white - why has it worked so well recently?

[Spoonminnow]

The water in my local lakes is brownish green and in some areas milky-green algae forms a film on the surface. Usually colors are not that important as long as they conform to my select few favorites - smoke with flake, pearl, green pumpkin with flake or clear with flake. Recently I've decided to go with bright white for my plastics and the bites seem to be more frequent with harder strikes and more follows to the boat with 2nd and 3rd strikes by the same fish.

Just a thought, but I got to thinking about why color and lure design might matter as much as other factors such as presentation and line size. A theory popped up that maybe at times lure contrast is what gets their attention and motivates activity. By that I mean any lure characteristic that contrasts with the environment or forage visually or with a lure's action.

How many have used blades with jigs or in-line spinners? Maybe the reason they work great is the bright flash, something few prey fish ever display voluntarily. Granted, the blade may simulate a minnow being attacked, but the flash is key same for using silver flakes in clear plastic or bright white. Even muted colors when looked at against a bright sky offer a visual contrast fish see and track. Add lure action, another contrast that is detected also by the lateral line, and you have a lure no fish can refuse when contrast factors are in the right amount. Contrast factors include lure size, color and action. Sometimes larger lures work better, sometimes smaller lures are the only thing fish will bite (ice fishing); at times more action is preferable, at other times more finesse is needed.

Even presentation can make all the difference in the contrast you are trying to emphasize. Jerking and pausing a bait repeatedly is a higher contrast versus a slow drag and twitch of the same lure.

Not that white won't work 365 days of the year, but maybe the contrast in color to anything else around makes for a banner day. In the last few days it seems to have mattered.

[Saltine]

I've used white grubs with pink or chartreuse jig heads with good success. I've never tried an all white rig though. Maybe next week I'll give it a go.

[genec]

I make my own and I use white at lease 99 percent of the time and in all season,stinger style bait.

[mb4850]

Over the last few weeks especially I've caught most all of my fish on those white speckled jokers. I think they are called Blue shimmer but they look white to me. Yesterday I was pullin cranks and caught every fish on white or shad.

[elfros]

chartreuse jig is all I throw mostly cause it works But for bass I throw white buzz baits, and spinner baits with white grubs. White tube baits also is a favorite I think mostly for me it is a confidence thing.

[Eagle 1]

white, blue/white is great as the water gets clear during the summer . tipped with a minnow the gnats that crappie logic ties is deadly .

[CRIA1576]

In SW Iowa, in stained water with heavy algae blooms, we have consistently caught crappies during all times of day/cloud cover on 2" Arkie brand, pearl, twin-tailed twisters. You can pick them up at Wally World for less than $2 a box.

Whether slow-trolling or casting with excruciatingly slow retrieves over cover, these plastics have produce day in day out for the past 6-8 weeks on several of the smaller lakes in the area.

I have personally seen no difference between plain lead heads vs. colored, and the twin tails have outperformed singles with or without flake.

This past weekend we caught approximately 75 nice eaters casting 1/4 oz plain lead heads and pearl twin tails over brush in 12' of water. We also picked up occasional big gills on the same piles.

Tight lines!