03-14-2007, 01:35 PM
My lure color selection varies considerably depending on what body of water i'm fishing, what i'm fishing for, and how i'm fishing.
In fresh water, the first factor is water clarity. Here in SC, there are clear water lakes and black water rivers. I've found that the fish in the dense, dark water hunt more based off of sound and smell. I've also found those fish less finiky in regards to lure detail and presentation. With that said, I choose lures that are extremely shiney and loud. Bright yellow's, white, and mirror/silver finishes work very well; along with lots of sound and vibration.
In clear water situations, I prefer a less irratic lure and a more natural color. I have found that fish in clear water rely more on thier sense of sight for hunting, and a lure with good detail usually prevails. I'll match the lure perfectly to the local forage; size, shape, and color. I usually have 3 or 4 different size lures of the same color so I can cator to the size of the bait that is in the current area.
Something i've found to work well in all conditions is a 6" to 8" white, suspending, paddle tail worm. I rig it with just a hook, no weight. Worked slowly, it stays in the strike zone for a long period of time. White seems to work well for bass all the time. (atleast here)
For trolling in the ocean, my lure selection varies based on the fish i'm targeting, what bait is in the area, and how fast i'll be trolling. These tactics would be effective in fresh water as well. Of course, i'll try to match the hatch with my lure selection. The only difference is i'm matching size and shape, not necessarily color. The speed i'm trolling more so dictates what color lures i'm going to pull. The reason is simple. At 15 MPH, a shiney lure reflects light at such a high rate of speed, it percieves no mass and instead looks like someone waving a flashlight underwater instead of a baitfish swimming by. When I high speed troll, I use darker colors like Purple/Black or Blue/Black. The dark colors contrast better at higher speeds. And since fish don't see color(except Tuna), the contrast of the color is what you should be looking for, not necessarily the color itself. When I slow troll, I in turn do like flash, especially a quality spoon like Drone or Clark spoons. With swimming plugs and lures, I look for detail and consistant performance when being pulled. Some lures don't track strait or can't handle speed, I don't waste my time with lures like that. Yo Zuri, Rapala, and Braid all make high quality trolling lures and diving plugs.
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In fresh water, the first factor is water clarity. Here in SC, there are clear water lakes and black water rivers. I've found that the fish in the dense, dark water hunt more based off of sound and smell. I've also found those fish less finiky in regards to lure detail and presentation. With that said, I choose lures that are extremely shiney and loud. Bright yellow's, white, and mirror/silver finishes work very well; along with lots of sound and vibration.
In clear water situations, I prefer a less irratic lure and a more natural color. I have found that fish in clear water rely more on thier sense of sight for hunting, and a lure with good detail usually prevails. I'll match the lure perfectly to the local forage; size, shape, and color. I usually have 3 or 4 different size lures of the same color so I can cator to the size of the bait that is in the current area.
Something i've found to work well in all conditions is a 6" to 8" white, suspending, paddle tail worm. I rig it with just a hook, no weight. Worked slowly, it stays in the strike zone for a long period of time. White seems to work well for bass all the time. (atleast here)
For trolling in the ocean, my lure selection varies based on the fish i'm targeting, what bait is in the area, and how fast i'll be trolling. These tactics would be effective in fresh water as well. Of course, i'll try to match the hatch with my lure selection. The only difference is i'm matching size and shape, not necessarily color. The speed i'm trolling more so dictates what color lures i'm going to pull. The reason is simple. At 15 MPH, a shiney lure reflects light at such a high rate of speed, it percieves no mass and instead looks like someone waving a flashlight underwater instead of a baitfish swimming by. When I high speed troll, I use darker colors like Purple/Black or Blue/Black. The dark colors contrast better at higher speeds. And since fish don't see color(except Tuna), the contrast of the color is what you should be looking for, not necessarily the color itself. When I slow troll, I in turn do like flash, especially a quality spoon like Drone or Clark spoons. With swimming plugs and lures, I look for detail and consistant performance when being pulled. Some lures don't track strait or can't handle speed, I don't waste my time with lures like that. Yo Zuri, Rapala, and Braid all make high quality trolling lures and diving plugs.
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