Tips for lure color selection
Choosing lure color for maximum benefit. When you start combining the effect of all of the above influences you can see that it is most unlikely that we'll be fishing under conditions that are perfect for light penetration into the water. More often than not, some or all of the above factors will come into play and will alter how the fish see lure color.
Well, here are a few tips to consider:
1. Use dark colors at night. THIS PROVIDES CONTRAST.
When you think about it, all colors appear to us at night to be black or shades of dark grey. Usually when we see something at night it's a shadow, and dark colors give the best shadow. Also, fish usually attack lures from below at night and during low light conditions. This is because it maximizes the benefit of any limited light available. Under these conditions a dark lure throws the best silhouette and is therefore the most visible. Black, dark blue and purple are good choices at this time of day.
2. During winter or periods when there is lots of particulate material in the water (such as silt or algae), reds and oranges are the first colors to be filtered out. Under these conditions, lures with plenty of yellow, green or blue appear the most colorful below the surface. FLUORECENT COLORS DO NOT FADE if UV light is available (past Violet)! Also use darker contrasting colors of White!
3. Red, orange, yellow, White, silver, metallic, flakes in colors, and FLUORESCENT colors, are most intense during bright summer days in clear, shallow water. Metallic finishes have some benefits at depth because they have a tendency to create flash, even under relatively low light conditions. Mind you, all colors are visible under these bright conditions and if the fish are actively feeding on baitfish that are blue in color, then that's the color to use. MATCH THE HATCH!
4. Color choice IS NOT A CONSIDERATION if you are fishing or trolling deep, particularly under low light conditions or if the water is colored or dirty. EVERYTHING will look shades of Gray or Black....The most important factors under these conditions are lure size, shape and action.
5. When fishing top water lures, color is FAR LESS important than size, shape and action. A fish coming up below a surface or shallow running lure has the light behind it, making the lure appear grey or black. Try it for yourself - hold a fluorescent lure up to the sun and view it from below. Black and dark colors remain the best for surface lures because they throw a great silhouette.
6. Red and orange lures come into their own in tannin stained waters, as do FLUORESCENT hues...along with Black or White!
The reality is often that the size, shape, action or noise made by the lure play a much more important role in eliciting a strike. Don't underestimate angler confidence either - we will tend to persevere more and try harder with a lure we have had success with in the past.
Choose a lure based on the size of local baitfish, the depth at which your quarry is to be found, and the action most likely to produce results....then think about color.
The exception would be fishing in clear, shallow water, especially if the fish are feeding predominantly on baitfish or prey, of a particular color.