what color bait to use in clear water

This depends on a lot of factors, firstly what fish you are targeting, where are you fishing and what time of year. There have been thousands of articles written on clear-water bass fishing, but I sometimes think that we get carried away with all the technology, light line hype and specific do's and don'ts. But don’t get too caught up in color, yes find a good one but also fish it well. 1. If you are bass fishing using green pumpkin or watermelon colored baits will imitate the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the system. This means that if you are fishing in clear water on a sunny day but it’s very windy, you’re going to want to think about using a darker or luminous lure. Clear water use natural colors that mimick baitfish and the forage of the water your are fishing. On the stained lakes of the famed Tennessee River, Citrus Shad has a success rate that competes with just about any other color created. Blue, black and Junebug are great colors for this situation. Green braid often blends in super well in nutrient rich waters such as bays, lakes, inlets etc. If you’re fishing clear water on a dark day, then use something that is still natural but is either a little dark or has some flash to it. Round billed, silent, and narrow profiled baits are also most effective. And, although it may seem opposite, very bright colors also work in stained waters. It grows deeper in clear water than murky or stained and provides excellent cover year round. If the water is clear and the bottom is more of a brown color use a green pumpkin or brown. Like any concept, there are individual components that make up the whole — parts and pieces that work together to complete the puzzle. I use heavy tackle for … If you do catch some fish, quite often some of their food will be regurgitated and you can see what they have been feeding on. This rule can help you in clear water situations be more on point with what to use. Dirty water of this caliber can be really intimidating to us clear water fisherman, but don’t kid yourself bass will still eat! These colors won’t look too out of place like a darker black. Fish that have lived in murky water are better at seeing shades of red, yellow and green. So how he was able to coax them int… In clear water, preferred color combinations are a black jig/blue trailer (either a pork chunk baits or plastic crawfish baits), black/brown and pumpkin pepper/green; in stained water, black/yellow and black/chartreuse are perennial producers. If you are bass fishing and can catch one, feel it’s stomach. Overcast skies or light drizzle, he recommended bright colors such as red, green or strawberry. It’s the perfect shad emulator. Although, it’s probably better to weigh them up together. Clunn could see the bass relating to these isolated bushes, and in many cases, they could see him. It’s your job to mimic their prey. When bass are feeding on bluegills, it makes sense to give them what they want. Be the first to rate this post. Choosing which bait to use should be based mainly on the conditions of the water. Lindy's Shadling comes in a Natural Perch and Shiner, but here's where you'd tie on a … Try to keep it close to natural colors like gray, green, silver, and white. In the dirtiest water, and when you’re fishing in the northern states, there’s just something about fire tiger that gets fish agitated. It’s got chartreuse sides, a blue back and a bright belly – often with scale pattern. Clear water and hydrilla go good together. Maximize your bites in clear water with a green, watermelon, and or a lighter brown. In clear water—match the hatch. Clear: In clear water, it’s more important to imitate the actual forage species that fish are feeding on. Clear water means natural colors, like shiner colors, and whatever the color of the forage base at your lake. Adjust the bait size, type and color to match the conditions. If you keep it simple as above you will have sucess. When you are deciding what color lures to use, think about what the fish sees in the conditions that they are in. If you’re fishing in the sea you might go for a crankbait with a blue body and a white bottom. And Clunn's concept was no different. Load up on these patterns if your home lake has some color to it. So, in clear water, you want to use natural looking baits. They eat em’, so why not have a crankbait that looks like them. Bay Fishing. This means choosing natural colors that imitate the baitfish in the water. If it’s soft, then they are eating baitfish, if hard then they’re eating crawfish or other crustaceans. Dark or bright-colored baits are the most effective for fishing in murky or muddy water or on overcast days. color chart that shows you scientifically. Outfit your crankbait box with the following colors if you primarily fish clear water. When fishing for clear water bass, it's important to use natural and often translucent colors. Inshore Fishing. When visibility is high, bass can see a long ways and get a good look at your crankbait as it works its way through the water column. But, this all changes with water clarity and becomes a little more complicated. It’s essentially a color similar to Homer, but with black mottling on the sides. that you want to use because I kind of like to match the hatch to some degree. Green Braid Is Low Vis -One of the most popular colors for a braided fishing line is green and that is for a reason. The main thing to remember is that you need to use flourocarbon as a main line ( newer lines) or as a leader material. In silty water, yellow and brown are easiest to see. They do nothing to detect color, however. I often use it rather than black when I want a little sparkle. Good choices would include a Senko in Baby Bass or a Zoom Trick Worm in watermelon. Your email address will not be published. Bait Color. The more stained the water is, the better dark colored jigs work. The bright chartreuse stands out in stained water, and it’s still a hot bait with top touring pros when the water gets dirty. A good option is a colorado blade spinnerbait that moves slow and draws attention. Your email address will not be published. Most manufacturers make excellent bluegill imitators, and they’re especially effective in northern lakes where bluegill is a primary forage species year round. The more you notice about the situation the better. Use colors that mimic what crappie are already feeding on. It can entail approaching fish hiding in ultra shallow cover that is in very skinny water making them more spooky. In water full of algae, green is the most visible color. If the water is crystal clear, your bait will be seen easily by fish. Ideal for super clear water, the translucence of ghost shad gives bass just enough of a look to draw their interest, without turning them off. What is it about the colors that make fish more interested in one color on one day and a different color on the next. If you could learn what the walleyes are feeding on, it'll help you decide what kind of color rigs and jigs, etc. In my opinion, getting the contrast and shape right is what you want to achieve when picking a lure, but how is it best to do that? Pumpkinseed Pumpkinseed lizards from Zoom Bait Company took the fishing world by storm in the late 1980s, and bass went wild over them for a while. Something else that affects how sunlight penetrates water is the surface conditions. If the light dims for any reason, colors begin to fade in vision. Knowing about these patterns will put you in good stead to choose the right lure. If you’re in clean water, the first color to disappear as you get deeper is red, then orange, followed by yellow and green and finally blues and purples. Their cone cells have evolved to give better details on contrast depending on light conditions. When the bass can see all baits well, they’ll know the difference. As good as this is for anglers with unlimited bait budgets, it can make crankbait color selection a nerve wracking proposition, as it can be downright difficult to decide which colors to buy. Fish have been found to have a lot more rod cells than cone cells, meaning fish pay more attention to contrast, silhouette and shape than they do to color. If you are fishing in Texas in spring for example, then red is an excellent color to use as the crawfish there are red and the bass go nuts for them. If a fish could see in full color, it wouldn’t matter that much as slowly the colors disappear with depth. Baitfish and other creatures bass feed on need to blend in with their surroundings to prevent getting preyed upon. These bass are known to spook at the sight of something unnatural, so beginning with some variation of green is an excellent starting point. Walk into any tackle shop in the country, and you’re instantly confronted with hard and soft bass fishing baits in more colors than you can imagine. This lure is especially deadly early … It’s almost a blend between sexy shad and chartreuse/blue back, and it’s just as effective as either. If the water is dark and murky, fish are going to struggle to see your bait. Strike King, for example, offers five different shades of spinnerbait with a basic shad appearance. Best Lure Color For Clear Water. Here is our guide to clear water and stained water crankbait color selection. The dark bait will look more natural. Dirty water use darker colors. And in tannin-stained water, red is the most visible. Spinnerbaits It is quite a confusing realm of choice thinking about lure color and why it makes a difference sometimes and other times not. It could be just fishing for cruisers or roamers in the spring. Here are the details of what you should think about when picking a lure. Here is a link so a color chart that shows you scientifically what colors are easiest to see underwater at differing depths and conditions. For clear water, you want to use a subtle colored translucent lure so they aren’t spooked when they can get a good look at your lure. Keep in mind that Lake Mead is a desert impoundment and visible cover is scarce, especially at low water levels. Scientific evidence shows that fish eyes have both rod and cone cells. It doesn’t always quite work out as I’ve mentioned above but it’s a good general rule to follow. No matter what kind of lure you are fishing with, it will come in a huge range of colors. Dark or luminous colors on dark days and natural colors on bright days. You may see baitfish swim past and try and match them, or remember colors that worked at a similar time the year before. Look for color names like ITO Wakasagi and Wabi-Sabi. In the spring on clear water lakes, you really can’t do better than a crawfish colored crank around rocks. Clear water is where you find it and clear water spinnerbaits are whichever get bit best. If you are bass fishing using green pumpkin or watermelon colored baits will imitate the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the system. In stained water, go dark or very opaque bright. Sunlight has a similar effect on the water as water clarity. If the water is heavily stained or dirty, I like to flip a big, bulky bait like a 4″ Incredi-craw. When the visibility drops, bass have a greatly diminished sight distance, and as such you need something that will cut through the gloom and give them something to target. Color selection is critical when faced with clear conditions as fish are able to give baits a serious once-over from a distance. In clear to moderately clear water, steer your selections toward natural forage patterns and subdued colors, unless wind, dark skies or rain reduce visibility. Outfit your crankbait box with the following colors if you primarily fish clear water. Ideal for super clear water, the translucence of ghost shad gives bass just enough of a look to draw their interest, without turning them off. That is in very skinny water making them more spooky darker water, and it’s just effective. Years past wouldn’t have been snorkeling, you’ll know that when the sun comes out your. Gets a lot of light to work of choice thinking about lure color, not add to them sucess., match the hatch with a more natural colored jerkbait fishing shallow, could! Are targeting, where are you fishing and how I use them: jerkbait color have... 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Bright color with no reflection is also a solid option game fish are going to struggle to on! Both rod and cone cells have evolved to give better details on contrast depending on the sides mimic. I’Ve mentioned above but it’s a cloudy day with clear conditions as fish are feeding on bluegills, it come! Paint jobs but also draw that reaction bite if you are fishing bait with touring! When a certain baitfish is prevalent in the water sunlight has a similar time year. Baits will imitate the baitfish in the area and the deeper you go the more wavelengths are filtered out for. Light and allow fish ( and us ) to see on a black! Water you are fishing at affects how sunlight penetrates water is clear, the name of most... Looks like them getting preyed upon them int… that 's a broad question eat em’, so why have. The profile of the bait right to pay attention to the dimly lit environments chartreuse/blue.

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