What are your thoughts on color? Do you think it's just a confidence thing or does it really apply to different water claritys?

Both

I've fished 8+ feet visibility and all they'd eat was a black and blue craw. I've fished 2" of visibility and caught one of my top 10 bass on a green pumpkin jig. 

40 minutes ago, CroakHunter said:

Both

I've fished 8+ feet visibility and all they'd eat was a black and blue craw. I've fished 2" of visibility and caught one of my top 10 bass on a green pumpkin jig. 

I believe it's a confidence thing bass are predators living in the wild they have 3 functions survive,eat and reproduce they don't think about it or analalyze they react.Just my opinion I'm not an expert.

Most of the time confidence but once in a while it is all about color.

I have a past Elite Series Angler as a good friend.  He and his family have stayed with me both in Virginia and when I was in Florida.  I have been able to pick his brain on a lot of things "fishing".  I asked him your exact question and his response was that for anglers, color is over rated.  He advised to keep colors related to water clarity and pay more attention to hues rather than specific colors.  He said to group your colors for clear water, stained water and muddy water.  That being said I do believe there are colors that are more "universal" and work in combinations of water clarity.  Yamamoto's #1 selling color in plastics is 297 (green pumpkin, black fleck).  I have caught fish on that color from Wisconsin to Florida.  

59 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I have a past Elite Series Angler as a good friend.  He and his family have stayed with me both in Virginia and when I was in Florida.  I have been able to pick his brain on a lot of things "fishing".  I asked him your exact question and his response was that for anglers, color is over rated.  He advised to keep colors related to water clarity and pay more attention to hues rather than specific colors.  He said to group your colors for clear water, stained water and muddy water.  That being said I do believe there are colors that are more "universal" and work in combinations of water clarity.  Yamamoto's #1 selling color in plastics is 297 (green pumpkin, black fleck).  I have caught fish on that color from Wisconsin to Florida.  

I seem to good with white in clear or murky water .

Haha, need a "both" option.  I think its a big confidence thing, but I do think it plays a part sometimes. I have had a few times when the catch rate dramatically increased after changing color, same bait, same spot but different color. Overall I'd say presentation is more important than color.

 

 

Voted yes but I believe color can matter at times as well regardless of water clarity.

3 hours ago, Wurming67 said:

What are your thoughts on color? Do you think it's just a confidence thing or does it really apply to different water claritys?

I pretty much just fish colors that I like. (watermelon/red flake, black/blue flake, etc.) I don't really think it matters to the fish very much. Never noticed any difference in my catch rate.  

The more stained the water, the darker the color.  Clear water more natural colors, watermelon and green pumpkin.

47 minutes ago, geo g said:

The more stained the water, the darker the color.  Clear water more natural colors, watermelon and green pumpkin.

Yep, that's the common perception but I can offer a situation where that isn't the case.  On Lake St Clair when smallie fishing, when the sun is out the smallmouth just tear up a 297 (Green Pumpkin/Black Fleck) Senko.  When it is cloudy they prefer a 305 (Baby Bass) which is much lighter than a 297.  Just one case where the Smallmouth must not have read the rules!!  ?

"Color occupies in most fisherman's minds, about 50 percent of their thought process in a given days fishing, and really, it should occupy only about 2 percent. There are many, many things much more important in locating and catching fish than color"

 

- Rick Clunn

 

No doubt there are instances where it makes a difference, but I go with the majority of cases where I simply choose a color based on either/both confidence or water color, or just because, and let the chips fall where they may until proven otherwise.

Color is important to me, if I don't like it the lure stays in the box.

Over the years color has proven to be critical during a tough bite and it's tough where I fish 80% of the time. When it matters it really matters, when it does't everything works.

Tom

When it comes to selecting colors everyone has their own personal repertoire of confusion!

 

I have seen days/nights where color made absolutely no difference what so ever.

Many times I've seen 4-5 boats with 2 anglers per boat, all within casting distance of each other, all throwing Baby Brush Hogs in various colors, & all catching quality/quaintly.

 

I have seen days/nights where color made all the difference in the world.

Back in the 70s I set a record for the largest 15 bass sack with a 3/8 oz spinnerbait with a pink/chartreuse skirt & a #5 chartreuse Colorado blade...2 nd & 3 rd place was Larry Nixon & Tommy Martin...we were all in the same cove.

 

I have seen days/nights where I had to constantly change colors to continue getting bit!

 

Colors at night

I throw the same colors at night that have been productive during the day. If I'm on a productive pattern that includes a Redbug worm you can bet your sweet bippy that I'll be throwing that worm after the sun sets!

 

I let the bass tell me, hey dummy I don't like that color no mo! 

 

Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits ect

I feel flash & vibration are more important than color...see the top three comments!

 

That's good start from a dumb Cajun ?

I think the biggest factor in choosing color is matching prey colors for the water you’re fishing. In the river here where there are no shad, I catch twice as many fish on a watermelon super fluke but at the local lake they want a shad color. I think water clarity does come in to play but not as much as we may think. Shad and crawfish are the same color whether the water is muddy or clear and bass eat them regardless. 

I'm pretty sure you can't ask an either or question and have it answered with a yes or no, so I'm going to say maybe...

I dont know how to answer the question yes or no .  Its worded funny .

 

i think color is important a lot of times . Thats been my experience . 

Every lake is different and some lakes color preference changes during the day.

A private lake I get fish occasionally gets low fishing pressure and color rarely matter, use what you prefer.

The highly pressured lakes with clear water things change regarding color preference.

The smallmouth and spotted bass tend to like brighter colors in lures and soft plastics, both are more aggressive then largemouth bass. The largemouth are also different, northern strain being far more aggressive and less color dependant then Florids strain LMB that tend to be the most dependant on color preferences. FLMB in clear deep structured lakes can be very selective and frustrating when it comes to color preferences. Everything being equal, you are where the bass are located using the right presentation, depth, cadence, line type and size with the only difference being a specific color between catching and not catching bass.

I can't tell you how many times a fishing partner is catching or not catching bass using exactly the same presentation and tackle as I am, the only difference being a specific color soft plastic. Change to the same worm and color that is working and instant success. This happens more often then not at lakes Casitas and Castiac and more at Casitas then Castiac.

Tom

 

Natural colors in clearer waters and darker colors in dirtier waters will likely get you more bites most of the time. So, yes, I'm confident in the right color in the right situation, and thus I fish better, and yes, color does matter, but it isn't the top priority and less traditional colors for the conditions will still likely work, even if a bit less.

what's a "yes" vote and what's a "no" vote?

yes if u think the color u choose is confidence u have in that color or.no it has to do with color of situation.....

4 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

what's a "yes" vote and what's a "no" vote.

2 hours ago, buzzbaiter83 said:

Shad and crawfish are the same color whether the water is muddy or clear

 

Absolutely false, fish & crawfish in muddy off colored water will light to pale colors with washed out details. Fish & crawfish in clear water will have vibrant colors & details.

 

8 minutes ago, Glaucus said:

Natural colors in clearer waters and darker colors in dirtier waters will likely get you more bites most of the time. So,

 

So natural colors don't work in dirtier water & darker colors don't work in clear water?

34 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I dont know how to answer the question yes or no .  Its worded funny .

 

i think color is important a lot of times . Thats been my experience . 

I agree your question is worded confusionally. 

i tried to vote for both but it wouldn’t let me.

 

my cousin throws a texas rigged 5” Zoom gp lizard with the tail dipped in chartreuse Spike It and catches plenty of spots and largemouth 10 months outta the year. wont throw nothing else. beats anything i’ve ever seen. 

24 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Absolutely false, fish & crawfish in muddy off colored water will light to pale colors with washed out details. Fish & crawfish in clear water will have vibrant colors & details.

 

 

So natural colors don't work in dirtier water & darker colors don't work in clear water?

If you read the rest if my post, that is not what I said at all.