Black Lure Experiment

[gone_fishin]

went out last night with high hopes on the husky jerk that i painted black. it was approaching dark so i tied on my usual lure (Black/Chrome/Orange - Rogue) caught 2 eyes with that fairly quickly. now knowing that the walleyes have started to move in, i switched over to the black husky jerk. gave it a half hour fishing prime walleye time and didn't get a hit. switched back over to the rogue and got an eye on my first cast. ended up catching 13 eyes and 5 largies. kept 2 eyes for the table (17" and 19")

 

here's the biggest of the night, and my new personal best (24", 4Lb 10oz) - Live Release

 

[Reef Runner]

Nicely done. Seems like black isn't in style for night time eyes. Dang, fishmaster's gonna have to recall all those lures back.

[Victor]

sounds like a great night out. Congrats on the new PB!

[Garry2Rs]

One test does not a hypothesis make...

Not wanting to be too picky, but this experiment is faulty from the start, because there is no control group...

We need red, white and blue plugs etc....In other words, "Is it the Singer, or the Song?"

In theory, in the dark everything is black, especially as seen against the night sky.

The rogue has a very different wobble than a Rapala.

It would appear that the frequency of that vibration meant something to the 'Eye's on this night.

[gone_fishin]

One test does not a hypothesis make...

Not wanting to be too picky, but this experiment is faulty from the start, because there is no control group...

We need red, white and blue plugs etc....In other words, "Is it the Singer, or the Song?"

In theory, in the dark everything is black, especially as seen against the night sky.

The rogue has a very different wobble than a Rapala.

It would appear that the frequency of that vibration meant something to the 'Eye's on this night.

 

 

i agree, there definitely are other factors... maybe a straight black Rogue next time? i'm not sure i want to waste another lure though... like you said too many factors, it's just interesting that such a similar lure (husky jerk and rogue), though they do have a slightly different action, one didn't produce a single bite, and the other 13 fish...

[Garry2Rs]

I recall seeing an article one time that compared the action of the original Rapala, the Smithwick Rogue and the Strike King Wild Shiner.

In the end, each had a unique action, a wider or narrower wobble, or a shoulder roll etc. that triggered more strikes under certain circumstances.

As far as colour is concerned, Black is probably as good as any!

Matching the hatch, or the bottom colour, is all fine and dandy, until the predator looks up and sees the bait silhouetted against the sky...In which case, the bait is black, unless it's translucent...

[MuddyWater]

you should just claim that black baits work amazing so i can go fishing and everybody will get skunked but me LOL

[Greencoachdog]

Great report and pic!!!

 

Walleye see the color orange the best of all colors... try solid orange some time and see what happens.

[Billy Bob]

I recall seeing an article one time that compared the action of the original Rapala, the Smithwick Rogue and the Strike King Wild Shiner.

In the end, each had a unique action, a wider or narrower wobble, or a shoulder roll etc. that triggered more strikes under certain circumstances.

As far as colour is concerned, Black is probably as good as any!

Matching the hatch, or the bottom colour, is all fine and dandy, until the predator looks up and sees the bait silhouetted against the sky...In which case, the bait is black, unless it's translucent...

 

I kind of agree with everything you're saying here except the last sentence where the fish looks up and sees "black" and I would have to agree on that if you mean the LURE is black as in what he was using. But if you mean the fish sees "the bait is black" as in not what the angler is using but rather what a fish sees in it's normal feeding then I would say NO because most fish/bait fish are white or light color on their bellies for protection against predators.

 

BTW if I had to choose one color it would be BLACK. It is my go to jig color no matter where I fish when fish are feeding on the bottom. I have caught more walleye and smallmouth (thousands) on a ALL BLACK 1/8 oz jig than any other lure I ever used

 

 

Bob