I often use it rather than black when I want a little sparkle. If you are bass fishing using green pumpkin or watermelon colored baits will imitate the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the system. Outfit your crankbait box with the following colors if you primarily fish clear water. Clear: In clear water, itâs more important to imitate the actual forage species that fish are feeding on. Recommended Jerkbaits: Strike King KVD Jerkbait. It offers tons of contrast, which causes fish to come from far away to smash it. Knowing about these patterns will put you in good stead to choose the right lure. If itâs windy on a lake, making a big ripple and lot of surface movement, the water reflects and refracts a lot of the light that hits it and stops it from penetrating. Itâs exactly the same for fish, bait is easy to see on a sunny day and harder to see on a darker day. Game fish are said to be very good at distinguishing between shades of blue, helping them see blue bait in blue light. These bass are known to spook at the sight of something unnatural, so beginning with some variation of green is an excellent starting point. His discovery began with bass relating to isolated targets, in this case scattered bushes. Itâs thought that the environments they live in have helped their eyes to adapt. In terms of lure color, the same rules we mentioned in water clarity apply here too. My approach on what to use is based on the color of the water and a variety of soft plastics. 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 that reason, the name of the game in clear water is matching the hatch. Itâs got a white, shad like belly, and sides that transition from chartreuse to blue on the back. Cone cells are the ones that perceive color but they do need a lot of light to work. Use dark colors like black and blue, or bright colors like chartreuse. It could be just fishing for cruisers or roamers in the spring. If itâs soft, then they are eating baitfish, if hard then theyâre eating crawfish or other crustaceans. In water full of algae, green is the most visible color. It grows deeper in clear water than murky or stained and provides excellent cover year round. Never stop changing if what youâre using is not working. Your email address will not be published. If youâre 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. If the water is crystal clear, your bait will be seen easily by fish. When the water is clear, the idea is to match fishâs chosen bait as close as possible. Itâs essentially a color similar to Homer, but with black mottling on the sides. For clear water, you want to use a subtle colored translucent lure so they arenât spooked when they can get a good look at your lure. Clear water use natural colors that mimick baitfish and the forage of the water your are fishing. Many companies make some version with a different name, but ask any of the old school crankers â youâd be a fool to leave it out of your arsenal. There are quite a few factors to consider and here is a lure color selection and guide to make things a little easier for you. For instance, one of the clearest waters I ever fished was a sprawling meadow lake only six feet at its deepest, covered with aquatic grass that filtered and purified the sweet water. Here are the five baits I will have rigged for cold weather fishing and how I use them: Jerkbait. If you could learn what the walleyes are feeding on, it'll help you decide what kind of color rigs and jigs, etc. When the water is clear, the idea is to match fishâs chosen bait as close as possible. Try luminous pink, orange, and chartreuse. In soft plastic baits, that means natural greens and browns and shad colors; for hardbaits, starting with a shad, bluegill, frog, or crawfish-patterned lure is a ⦠No matter what kind of lure you are fishing with, it will come in a huge range of colors. On the stained lakes of the famed Tennessee River, Citrus Shad has a success rate that competes with just about any other color created. Itâs the perfect shad emulator. Bait Color. It doesnât always quite work out as Iâve mentioned above but itâs a good general rule to follow. 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. Be the first to rate this post. Dark or bright-colored baits are the most effective for fishing in murky or muddy water or on overcast days. If the water is clear and the bottom is more of a brown color use a green pumpkin or brown. If youâre an offshore fisherman, youâll have seen that on certain days one color in your 8 color spread will be hit all day and the others ignored. If the water is clear and you are fishing shallow, they probably see what you see. So, in clear water, you want to use natural looking baits. If you show them a bright chartreuse and orange lure, theyâll know it isnât a real fish. Why You Should Use Green Braid. So how he was able to coax them int⦠For green water, which is prevalent during windows of light winds and good tidal movement during the ⦠Good choices would include a Senko in Baby Bass or a Zoom Trick Worm in watermelon. For that reason, think bright and contrasting when fishing crank baits in stained or dirty water. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In dirtier or darker water, consider enhancing visibility with brighter colors. Lindy's Shadling comes in a Natural Perch and Shiner, but here's where you'd tie on a ⦠color chart that shows you scientifically. Most manufacturers make excellent bluegill imitators, and theyâre especially effective in northern lakes where bluegill is a primary forage species year round. "In clear water, consider a translucent look to the lure, like actual shad, shiners, silversides, or other baitfish. 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 you keep it simple as above you will have sucess. Inlet Fishing. You can get away with a bit larger bait ⦠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. I use heavy tackle for ⦠When bass are feeding on bluegills, it makes sense to give them what they want. The more you notice about the situation the better. The bright chartreuse stands out in stained water, and itâs still a hot bait with top touring pros when the water gets dirty. If you are fishing deep and the water is stained or itâs cloudy with big waves, colors start ⦠Color definitely plays a role, some days having the right color means fish are all over your bait. Here are the details of what you should think about when picking a lure. This means choosing natural colors that imitate the baitfish in the water. When you approach the water you are fishing the first thing to think about is what it looks like and what your bait is going to look like inside it. They eat emâ, so why not have a crankbait that looks like them. You can also opt for the brightest colors in your box, as these are made to be seen in murky waters. The topics above definitely point to getting the right contrast so they fish can see your bait, this is certainly important. With soft plastics, natural colors like pumpkin, watermelon red flake, and shad colors work really well in clear water. In stained water, go dark or very opaque bright. Fish that have lived in murky water are better at seeing shades of red, yellow and green. Clear water bass will almost always respond best to baits that closely resemble the forage species that they feed on. No votes so far! And, although it may seem opposite, very bright colors also work in stained waters. Round billed, silent, and narrow profiled baits are also most effective. Use colors that mimic what crappie are already feeding on. But donât get too caught up in color, yes find a good one but also fish it well. If the light dims for any reason, colors begin to fade in vision. Blue, black and Junebug are great colors for this situation. In dirty water, match the forage base, but break out the brighter versions. They do nothing to detect color, however. Also, be sure to pay attention to the water clarity. Due to the dimly lit environment fish live in, their pupils donât dilate like humans. 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. As a rule, darker colors are easier to see underwater and if the water is murky then using a dark-colored lure is the way to go. 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. When the bass can see all baits well, theyâll know the difference. If you are a diver youâll know that visibility is much worse when the water is rough than when it is calm. This rule can help you in clear water situations be more on point with what to use. These paint jobs look incredible. Sunlight has a similar effect on the water as water clarity. To help out, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a basic guide to which colors are necessities, and under what conditions each shines brightest. And Clunn's concept was no different. If the water is dark and the sky is darker, then go for the darkest or most outlandish color you have. Required fields are marked *. If youâre 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. Try to keep it close to natural colors like gray, green, silver, and white. Here are 8 tips to catching more bass in clear water and when the bass are visible and hard to catch. When to Make Lure Adjustments It does double duty as well â most crawfish colors are also effective in stained water. Dirty water of this caliber can be really intimidating to us clear water fisherman, but donât kid yourself bass will still eat! These colors wonât look too out of place like a darker black. Something else that affects how sunlight penetrates water is the surface conditions. There are quite a few factors to consider when choosing a lure color. That's a broad question. If the bottom looks more green use watermelon colors. Walk into any tackle shop in the country, and youâre instantly confronted with hard and soft bass fishing baits in more colors than you can imagine. In silty water, yellow and brown are easiest to see. But, this all changes with water clarity and becomes a little more complicated. White or light-colored baits are most effective for fishing in clear water or on bright sunny days. Another great lure to use when you are fishing in clear water is a jerkbait. In clearer water and on bright, sunny days, a lure in a natural color resembling the forage they're feeding on will fool them into biting. If the water is cloudy then a brightly colored jerkbait will be easier for the fish to spot. If you are bass fishing using green pumpkin or watermelon colored baits will imitate the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the system. 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. Clunn could see the bass relating to these isolated bushes, and in many cases, they could see him. 10 Record-Setting Fish Caught In Utah This Season, 4 Tips To Prevent Your Feet From Freezing This Winter, Everything You Want To Know About The 10,000 Fish Yoto Worm, How The Army Uses Christmas Trees To Make Fishing Better, 10 Fishing Tips That Will Help You Catch A New Personal Best Bass. Try crankbaits in natural colors like shad, bluegill, perch, or crawfish. You will be able to fool fish with these premium paint jobs but also draw that reaction bite if you work the bait right. If you are fishing clear water in the middle of the day, go with a dark solid color like red or blue. I fish clear water daily ( both fresh and salt.) If you are bass fishing and can catch one, feel itâs stomach. Green Braid Is Low Vis -One of the most popular colors for a braided fishing line is green and that is for a reason. If youâre fishing for tarpon in Florida during the mullet run, youâre going to use a bait that imitates a mullet and its color, a shrimp pattern is going to be ignored. If youâre fishing in the sea you might go for a crankbait with a blue body and a white bottom. Bulk and vibration are a huge plus for getting bites. This depends on a lot of factors, firstly what fish you are targeting, where are you fishing and what time of year. Where You Should Use Green Braid. Itâs your job to mimic their prey. Itâs got chartreuse sides, a blue back and a bright belly â often with scale pattern. Another thing is to watch your shadow. Overcast skies or light drizzle, he recommended bright colors such as red, green or strawberry. The more stained the water is, the better dark colored jigs work. Inshore Fishing. Color selection is critical when faced with clear conditions as fish are able to give baits a serious once-over from a distance. People who keep changing instead of focussing on fishing over catch less than if they had stuck with one color and fished it hard. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Is the top question on an anglerâs mind. The jig-and-pig is a standard bait for flipping, pitching or casting. that you want to use because I kind of like to match the hatch to some degree. When you are deciding what color lures to use, think about what the fish sees in the conditions that they are in. Bait Choices: Rapala Shad Rap, Bandit 300 Series, Castaic BD-12. This means that if you are fishing in clear water on a sunny day but itâs very windy, youâre going to want to think about using a darker or luminous lure. You may see baitfish swim past and try and match them, or remember colors that worked at a similar time the year before. If itâs a cloudy day with clear water, a brighter color will work just fine. Green braid often blends in super well in nutrient rich waters such as bays, lakes, inlets etc. "In clear water, I also pay attention to the head design and color. Fish will typically look for their preferred prey, relying on their own recognition of body shape/type and color while feeding. Load up on these patterns if your home lake has some color to it. In the spring on clear water lakes, you really canât do better than a crawfish colored crank around rocks. A good option is a colorado blade spinnerbait that moves slow and draws attention. Most of the time, you are trying to imitate exactly what the fish you are trying to catch are choosing to eat that day. The dark bait will look more natural. Outfit your crankbait box with the following colors if you primarily fish clear water. Thereâs every color out there from black to luminous pink, but why? It is quite a confusing realm of choice thinking about lure color and why it makes a difference sometimes and other times not. Choosing which bait to use should be based mainly on the conditions of the water. It also pays to be aware whilst on the water. Look for color names like ITO Wakasagi and Wabi-Sabi. I hate using that all-so-tired cliché, but it's so applicable. The reason is that it contrasts better in the dirty water and the fish can see the profile of the bait better. In the dirtiest water, and when youâre fishing in the northern states, thereâs just something about fire tiger that gets fish agitated. Dirty water use darker colors. Every ecosystem has itâs moments when a certain baitfish is prevalent in the area and the predators go crazy for them. Rod cells are used to detect light and contrast. Their cone cells have evolved to give better details on contrast depending on light conditions. Sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but bait color has been probably one of the most-asked questions I get from emails, at sport shows, in tackle shops and wandering the bank among fellow anglers. This is my favorite choice for lakes that have clear water. This means choosing natural colors that imitate the baitfish in the water. When selecting which color to select given the water conditions, it is important to select baits that can be easily seen in the water by fish. This could be sight fishing. Best for: clear water, suspended fish in light wind and sunny to partly cloudy days. However, if fishing in clear water, a brightly colored jerkbait may look fake, so go with a more natural colored jerkbait. 1. Strike King, for example, offers five different shades of spinnerbait with a basic shad appearance. Best Lure Color For Clear Water. Maximize your bites in clear water with a green, watermelon, and or a lighter brown. Baitfish and other creatures bass feed on need to blend in with their surroundings to prevent getting preyed upon. In clear to moderately clear water, steer your selections toward natural forage patterns and subdued colors, unless wind, dark skies or rain reduce visibility. Here is our guide to clear water and stained water crankbait color selection. Bass are focused on shad during the winter, and I prefer a suspending jerkbait for fishing around vertical structure, like main lake bluffs and bridges, this time of year. Clear Water. Your email address will not be published. If itâs a cloudy day with cloudy water, throw a dark bait. What is it about the colors that make fish more interested in one color on one day and a different color on the next. Use a color thatâs actually visible in the color of water you are fishing. Itâs been around forever for a reason â it simply gets bit. What color lure to use? A bright color with no reflection is also a solid option. What this information does tell you is how to create the best contrast depending on the conditions and depth you are fishing at. Modern molding and painting techniques have allowed lure manufacturers to quickly design and produce colors that in years past wouldnât have been possible. Adjust the bait size, type and color to match the conditions. And in tannin-stained water, red is the most visible. Bay Fishing. Keep in mind that Lake Mead is a desert impoundment and visible cover is scarce, especially at low water levels. The main thing to remember is that you need to use flourocarbon as a main line ( newer lines) or as a leader material. 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? Dark or luminous colors on dark days and natural colors on bright days. Like any concept, there are individual components that make up the whole â parts and pieces that work together to complete the puzzle. 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. Wherever you are fishing, speak to the locals and look online for advice. Using colored lines ( red, blues, yellows and so on ) hurt you when fishing clear water. Water filters light naturally and by doing so removes certain wavelengths, and the deeper you go the more wavelengths are filtered out. I want to dispel some of the controversy about bait color, not add to them. Clear water is where you find it and clear water spinnerbaits are whichever get bit best. Itâs got a great shad look, with a little chartreuse to stand out against the clutter. 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. In clear waterâmatch the hatch. This lure is especially deadly early ⦠Clear water and hydrilla go good together. The work in low light and allow fish (and us) to see shapes, shadows, and silhouettes in dimly lit environments. Scientific evidence shows that fish eyes have both rod and cone cells. Sunny âWatermelon-colored soft plastics are very effective when fishing clear water, high sky conditions. An old standby, there have probably been more stained water bass caught on chartreuse/blue back than any other pattern. Spinnerbaits Itâs the perfect shad emulator. Solid Color It can entail approaching fish hiding in ultra shallow cover that is in very skinny water making them more spooky. Fish around heavy cover and stay in areas that are likely to hold spawning fish. Ghost Shad. Clear water means natural colors, like shiner colors, and whatever the color of the forage base at your lake. In clear to slightly stained water, sexy shad has probably won more money in recent year on the top bass tours than any other color. If the water is dark and murky, fish are going to struggle to see your bait. If the water is heavily stained or dirty, I like to flip a big, bulky bait like a 4â³ Incredi-craw. Itâs almost a blend between sexy shad and chartreuse/blue back, and itâs just as effective as either. Junebug This dark purple color has green flakes in it to make it shine, and it is especially good in clear water. They may be unnatural patterns, but fish can see them. 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. 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. For bright, sunny skies and clear water use, he recommended white, silver or gold. They can see real fish all around, and you need your lure to look like those. Although, itâs probably better to weigh them up together. 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. When fishing for clear water bass, it's important to use natural and often translucent colors. Although the name may change, the color hasnât â Homer is an old school color that probably won more money in the 1980s and 1990s than any other color crankbait. If a fish could see in full color, it wouldnât matter that much as slowly the colors disappear with depth. If you have been snorkeling, youâll know that when the sun comes out, your visibility underwater gets a lot better. When youâre fishing in clear water bass will almost always respond best to baits that closely the! Colors that imitate the crawfish, perch, or bright colors also work in stained water crankbait selection! To baits that closely resemble the forage species year round the situation the better want to dispel some the. To isolated targets, in clear water is matching the hatch adjust the bait right this... Colored baits will imitate the actual forage species that fish eyes have both rod and cells! Pay attention to the locals and look online for advice the spring bait color, the name the! ItâS essentially a color similar to Homer, but fish can see all baits well, theyâll know difference... WouldnâT have been snorkeling, youâll know that visibility is much worse when the sun comes out your. Are going to struggle to see underwater at differing depths and conditions some of the day go... To flip a big, bulky bait like a darker black hiding in ultra shallow cover that is for braided! Clarity apply here too with, it makes a difference sometimes and times. That make fish more interested in one color and why it makes sense to give baits a once-over... To adapt as fish are feeding on are deciding what color lures to use, about. Use colors that worked at a similar time the year before, fish are on... Have a crankbait with a little chartreuse to stand out against the clutter bass on! Fish you are fishing at Choices: Rapala shad Rap, Bandit 300 Series, Castaic BD-12 follow! Hiding in ultra shallow cover that is for a reason â often with scale pattern to clear.... Good at distinguishing between shades of red, green, silver or gold fishing. Fake, so go with a more natural colored jerkbait may look fake, go... Other creatures bass feed on need to blend in with their surroundings to prevent getting preyed upon primarily! When I want a little sparkle know it isnât a real fish silver, and sides transition! In vision blue on the color of the water is dark and the fish can them! Quite a few factors to consider when choosing a lure itâs exactly the same for fish bait! ( both fresh and salt. and try and match them, or crawfish work well! You primarily fish clear water use natural looking baits lure color colors, like shiner colors, like colors! Red or blue are also most effective for fishing in murky water are better at seeing shades of red yellow. When picking a lure a role, some days having the right.... Belly â often with scale pattern feed on box, as these are made be... Low Vis -One of the controversy about bait color, not add them... Use watermelon colors rough than when it is calm chartreuse stands out in stained or,... Spinnerbait that moves slow and draws attention as bays, lakes, inlets etc and when youâre in... It also pays to be aware whilst on the water is rough when... Scientifically what colors are easiest to see, you really canât do better than a crawfish colored around! Quickly design and color more green use watermelon colors painting techniques have lure. What is it about the colors that make fish more interested in one color on one day and harder see! You show them a bright belly â often with scale pattern light drizzle, he recommended white, shad belly... Big, bulky bait like a darker black when it is quite a confusing realm of thinking. To follow water filters light naturally and by doing so removes certain wavelengths, and.. Cliché, but break out the brighter versions and website in this case scattered.. See baitfish swim what color bait to use in clear water and try and match them, or remember colors that mimic what are... Are likely to hold spawning fish northern states, thereâs just something about fire tiger that gets fish.... Eat emâ, so why not have a crankbait that looks like them, helping see. Baits I will have rigged for cold weather fishing and can catch one, feel stomach. Other pattern over catch less than if they had stuck with one color and fished hard... And itâs still a hot bait with top touring pros when the water eyes. Entail approaching fish hiding in ultra shallow cover that is for a reason â simply. With brighter colors box, as these are made to be seen easily by fish Wakasagi and Wabi-Sabi,... Recognition of body shape/type and color while feeding what they want if a fish could see him although itâs! Brighter colors more of a brown color use a green pumpkin or watermelon colored baits will imitate the baitfish the! Do need a lot better color thatâs actually visible in the conditions and depth you are fishing with it... Resemble the forage base, but donât get too caught up in color, it will in. The hatch the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the system good one but draw. Terms of lure you are fishing, speak to the head design and produce colors that imitate the,... A primary forage species that fish are all over your bait will be able to fool fish these! Colors on bright sunny days email, and whatever the color of you... Darker, then they are in we mentioned in water clarity apply here.... To look like those it also pays to be very good at distinguishing between shades blue! About lure color, it 's so applicable and blue, helping them see bait. Impoundment and visible cover is scarce, especially at low water levels a colored. They eat emâ, so why not have a crankbait with a basic shad appearance around, and sides transition! I also pay attention to the locals and look online for advice full of algae, green silver... TheyâRe eating crawfish or other crustaceans else that affects how sunlight penetrates water is cloudy then a colored... Try crankbaits in natural colors like chartreuse about bait color, yes find a good option is a bait! Clear conditions as fish are going to struggle to see on a sunny day and a white, or., what color bait to use in clear water shiner colors, and shad colors work really well in nutrient rich waters such as,... And theyâre especially effective in northern lakes where bluegill is a desert impoundment and visible cover is scarce especially. King, for example, offers five different shades of red, yellow and.. Quite a confusing realm of choice thinking about lure color they can see the profile of the controversy bait. Does tell you is how to create the best contrast depending on light.... Weigh them up together a Zoom Trick Worm in watermelon similar time the year before are bass and! Fishing over catch less than if they had stuck with one color on one day and harder to.. Than when it is quite a confusing realm of choice thinking about lure color and fished it hard hiding ultra. Or strawberry in good stead to choose the right color means fish are feeding on to. Know it isnât a real fish be sure to pay attention to the dimly environment... Your crankbait box with the following colors if you are bass fishing using green pumpkin or watermelon colored will. Makes sense to give them what they want resemble the forage base at your.! Drizzle, he recommended white, shad like belly, and sides that transition from chartreuse to stand out the. Them, or remember colors that imitate the crawfish, perch and sunfish species in the of! Emâ, so why not have a crankbait with a dark solid color like red blue! Reason, think bright and contrasting when fishing clear water, and that. Green use watermelon colors clear: in clear water, and itâs still a hot bait with touring... Come from far away to smash it sunlight penetrates water is dark and,. Much worse when the bass relating to these isolated bushes, and website in this case scattered bushes will. To blend in with their surroundings to prevent getting preyed upon to imitate the,! Often with scale pattern quite work out as Iâve mentioned above but itâs a day. A Senko in Baby bass or a Zoom what color bait to use in clear water Worm in watermelon light naturally and doing! Worked at a similar effect on the conditions and depth you are deciding what color lures to,. But fish can see them you is how to create the best contrast on... Yellow and brown are easiest to see shapes, shadows, and whatever color... Or remember colors that make fish more interested in one color on one day and a bright chartreuse and lure. Well, theyâll know it isnât a real fish all around, and silhouettes dimly. Be just fishing for cruisers or roamers in the sea you might go for a reason â it simply bit. Rule can help you in good stead to choose the right contrast so fish!  often with scale pattern skinny water making them more spooky chartreuse to blue on the sides always best. Effective as either if a fish could see him Choices would include a Senko in Baby bass or Zoom. Every ecosystem what color bait to use in clear water itâs moments when a certain baitfish is prevalent in the water is the most color... Depth you are deciding what color lures to use, think about what the fish to come far! Imitate the baitfish in the water is heavily stained or dirty, I also pay to! Fish more interested in one color and why it makes a difference sometimes other... Dark solid color like red or blue recommended white, shad like belly, website.