Do colors matter

[Gindog]

I have fished with Nimrod a few times and he always says it doesn’t matter. I seen him catch with a bare hook. Or even a jig that he caught 100s of fish on. I came across this in a magazine. But it always made me wonder.

Here's the article
“I will say Color Matters Because Crappie Are Sight Feeders
Crappie are sight feeders, and appear to be more sensitive to color preferences than most other fish I have targeted.

With that said, you should also know that many of the strangely colored jigs you see in stores are actually going to appear as some shade of gray or silver when viewed underwater. This is even more true in dirty and stained water. If you don’t believe me, fill up a large glass jar with dirty lake water, and drop some flashy colored lures in to see for yourself.

Crappie Can Be Very Finicky About Colors
Over the years, I’ve noticed that color preferences can be extremely subtle for crappie. One slight variation in color combination can drastically change your catch rate compared to your buddy sitting right beside you.



A crappie’s sensitivity to colors is why I like jigs so much. You have 4 or more pieces of your bait that you can use to tweak the color – jig head, jig body, jig tail and hook color. Don’t be afraid to experiment.”


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

[SuperDave336]

Thanks for sharing

[DWILL]

I myself believe it matters... sometimes. lol I believe presentation matters more... sometimes. lol Hope that helps.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[DockShootinJack]

Interesting

[zig zag]

Good info ---- THANKS

[Ketchn]

Those that say it does not matter , need to branch out and try alternative locations, sooner or later some spot out there will make you a firm believer, that’s a fact

[Rojo]

I always match color to water conditions, size too, works for me.

[BobC]

Yep, it has been said certain times fish will hi5 anything, other times not. Shape, color, etc can make the difference.
Bob

[Spoonminnow]

I'm superstitious regarding color. Some colors I sense work far less than others when it comes to certain lure shapes: black, grape, dark green, white, orange. Can't confirm they don't, just don't like them - like someone painting their house pink for example. Other colors and color laminates I value and I have confirmed that at least they never affected a good bite.

I agree that hue changes depending on water clarity, light intensity (ealry AM vs midday) and depth, but still, hue IMO emphasizes lure shape and action. Colored jigs only increase the visual perception of size, jig hue not an issue considering the hundreds of fish caught on plain jighead in the last two months. More than that, I don't want jig color to distract attention from lure color - especailly of body and tail design.

But, I won't discount natural colors and color combintations such as the yellow, black and orange of yellow perch or peal belly/ dark back of minnows. I use them hoping they will add something fish may recognize. Everyone has seen the lures I caught fish with and the limited number of colors used for each. Once a color or colors works well for a particular lure, that's it! No discussion can change that preference.

The proof is in the catch'n simple as that. Colors that work for me would work for anyone, any time.

[Micanopy]

….and then there is the UV color spectrum to consider. Which is why I enjoy a jig dressed in Yum Yum Yellow.