THE LIGHT/COLOR EQUATION
The color of a lure is the result of the color of light it reflects. As this light penetrates the water column in wavelengths, colors begin to be absorbed as the depth increases. Red produces the longest wavelengths, followed in order by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Those colors with the longest wavelength are absorbed first, meaning the hue fades and gradually appears black much quicker than all other colors. Warm colors are first to go, while cool colors hold on to their hue longest.

Shiny lures such as silver and gold are less effective when cloud cover rolls in, and can become almost invisible without the sun shining, even in clear water. The reason for this is that they reflect the grayness that is surrounding them, instead of the bright rays of the sun. Tossing dark colors during periods such as this will often work best, giving your lure the greatest contrast and silhouette.

Keep in mind that as the sun sets, those colors possessing the longest wavelengths—starting with red—will disappear the quickest. Once the sun rises, blue and green are the first colors a fish will see, with red being last.

Largemouth bass see colors very well to a depth of approximately five feet when water clarity is good. Since the majority of their prey reside in shallow water, duplicating or “matching the hatch” of the predominant baitfish (generally shades of silver, white, or perch) can be advantageous. Once that same depth of water becomes stained, and vision is restricted, a switch to brighter hues—chartreuse, red, orange—will often put the odds in your favor. Although all colors are absorbed quickly in this circumstance, orange and red will still be most visible when underwater. Chartreuse is a close second. If the water turns the color of chocolate milk, stick to dark colors.

THE CRITERIA FOR CONTRAST
The ability for a fish to see a lure has a lot to do with background color. If fishing a green-colored lure in thick vegetation, or in algae-stained water, although it may appear natural, a fish may struggle to spot it. More often than not, we actually camouflage our baits without knowing it.

A key in these situations is to choose a lure that contrasts against the background you are fishing. Two-toned lures are an excellent choice when faced with this dilemma. Bass are functionally most sensitive to colors in the ranges of red-orange and yellow-green. However, that is not to say that “colors” like black and white, or colors like blue that are perceived as grey are ineffective, since sometimes these colors contrast better against the prevailing background than do colors to which the bass is more sensitive. For instance, in a reddish muddy river, although the dominant available color is red and bass are most sensitive to red-orange, a lure with a brownish red crawdad pattern would be difficult for the bass to see. Black lures, on the other hand, would contrast much better and be more easily detected.

PREDATOR/PREY CORRELATION
Walleye feeding on perch or smallmouth bass on crayfish are tuned in to the nuances of that specific prey, and rely on the recognition of body shape/profile and color to hunt each morsel down. “One way fish use color vision is in recognizing specific visual patterns. As a fish grows, it gradually accumulates distinct mental images of objects that are important to its survival. Color, or rather color patterns, play a big role in fashioning those mental images, helping to separate one image from another. That is huge when it comes to discerning one prey species from another or avoiding specific predators, since the appropriate behavioral response is highly dependent on what the prey or predator is. For example, in cases when fish are feeding with more reserve and are being more selective, the fish may be hunting for a particular favorite prey, meaning that it is searching for a particular visual pattern. In these cases, it is important to play the old game of “matching the hatch,” to essentially give the fish what it is looking for.

Brown is a color that routinely works well for smallmouth bass. Although it may not appear true to its color once far down below, it will still match the same colorations of a crayfish found at those depths. (Remember: any two items that look the same above water will resemble each other down below.) This is where shade comes in to play. The same can be said for largemouth bass feeding on smelt. Tossing a white/silver lure will replicate the sheen of this baitfish precisely, and activate the recognition switch first through the eyes of the bass, then ultimately in the brain. Spend some time in the shallows seeking out the resident baitfish, or check for regurgitated minnows or craws when bringing a fish to the surface. This will give you invaluable insight into a good starting color to toss.

Working clear water is also a time to experiment with natural colors, and as mentioned earlier, those that contrast the background surroundings. Clear water allows a fish to inspect a bait more closely, and as opposed to murky water and reactionary strikes, the more time a fish can give your lure the once over is the more reason to make it appear as lifelike as possible.

Good Fishing!
Intimidator