Underwater of course. I'm just curious how far bass can see when water clarity is say 1 foot, 3 feet, etc.  I'm know that vibration and what not plays a big part too but they got to use those eyes for something.  Anyone know?

How far bass can see is relative to water clarity and amount of light that is available. If the answer to your question is just to satisfy your curiousity, then the answer is pretty simple. In muddy water (6 inches or less of visibility to our eyes) they can only see a short distance of maybe a foot or two. In stained water (about 6 inches to 18 or 24 inches of visibility) it can range from 2 to 8 feet I believe. I may be a little off on that but its in the ballpark. In clear water, they can see far enough and clear enough to pick up flaws and things that look appealing. They do have amazing sight, and a lot of fisherman believe thier sight is the most important tool they use in feeding. That sometimes is true, but not always...

Which brings me to your question again. If you want an answer that will help you be a better fisherman, then understand this. A bass uses sight, lateral line (for sound, but its not real sound- its pressure waves), smell and taste. There are times when a bass hears something moving in the water then uses his sight to find the critter making all the noise. This happens in clear to stained water when there is enough light. But in muddy and low light conditions, they use thier lateral line to detect thier prey and sight doesn't play as big of a role, but still plays a role. They do use thier sight to 'silouette' something, but they are not getting a good look at your lure.

When sight does come into play, in clear to stained water that has enough light, start out with natural colors, or colors that blend in. This makes it hard for bass to see flaws in your lure. Also presentation plays a key role here. It has to attract the bass all the way to the point of attack. Hope this helps!

Alright cool, that satisfies my curiousity.

Chapter 5 of Dr. Keith Jones; book, Knowing Bass, has more than you would ever want to know about the bass' vision.

The reading is easy and extremely informative.

It is a college level course on the fish.

You can get a copy at BPS.

Although the book costs $17, it is worth every cent.

On page 181, Dr. Jones gives you a table from Berkley Fish Research regarding the bass' favorite lure color that was bit more than any others in the test. Now I know why that chrome with a black back Rat-L-Trap does so well.

Get a copy of the book and learn about your opponent.

Chapter 5 of Dr. Keith Jones; book, Knowing Bass, has more than you would ever want to know about the bass' vision.

The reading is easy and extremely informative.

It is a college level course on the fish.

You can get a copy at BPS.

Although the book costs $17, it is worth every cent.

On page 181, Dr. Jones gives you a table from Berkley Fish Research regarding the bass' favorite lure color that was bit more than any others in the test. Now I know why that chrome with a black back Rat-L-Trap does so well.

Get a copy of the book and learn about your opponent.

I also recommend this book. I read it about 4 months ago. There was actually so much information im reading it again for the second time, i bet i could read it 3-4 times  or even more and learn something every time. -WM

Sam,

I agree that it's a real good book. I learned a lot about bass. One thing you have to keep in mind is that most of thier tests were done in clear water with plenty of light. I don't apply most of the experiments in stained, dark water and low light conditions. Just a thought!

Hey everyone, im new to the forum and i hope to learn more and share the knowledge i already posses. Ive read some of the other posts and it seems im talking with some pretty good fisherman! Ill try my best to keep up.  8-)

Bass don't just see side to side but also up and down. They will see you above the water on a calm day. Thats why it is always best to wear earthy darker colors. If your were....bright red for example, the colors might be associated with a predator, like a heron or other bird. The minute the bass sees that, they are usually turned off by the tasty morsel you are offering it. Bass also have their lateral line like all fish. They use a combination of scent, lateral line and sight to survive in the wild. Many people might look at bass as an easy fish to catch, and sometimes they are, but other times there not. This is because people don't always take into consideration there vision. I'm pretty sure Needemp is right with the vision distances. On a calm day, try to stick with the earthy color, especially if your using waders.

Hey Bass-mania, welcome to the site. Yaeh your right about how well they can see out of the water. Growing up with 300 acres of water 20 feet from my back door and countless hours walking the bank of a pretty clear lake, I can attest to the fact they see very well out of the water. And to be honest, I have found it doesn't matter what color you wear, if a bass sees you moving at all, he is immediately alarmed. I use to think I was real stealthy. I would creep real slow with little movement. But once I got in a certain range, it was all over. They have amazing sight! I have never seen it happen, but I have heard of fishing techniques that rely on bass coming out of the water to hit a lure. That would be pretty cool!

A bass's vision is a good as you believe it to be. Look up the results of a fixed and dilated pupil that are known to man and look up the term myopia. Bass have the former which makes them suffer from the latter. (maybe!)!!!

Some day, bass will communicate with man, and we will know what they can or cannot see. In the meantime it is best to assume that they possess pretty good visual accuity and act accordingly. On the other hand it is best to assume that they can't see well at all and choose your baits accordingly.

Confused? So are the "scientists" that have done very limited and prejudicial studies of the matter.

Simplistically, if you think it matters than it does: if you don't think it matters than don't get overly concerned.

Hey everyone, im new to the forum and i hope to learn more and share the knowledge i already posses. Ive read some of the other posts and it seems im talking with some pretty good fisherman! Ill try my best to keep up. 8-)

Bass don't just see side to side but also up and down. They will see you above the water on a calm day. Thats why it is always best to wear earthy darker colors. If your were....bright red for example, the colors might be associated with a predator, like a heron or other bird. The minute the bass sees that, they are usually turned off by the tasty morsel you are offering it. Bass also have their lateral line like all fish. They use a combination of scent, lateral line and sight to survive in the wild. Many people might look at bass as an easy fish to catch, and sometimes they are, but other times there not. This is because people don't always take into consideration there vision. I'm pretty sure Needemp is right with the vision distances. On a calm day, try to stick with the earthy color, especially if your using waders.

Welcome aboard!

So you think bass react to the color of your shirt? If that were true I suppose it would explain why the the pros catch such little bitty bass, they scare all the good ones away! Seriously, I think the color of your shirt is just as important as remembering to wear your lucky hat. Catching fish has a lot to do with attitude:  Whether you think you can or can't, you're probably right.

Well, in shallower water you shouldn't wear bright colors, that goes for many fish. But when you are fishing deeper water, i wouldn't bother with choice in clothing. But when you are fishing with waders, the difference between 5 fish and 8 fish could be your clothing choice. You could resemble a heron or other predator, so when im fishing really shallow, i stick with greens or blacks, and it usually works out. I'm not just making this up either...lol...i read it in a book by Bobby Murray, Al Linder, and some other famous anglers, cant remember there names and to lazy to go get the book. The brain of a  bass is about the size of a lime been. There not a very smart fish, but they make up for the "dumbness" with there instincts. They can be surprisingly tricky to catch somedays, but if you know what your doing out there, you can usually get them. I also think on the other hand people over think things sometimes. Maybe they don't react with bright colors, but if i were going out wader fishing for bass right now, why not stick with earthy colors. It cant hurt...right?

Right! I certainly can't hurt.

Plus, at least for me, outdoor clothing colors are basically olive, tan and gray.