A Question of Color (Which Chartreuse)

[deputyking]

I too know that color makes a difference at certain times and I am not sure what the fish see but they can be very picky at times. I have read that they were color blind and could only see the colors in shades of gray and to use dark colors in dark water or on cloudy days and brite colors in clear water or on brite days. I wish I could tell for sure then I would not have the 400 different colors in my tackle box and could slim down to only 2. Until the crappie tell me different, I will continue to use every color I have until I find the 1 they want for the "todays menu". LOL:D

[CrappiePappy]

I too know that color makes a difference at certain times and I am not sure what the fish see but they can be very picky at times. I have read that they were color blind and could only see the colors in shades of gray and to use dark colors in dark water or on cloudy days and brite colors in clear water or on brite days. I wish I could tell for sure then I would not have the 400 different colors in my tackle box and could slim down to only 2. Until the crappie tell me different, I will continue to use every color I have until I find the 1 they want for the "todays menu". LOL:D

Catfish are colorblind, for all intent and purposes ... possessing no cones in their eyes. They "see" in black & white, & shades of grey. They're more "smell oriented" predators, than sight oriented predators (like Bass & Crappie).
Crappie (and other sunfish) do have cones & rods in their eyes, and can distinguish many colors & shades. Brightness, or a color contrasting with the background, does allow the Crappie to "see" the bait better. And, if they can't "see" it ... you're more likely to pull/retrieve it out of their strike zone, before they get curious enough to check it out.
We all know that a bait, moving thru the water, creates pressure waves. These "waves" are picked up by the lateral lines of the fish ... alerting them to the presence of "something moving", even before they can see it. Once seen, the speed of movement, size, and color may be the factors that induce the fish to accept or reject the offering. If curious, but not fully committed to eating the offering, "smell" may be the determining factor in whether or not the fish makes an attempt at "tasting" the offering. "Short striking" or "nipping" Crappie can "taste test" your bait, and reject it in a flash ... or, liking what they taste, may finally inhale the offering.

ALL fish are colorblind in deep water, where no light penetrates ... since the absence of light is "darkness" (black), and the absence of color is "black". In those circumstances, color is not the primary factor ... movement (pressure waves) and smell are. ........... cp

[skiptomylu]

OK, here are the colors I am talking about. Just look at the tail colors of these 2 jigs which are the same except one (bottom one) is FL. Chart (Green) and the other is Yellow Chartreuse (top one).

Attachment 6233

Attachment 6234