Is there a system for matching lure color to water conditions?

[BankBeater]

Like a chart to keep on the boat or something like that? One tip I heard was to select a lure that looks almost like it is glowing...Is there a more technical system?

[elnutsmalljaws]

I try to use the KISS method. KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. I am the Stupid part of this equation. Dark or bright colors for stained or muddy waters, natural colors for clear water. I still think depth, presentation and CONFIDENCE are way more important than color. When I tie on a Black and Blue jig or Green Pumpkin Tube my CONFIDENCE goes way up for I know they have produced in the past. I don't care if it is muddy, clear, overcast, high blue skies...... I will work the bait with much more precision for I know it will catch fish. Maybe this is one of the big factors between the really good fishermen and a hacker(golf term) like me. They have CONFIDENCE in every bait they tie on from the first cast. I don't. This is also why my boat deck is littered with bait after bait after bait when the fish are not biting for I will keep those Palomar knots coming until I run across something they want. Tied so many that I can tie on a 1/8 oz jig from start to finish in about 15 seconds at night, no lie ask NETBOY.

Tight Lines

[bassin101]

I don't think you need any high tech lure selector. Just trust your instincts and the time of year for your color selection. It's more about your presentation than anything. Have you ever had a day when your fishing with your partner using the same color lure as he is and he's catching 2 to your 1. He's probably doing something a little different than you.

[Chubminnow]

I'm not big into electronic gadgetry, especially not while on the water, with the exception of a depth finder of course...I like Bestbass's method he spoke of and might have to keep that idea in my back pocket for use later on...

[mattplapp]

Spike It tackle company sells a color selector. You lower it to the depth you wish to fish and a computerized hand held device tells you the best colors to use, it also gives you specific Spike It colors via a code I believe. I've never used one, but I know a few pros who swear by them.

Matt

[Chubminnow]

Interesting post...Bassbest that's some pretty decent information you shared, I've never thought of it that way, matching the lure color to the color of the water, it seems to make sense though...anyone else here gone the route that Bassbest mentioned or does anyone else have a "system" for lure color selection?

[ragdaddy]

I have a device called a Color C Lector. It tells you what color to use for different water colors. I'm selling it for a friend used for 35 bucks. My email is [email protected].

[BassBest]

Don't know of any system yet, but what I do is try to use a lure that closely resembles the water color......clear/silver/black/blue in clear water, chart/orange/craw/brown in muddy water, black or dark versions of other colors in clear water with overcast. It's not fail-proof I just have confidence in it, it works well for me.

-----Best Fishing-----

[Danny]

BB is right on!

I've always read, seen, and heard that the darker the water, or more precisely, the less light penetration, then the darker the lure should be, and vice versa.

For instance, on stained water, or cloudy days, I like to use junebug lizards, and pumpkin/chartruese or cotton candy on the sunnier days, and especially the cotton candy on bright days and clearer water. The TV talking heads call the lures translucent (forgive the spelling if wrong). It seems they are consider more natural for the clearer water and bright sunshine.

On Barkley, where the water is generally stained (up to about 3 feet of clarity) chartruese is always a good color, but on those really dark overcast days, junebug always out produces for me.

Pure muddy water, red crankbaits work better than the lighter colors.

Another thing is to try to match the bait.. ooops, match the hatch is the actual saying. If it is early in the year, and crawfish are the main forage, you can get by with more of a red color, but if shad are the main forage, you want something similar. For instance, on KY Lake, I have much more luck on pearl crankbaits than I do chartruese.

Hope this helps some too.

Danny

[dpage70]

i agree with matching the color to the water completly. in clear water mimic the color of the forage and make long casts to the target. in stained water i like brighter colors and at night its nothing but black or something that at least has some black in it. black bladed spinner with no moon silver blade with a full moon. my opinion anyway.

[spinnerbaitguy]

You know I have used red in mud , with a great deal of success , but I've also read, recently (concerning the red hooks is what got me thinking along this line ), that red is one of the first colors to disappear in water .I've never really thought about it until now I guess but if this is true , could that mean that we've been duped by marketers and article writers? Does anyone REALLY KNOW ??haha.......I DO believe that there is something to color and I do believe that there are some absolutes which are rules , not just marketing schemes .The things you guys have written mirror the same things I've found to be true but this red thing kinda stands alone as a mystery .........or is it ?Any thoughts ?

[apb]

Red does not disappear under water like some line manufacture claims. It is the first color to drop out with depth. By that I mean that around 5 feet down, red appears as black rather than red.

With any lure, presentation is the key. Color is much lower on the list, though it can make or break a day from time to time. In clear water, I go with more natural colors. Stained water, I'll often use chartreuse cause it helps the fish see the lure better. Mostly fish for Hybrids and Stripers, though do chase creek smallies from time to time.

Andrew