Lure Contrasts

[postcard]

I've been using soft and hard plastic baits of all sizes and colors for over 20 years. Many anglers are convinced that color and size should depend on forage size, water color and available light. I agree with the latter two factors but don't agree with fencing yourself in with certain sizes and colors for certain conditions or forage size. <br>A few arbitrary rules:<br>1. start small---panfish small. Aggressiveness will show itself for all species in a body of water once you've found active fish to experiment on. Once you've found a willing species, note the largest size of soft plastic it will attack consistently. This will tell you<br>activity level. Again, start small, go medium and then large, relative to the lure size. For example, Bass Pro spring grub sizes for me are "(small),3"(medium),and 4"(large). <br>Note, grub body is what you're measuring, not total length. A Sassy Shad, on the other hand,<br>measures close to its advertised length, with 2", 3" and 4", but is larger in overall size than the grub. Experiment, don't match.<br>2. Lure vibration to me, is a mysterious, key factor that has nothing to do with auditory sound as you and I know it. The lateral line receives minute, reflected<br>pressure waves that reveal far more information to a fish than the underwater visual affect. Human and fish ear-drums vibrate when vibrations are produced by a vibrating source. A bell that's not ringing can’t be heard. A non-vibrating bell in the water can be<br>'felt' by reflected vibrations received via a fish's lateral line, i.e.. sonar. Lab experiments<br>have shown that a fish can determine an object's mass(density), size(bulk and length),direction and speed of movement,via the lateral line and with eyes blinded. Their ears are thought to be as limited as their eyes for object distances greater than a few yards and in low light conditions. Compare the lateral line with the hairs on your arm when a static<br>electricity source comes close. With eyes closed, you can tell the size and direction of the<br>source by follicle reaction or movement due to electrostatic attraction. A dog's nose and a<br>catfish's barbs and sensory cells on it's skin are super detectors of smell and taste, but<br>most sportfish and panfish don’t use smell or taste like scavenger fish, to locate food.<br>With all of this in mind, plus everything else that doesn’t explain a fish's bite or refusal<br>to, we come to: <br>2. Lure contrast. Contrast, contrast, contrast, and not hue, is what gets their interest and provokes a bite. A drab colored lure in drab colored water is drab, period, but it is it's object and reflected vibration and size that cause a contrast that stands out from other edible objects. The flash of silver flake or chrome or a florescent color may provide<br>the needed contrast to provoke a predatory strike. Again, I'm not talking about color. Chartreuse is different than chartreuse and metal flake as far as contrast is concerned. Both catch fish, but one may be better at certain times. A dying-minnow retrieve with a<br>jerk and stop action, contrasts with a school of healthy minnows. <br>Is catch-up only edible when it's red? Kids are making their parents buy purple and green Heinz. Or is white chocolate any less chocolate because of it's color? But, if a piece of chocolate is made to look and smell like a cow pie, see how many slaps you get on<br>Valentine's Day when you present it to your lover. The same applies to lures, soft or hard. Realism applies to people,not fish. Some anglers fall for a realistic finish and spend big bucks for it. Hoo Daddy grubs don't represent anything that can be proven, but they work superbly in all colors and sizes due to moving surfaces that are enhanced by color and that are felt<br>by the lateral line. <br>Contrast can mean stripes or dots, a thick or a thin lure, subtle vibration or a big rattle,<br>black or white or even laminated. What does a bubblegum slugo represent to a fish? It’s known that fish differentiate color, but is blue the color they identify anytime they see it? Why are certain colors great one year and poor the following year? Does any of it matter if it works? Remember the Color C-Lector that determined the best color for the water color fished. Dr. Hill promoted that product with proof that color contrast makes a difference. I agree that it does, but I’d rather save my money and spend it on lures than on a device or wierd colored lues that are more hype than substance. Last but not least, contrast means using something different and using it differently than everyone else. Some anglers can make a certain lure work, but others have no luck using it at any time. <br>Color and size are a small part of the puzzle. Consistent success involves far more factors,whose affects are at times,unpredictable and beyond human comprehension.<br>Keep an open mind every time you're out. <br><br><br>