Water depth and lure colors (Light spectrum penetration)

[RupturedDuck47]

I had a passing thought about different lures and how they are expressed at different depths. I know fish want different things on different days but has anyone noticed a pattern with depth and color? I'm tying up a number of different color bucktails to try sometime in the future.

 

What is everyone's thoughts or input on this?

 

Sent from my SM-G973U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

[Sk8man]

Many of these charts refer to HUMAN vision. The visual system of fish is very different than that  of humans as they are thought to see parts of the visual spectrum (i.e. wavelengths) that we can't see so what is really going on in relationship to the chart is anyone's guess

[Hosworld]

http://www.finefishing.com/flies/colorovision trout.htm

 

one of a couple good articles out there on salmonoid vision. 
 

I’ve often pondered your question as well Ben! From my admittedly limited experience, I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that “contrast” seems more important than “color” (if that even makes sense) Whether that means contrast between the colors on the lure itself or contrast between the lure and the water. 
 

That said, what do I know!? 
 

I think it would be really fun and interesting to employ an underwater camera. while - to sk8’s point- it wouldn’t give a true idea of what the fish are seeing, it would probably “shed light”- ha ha- on general light penetration at different depths/water conditions. On a cloudy day in murky water, is it just pitch black 100 feet down? 

[tuffishooker]

For us after 34 years on Lake Ontario ; color rules , action #2 ! Color can vary every day and during the day !

[cinnamon fish]

It's saltwater jigging, but I found this video to be pretty interesting... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E00IRog1DFs&t=596s

silver vs. black vs. glow

Edited December 22, 2021 by cinnamon fish

[RupturedDuck47]

Ah yes, good ol John Skinner, the Long Island Legend. His videos actually sparked my question In the first place.

Hos, I suppose I'll have to invest in an underwater camera and do some fishing. Good excuse to get out on the water!

Plain old ROYGBIV spoons and jigs, different weather, Time of day, ext. Time to set up an experiment and fish in the name of science!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[rolmops]

A bunch of years ago, the infishersman magazine did a lot of research on the subject. This was when there was a lot of advertising red hooks and line.(both turned black at 25 feet) 

They tested all colors at different depths using a setup based on the vision capabilities of smallmouth bass. I don’t remember a lot of it,but I do remember that purple was visible at over 50 feet while all other colors had turned to black. This was before the introduction of fluorescent color patterns 

[Andre wallyandre]

[Sk8man]

Just to underscore my point above a little further.....

 

Light absorption measured by say a color spectrometer is one thing, but color perception is another thing, and fish color perception is another. When you do ANY experiment where conclusions are reached based on data - experimental control is an essential feature that is critical to arriving at any accurate conclusion, hypothesis or developed theory. It is very difficult to achieve in the natural environment and that is why most experiments are  conducted in laboratories where conditions permit. What I'm saying is that to jump to the conclusion that the lure you put in the water will follow these charts even if the chart is developed in the lab in terms of accuracy has many problems with that jump from one thing to the other because there are too many variables involved with too few (if any) controls. Most highly developed organisms including fish and humans have a priority in terms of what stimulation their perceptual systems and brain interpret. Color perception is complex and brain involved  while other more elementary aspects such as movement discrimination and object contrast  (e.g. figure /ground discrimination) are thought to be  more basic and rather instantaneous because they have important functions in the organism avoiding predators and disasterous circumstances. These features may be operating before the perception and interpretation of color takes place allowing the organism to protect itself by avoidance before being attacked by a predator, or to capture prey or other food before it gets away or others get it. What I am getting at here is that even in a well controlled experiment in a lab - let alone a natural setting there can be other things involved that may be responsible for a given behavior than the specific thing being looked at. Lure action and movement, and the contrast between figure and ground in my view comes way before color perception in terms of adaptiveness and it is hard to control for that and any conclusion reached may be faulty as a result. Even assuming the color chart is accurate what do you think happens on cloudy days, bright sunny days, heavy algae deposits in the water, effects of recent rain, mud being stirred up in the area, creek run-off and on and on. And then there is the introduction of fluorescent and UV lures.....way too many variables to make firm conclusions.

[tuffishooker]

Ditto on too many variables to make firm conclusions now ! Merry Christmas !

[marinecrafts]

22 hours ago, rolmops said:

A bunch of years ago, the infishersman magazine did a lot of research on the subject. This was when there was a lot of advertising red hooks and line.(both turned black at 25 feet) 

They tested all colors at different depths using a setup based on the vision capabilities of smallmouth bass. I don’t remember a lot of it,but I do remember that purple was visible at over 50 feet while all other colors had turned to black. This was before the introduction of fluorescent color patterns 

 

[marinecrafts]

But again, this was done in HUMAN vision, not fish.  I have read the difference might be in the uv area but I cannot find a uv enhancer to apply to a hard lure that will not remove the paint.  I have not seen anything related to this subject that went down to 30' or lower where walleyes tend to be in the summer.

[Hosworld]

This thread is V interesting.
 

Glow in the dark. Clearly popular among lure makers, but among fish? 

[rolmops]

Maybe vision as we know it is only part of the picture. We do know that colors are different wavelengths, but we really do not know how fish sense these wavelengths (if at all) with their other sensory capabilities  As an example I would offer the olfactory capabilities of dogs that allow them to move through pitch black rooms. There are probably senses that fish have that we don't even know about.

[tmag]

Water clarity / turbidity would also factor in.