Odd color observation

I recall replying to a thread last year during the summer months that asked how important is color to getting fish to bite? My response to the question was: on days when the fishing is good and fish are active color doesn’t matter too much. But when the fish are in a negative feeding mood and inactive color plays a larger role in triggering fish to bite. I still believe that for the most part, fast forward until today. I was reading through my fishing journal, as I often do when I can’t be on the lake. Upon reading the entries from over the last 5 years I began noticed a trend which has emerged over that time period. It seems very odd but on most of the lakes I’ve fished this year red has been the dominant color for plastics and jigs etc. Two and three years ago those same lakes were dominant with purple and black presentations and a year before that, orange was the hot color. It makes no sense to me whatsoever, but has anyone ever noticed this similar phenomenon?

Keep in mind these are all the same lakes, same areas, same species I’ve fished from year to year and after starting with the previous years “hot colors” I ended up switching to other colors to find the new dominant color. Do you guys think color is more important in the winter months because according to a fishes nature and biology the cold water slows down their metabolism which makes them less aggressive thus making color a more important factor? Appreciate any thoughts on this interesting albeit perplexing trend I’ve noticed.

Color matters, no doubt. Over thinking ‘why‘ it matters is probably not a very productive endeavor. I know that a lot of guys develop ‘rules’ about color based upon weather conditions, water clarity, forage, etc…but I’ve had so many days that didn’t conform to the ‘rules’ that I now give them only minor credence. I’ll keep changing things up until I find what’s working that day in that spot.

Is there any chance it’s because you have more red in your box now versus 5 years ago?

I personally feel confidence plays a big part in our success with colors.

Quote:

---

I personally feel confidence plays a big part in our success with colors.

---

x2

The older I get, the more rules I make on all the variables, incl color.
The older I get, the more I realize I limit myself with my rules.
As mentioned, mix it up to see if something works today.

Color is a major part of success while fishing.. If you feel otherwise You got a lot to learn!

I never meant to give off the impression that color isn’t important, I was just asking/hypothesizing if color is more important during the winter than say summer. It is an interesting quandary, I know that confidence does indeed play a role in catching fish as well, but that is not the sole factor I have used red, orange, black etc on each lake. And I still have relatively equal numbers of a vast rainbow of colors.

I like to think that when switching among colors I give it a fair shot 10-15 minute windows I would say unless a partner is using a different color and whipping my butt. I also understand there can be daily changes, seasonal changes etc, etc the list goes on. I just found it highly strange that I could catch fish on lake X last year using say yellow, while occasionally switching colors to see if there is a better color to be using at that time and while in that process I use red for an interval and can’t catch a fish. Then immediately switch back to yellow and catch them, each time on different days trying red and other colors and always falling back on yellow. Then this year on lake x (in the same spot, roughly same conditions and time of year) and yet yellow doesn’t produce whatsoever and red is by far and away the hot color daily and over the same span of outings. And not only is red the dominant color on lake x but similarly hot on many different lakes which red didn’t produce in years past either.

I guess there probably will not be a definitive answer that emerges from this question, I was just observing a trend an wondering if others have noticed similar or vastly different patterns while on the ice.

Anyone who doesn’t buy that color makes a difference… I would take you to a lake in Northern Manitoba… you can bring any color jigs you want, except orange. I get orange and can guarantee you will be begging me for an orange one after about 1 hour

Something not mentioned here yet regarding color productiveness is snow cover on the ice and ice thickness and ice clarity. Ice filters the heck out of natural light. Add snow cover to the ice and the filtering is compounded. Reds and oranges are the first colors to go to brown or a muddy gray as they drop in the water column and may be why you are seeing an uptick in how they work better for you. They may do a better job of looking more natural.

The comments on confidence goes a long way with color selection too.

You’d have to keep some extensive journaling to determine whether one color is better than another, factually. Just carry a wide assortment of colors and sizes and switch often until you hit paydirt.

I’m right with ya on the odd difference between summer and winter fishing, I think that during the winter lower metabolism in the fish dictate lesser needs to feed without discrimination, panfish in the summer can and usually are downright stupid and if the size/profile of your bait is even ballpark to what their preference for the day is color usually isn’t much of a difference, most of the time if I’m tipping with live bait I won’t use anything but a gold hook and even then I don’t believe it matters, when fish are finicky in the winter I don’t believe in colors as much as hues (dark, bright, metallic, glow) and usually that is as a result of water clarity, occasionally I do better even in more turbid water with darker natural colors if the fish are in a funk, but as a rule of thumb I’ll only go bright if the water is really dirty, metallic for tannic waters, glow at night and low light periods, and dark/natural colors for everything else, I’ve never really seen in openwater times where a similar color orange vs firetiger, chartreuse vs yellow, black vs purple makes a big difference, usually it boils down to profile and presentation, I’ve had guys both open and hard water try to tell me that there’s one secret color and I had better have it only to go with my gut and smoke them with something else, you gotta go with what YOU believe will work, confidence is key as I believe someone already said

Match the hatch. For me personally when it comes to bass fishing anyways, I try to keep it natural. There has been times where even subtle differences have made a huge difference. Smallie fishing on mille lacs one day and it was really slow, had a fish spit up a crayfish and I dug through my box until I found a matching color, caught fish like crazy until I run out. Now its the only color I use on mille lacs. But I think most days if the fish are hungry they will eat most colors. But like other have said the best color to use is the one you have most confidence in.

Icefanatic….

Try going back to those locations in the summer where you caught fish thru the ice using red or orange in the winter and try to catch fish with red or orange baits. Nine times out of ten you won’t do as well in open water with those two colors.

Quote:

---

Color is a major part of success while fishing.. If you feel otherwise You got a lot to learn!

---

X2.

I think it might have something to do with the water too. I fish mainly metro lakes and I think where there is a lot of fishing pressure they get tuned into one color.

Green in heat and purple in cold is basically what I am seeing.

Just a thought but if you are using a red presentation and hammering the fish. stop and change to a different color. maybe what im trying to say is see if you can find what they dont want and document your findings. Hmmm. might have to try this myself.

Quote:

---

Just a thought but if you are using a red presentation and hammering the fish. stop and change to a different color. maybe what im trying to say is see if you can find what they dont want and document your findings. Hmmm. might have to try this myself.

---

Better yet, have your fishing partner change color. No way in he// would you see me change from whats working, even for scientific proof.

If you want to know what’s not working why didn’t you just ask…I’ll post a picture of my WHOLE tackle box.

When I do go out I usually try to coordinate my color selection to the opposite of what my partner is using to try and find the one that works faster. I agree with the few times I do get to fish I don’t like messing around once I find something that is working. Most times I’ll just keep the same jig and swap plastics for a few minutes or a run of holes and if nothing go back to the hot color. That’s why I try to keep a very detailed journal, so I can plan ahead of time based on strategies that have worked in the past, even though as I’ve noted, the fish seem to be changing trends every year.

Ct: I would go back to these spots and try these colors again but they are mostly in basin areas where the crappies only inhabit in winter. And even winter locations that are weeded have never really produced fish in the summer, otherwise it would be an interesting experiment to try out.