Lure Color and Depth

[Just Fishin']

Been reading some literature on depth of light penetration and lure color. For example, they say yellow becomes very difficult to see below 45 feet. My questions is: how many of you guys really follow these guidelines and always keep yellow above 45 and totally disregard it deeper? Or green in the top 65', for example.

I find that I tend to throw out lures without taking this into account. Was wondering how important other people think this is versus just trying patterns and seeing what works. I realize you never truly know what triggers a fish and on any given day a lure may work out of depth, but how closely are people following these color/depth guidelines?

[on the lam]

I do follow the color guidelines as it pertains to salmon most of the time, though green is one of the colors that may find itself out of the preferred depth range.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but on this topic, who has an opinion on the color copper

and where are you running it the most.

[Mick]

Just Fishin. I know I usually wont run bright colors, Reds, orange, or yellow below 40 fow, (usually steelhead colors), but do we really know how the fish percieve the colors? Can they actually see in color, or do the percieve it in a sort oy grey or whatever color they see scale? Anything that glows does pretty good below 40-50 fow but is that just when the light stops penetrating the water enough for the glow to work? I think it is a matter of contrast on our spoons, flashers, flys that really makes a difference. Every day has different light whether it's a bright and sunny , or cloudy day, and I'm sure that time of day has a lot do do with how far light is reflecting, or penetrating in to the water also. When we troll our spoons through a school of baitfish we generally are hopeing that the trout and salmon key in on our spoons sensing that they are hurt/wounded or easy prey I would think. I'm sure more Fisherman have been fooled by the color of our lures than the fish are often. There are just too many factors to consider when picking what color/pattern to run with, and I think paying attention to boat speed/ wind / underwater currents plays more of a factor than just the color of your lure. Run your favorite and most productive colors, and try to focus on how you are presenting your lure to the fish is my only advice. My favorite spoon in any size or manufacturer is just a gold back/ black with glow ladderback for below 40 fow. That's just my preference.We do call it fishing and not catching Only a few more weeks to go- Mick

[raider44]

I posted a thread a week or so ago about this topic- Being a younger Angler (23 years old) I have heard about the scale in high school/college art classes- but never followed it when fishing. I never really followed it in Lake Erie because its pretty shallow and I dont fish waters over 35-40 feet often. However in Ontario I paid a little more attention to the scale- the next time I am fishing Ontario I will follow it more closely.

Just remember when a lure company makes a lure color/pattern it has to appeal to a fishermans eyes too- lure company's gotta make their money.

[larry]

A couple of other thoughts/theory on this topic, bait fish camouflage themselves to their surroundings (buy some live minnows and place them in a bucket with red, then green, brown, yellow backrounds and you'll see them change body color instantly) They're dark on top (back) and light on the bottom so when predators are looking down they blend into the dark depths when they are looking up they blend into the light of the sky above. (dark days dark colors, light days light colors) This is the same for the predators trying to be stealthy to catch the bait. If the color you put down cannot be distinguished at the depth you put it that doesn't mean that it is not visible as black or grey which may be what happens to the bait your trying to imitate at that depth and it could (not) still be effective. Most big fish don't get big by eating things that are not natural appearing for their environment or they would get caught to easily and be eaten by you or other predators. Black and Silver work at any depth and should be the go to colors. If you see Niagara minnows in the plume of the river they'll be bright green which is a great accent/blend or top color to use down there. Scale tapes work well on b/s and carry a variety of color to the depths your working so you don't have to change up as much. Also. Fish swallow bait head first (look at stomach contents for proof)so put a glow eye back by the hook , they can't tell that the eye on your bait is backwards but you will hook up better. Remember, these are all just theories and should you decide to conform to this approach you do so at your own risk. Some side effects possible...

[Just Fishin']

Great comments. Thanks for the ideas folks, I appreciate the input.

[Gill-T]

How do you explain your lightening lures larry?

[larry]

Glow lures and columni sticks(lightning lures) make baits visible in any light condition but visibility is only a 1/4 of the equation. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Speed gives the lure the vibration that a the target will check with its' lateral line and if it's not what a healthy, vibrant baitfish should be it will considerate it an easy meal and feast immediately, if it is not giving off a vibration that shows it would be an easy meal the baitfish will live another day. Survival of the fittest is what insures that the bait population will be there for the future feeding, instinctively the predators will limit their targets to the injured, whirling, spinning somehow suffering bait and take the ones that they will expend the least amount of energy to eat.

They may crash through bait pods to cause the injuries but will return and pick off the ones the maimed. The larger the fish the less energy they will expend so they look for larger bait or for bait to come to them since they can tolerate wider temperature ranges. SD's work well especially when salmon are feeding since it simulates a wounded bait behind a crashing salmon. When they are off the feed the challenge becomes making the bait so easy and so appealing that a full belly will still grab it.

[Shade]

Can someone post a copy of this chart or tell me where purchase a copy?

Howie

[rail bird]

You just have to remember Roy G Biv.

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

So a good rule of thumb is that reds run the near the top and purple runs near the bottom. Green In the middle.

[raider44]

Shade- Here is a chart

http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/tmorris/el ... _water.jpg

[Shade]

Thanks raider44.............