Bait colours and patterns

[Roy]

I didn't want to make a poll out of this. I don't like polls. But for those of you who target larger fish with larger crankbaits and gliders 8" to 13", what is the colour/pattern you are most confident with. I know there are exceptions and someone will undoubtedly swear by the pink/purple/green bait they have. But, generally speaking, are you more inclined to lean towards a perch colour (natural) or maybe a flash colour like 'clown'. Do you tend to buy/make baits in the same general colours? I've been having trouble getting away from the perch patterns because I like them. What do you guys like to fish with.

[misfish]

Guess your not interested in what us small fish guys have to say.LOL

[Raf]

really depends on where and when you fish. i like blues and whites when the water's cold or fishing deep. white is also a great dirty water colour. blues and purples when overcast/raining. i like hot colours in shallow water, sunny days. perch has been a staple in my arsenal too and I find it and other natural finishes are a good all-round type of colour.

Edited August 21, 2007 by Raf

[Roy]

Brian, I make larger baits so the colour of someone's #1 Mepps won't help me in this case. Maybe the Stewart car colours would be good though.

[rickster]

I do a lot of long line trolling for walleyes in late summer and fall and I always start out with an orange( or I guess its called flourescent red) rapala. If nothing is hitting that I will switch to a perch pattern. Lately i have been doing well with the deep taildancers forget the color name but it has a red/orange belly.

Biggest walleye so far this year was a 26 1/2"

Bigger ones usually start showing up in september

[Canuck2fan]

Perch pattern is always a winner the more contrast of the orange with the green the better.

[Terry]

for me

I love the clown colours

but I like bright contrasting colours for dirty water

dark solid colours for night fishing

and natural colours for very clear water

[OhioFisherman]

I like natural colors, silver- black back, perch,shad, anything that looks like food fish, sucker patterns, walleye patterns, haven`t used trout patterns but with the numbers in the Great Lakes it might work.

[aplumma]

While this is not a color it might help you decide some of your patterns and contrast.

 

 

The light color of a fishes belly is to help it hide in the lighted back round of the sky and the upper surface of the water when viewed from below. The darker back does the opposite and helps it blend when viewed from above. The breaking of the solid patterns by the lines or color changes on the sides breaks up the edges of the fish to make it seem to not be a fish shape on the changing back round.

 

At this point you need to decide if you have a deep diving lure or a shallow diving lure.

Then factor in are you trying to mimic the forage or going for a reaction bite.

The mimic is just as it sounds it is a close pattern using natural colors to match what the fish eat. Most of the time it is good for non aggressive or neutral feeding fish. The shallow version can be fish ( shad, walleye and perch) or frog which ever you like to paint.

The deeper lures can be fish ( Perch,Walleye,chubs, carp and other bottom feeders) and crawfish which live more towards the bottom.

The action of the bait should also be considered and the more life like it is the more of a natural fishing pattern is needed

 

The second type of bite is the reaction bite and that keys on fast I. D. of the lure and something that says food.

 

The choice of colors can be very bright and should contrast the mimic like dark belly's and light backs. The appearance of a focus point on the bait is required something like red gills. big eyes, tail spot or flashing metal or sparkles in the paint. These baits should have some resemblance of the forage in the patterns or the shape to start the process of the fish thinking it is food and not some kind of a hood ornament. These baits are fished fast or erratic to make the fish make a quick choice to either bite it or not.

 

Most things in nature have 2 main colors that blend into each other and other colors are just accents. The colors that are naturally in the body of water you fish are the first colors to blend out if the bait is the same shade. A green lure in the weeds is only using the attractant of vibration if it is the same color. The Tanic stain of Nippissing makes browns a less than perfect color unless it is a few shades off and your bait has contrast again. Since Red is easily absorbed by water and blue hangs in the longest consider using a mixture of color that blends from red to blue for the basic pattern to maximize a lure that floats but has a big diving lip. Once your lure gets deep below the level that natural light is abundant you are dealing more with contrast than with the actually color. You can put a white lure down deep and it will not matter if it is white or yellow or any other light color because without light to reflect off of it it becomes just a matter of contrast between it and the environment around it.

 

The final thought is that the first thing that any lure catches is the Fisherman. The lure that you believe in is usually the lure you will catch the most fish with. It usually gets the most swim time and you tend to give it the benefit of the doubt. Many times I have cut the lure off my line and given it to someone else who saw me catch a fish on it and they will also start to catch fish with the proven lure.

 

 

Art

[Rizzo]

"Once you go black...you never go back" Turns out this is NOT a fishing rule, but I do like me black baits.

[Roy]

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it. And Art, that's very, very good information for anyone interested in fishing...whether making or buying baits. Thanks.

 

Another reason I ask is that I have about 70 or so of these made and I'm trying to break out of a colour/pattern rut.

[canadianguy33]

What a wonderful post Art. Really great info. Thanks for sharing.

 

Before reading what you wrote I would've sworn by the perch, but now I'm not so sure.

[OhioFisherman]

70? what do they have a beer bottle opener on them? LOL they look good Roy nice job!