

I named the color "Falcon (Lake) Craw" from the basic color of the Craws found in Falcon Lake through much of the year... along with additional colors that I think the fish find attractive. It's kind of like the names that are given to bait designs, someone has to make a descriptive decision 

Big O

www.ragetail.com   

Reaction Innovations has the most whacked out names for colors.

Reaction Innovations has the most whacked out names for colors.

Wacked out or innappropriate!!

Junebug is an interesting one in particular.  Junebug plastics are purple/green but actual June Beetles are brown to reddish brown.

Big-O, are the colors to match the crawfish colors UNDER WATER or out of the water?

Sometimes we want colors to match the hatch or crawfish while out of the water and they take on a totally different shade or color when in the water.

Just wondering.

Thanks. 

Junebug is an interesting one in particular. Junebug plastics are purple/green but actual June Beetles are brown to reddish brown.

A lot of junebugs have green in them and I have seen some with hints of purple.

Never enough purple to really jump out at you, but it's there sometimes.

Big-O, are the colors to match the crawfish colors UNDER WATER or out of the water?

Sometimes we want colors to match the hatch or crawfish while out of the water and they take on a totally different shade or color when in the water.

Just wondering.

Thanks.

That's a good question too...and to add to that can you patent the name...or if the color takes off will other mfgs be able to use it too??

Reaction Innovations has the most whacked out names for colors.

Wacked out or innappropriate!!

Hematoma is a good name, or the good ol' dirty sanchez.

You can copy write protect a name

All colors become brighter or lighter in the water. Creating NEW colors that provide excellent results on the shelf and in the water with improved catch ratios, is a trial and error situation in most cases and when done properly can be very time consuming. To TEST-TEST-TEST is BEST-BEST-BEST.

The more actual dye there is in the plastic, the more it resembles the shelf color when placed in the water. Translucent colors will change more and the flake colors become much more obvious. Color names can be Copyrighted. And yes Hematoma is a good name 

Hope that helps

Big O

www.ragetail.com

Bait colors and patterns are coined by the originator and, if they are successful and copied by others, can filter into general usage by fishermen.  Lots of them don't really make any literal sense but are commonly understood.  In hard baits, there's Firetiger, Citrus Shad, Clark Gable, Rayburn Red, Table Rock Shad, and many others that have become classics. 

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

Or an "Albino Shad?"

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

Or an "Albino Shad?"

Or a shad that you would consider "sexy"? ;D

Bait colors and patterns are coined by the originator and, if they are successful and copied by others, can filter into general usage by fishermen. Lots of them don't really make any literal sense but are commonly understood. In hard baits, there's Firetiger, Citrus Shad, Clark Gable, Rayburn Red, Table Rock Shad, and many others that have become classics.

You forgot Toledo Gold 

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

maybe one that was bleeding.

wonder where they got tequila sunrise?

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

maybe one that was bleeding.

wonder where they got tequila sunrise?

I think tequila sunrise is a drink. 

Reaction Innovations has the most whacked out names for colors.

Wacked out or innappropriate!!

Hematoma is a good name, or the good ol' dirty sanchez.

I like Penetration  ;D

I always kinda wondered has anyone really ever seen a "red shad" ? :-?

maybe one that was bleeding.

wonder where they got tequila sunrise?

I think tequila sunrise is a drink. If I remember correctly, it's yellow/orange.

Close, orange/red. Tequila, OJ, with grenadine that sinks to the bottom. Not even close to what the bait colors are.

And yes Hematoma is a good name

Hope that helps

Big O

www.ragetail.com

Out of most things mentioned on this thread Hematoma is actually the colors of one. It's one that actually applies.

On a further note, I may be lynched for asking, but other than trying to get some contrast with the water, do colors actually matter? 

I use motoroil types, greens, or blacks in plastics, and chart or white in cranks and firetiger in spinnerbaits.  That's about it.  Well, on real finicky fish I will go with something off the wall like Zoom's Greentruse on trick worms, but rarely if ever pink and pull fish on a regular basis.   I just figure Big-O would know.

Color is usually a "general vicinity"thing with me, but when it actually matters, it really matters.

wonder where they got tequila sunrise?

Tom

but isn't tequila sunrise black and dark red?