If you want to catch more squid, it helps to read light, feel pressure and display your lure in a way that brings out most natural reaction. Jig selection depend on both biology and physics; it’s a strategic choice, not a matter of taste. This chart details exactly which colors work under various conditions; from the brightest days to darkest nights, as certain pigments react different to their surroundings. Although novices tend to only use one preferred color until they’re exhausted, veterans cull through seven different color categories based off water’s demand.
Squid are visual predators; they hunt by sight and will see detail during the day in clear water. So you want your jig to be realistic. But since you’re trying to imitate real deal on top of a reef structure, natural colors such as tan or shrimp brown tend to do best. You want to blend in just enough to get close but not look like piece of plastic.
How to Choose Jig Colors for Different Light Conditions
When the sun gets high and those UV rays punch down deep into the water column, you need a color that contrast well against the glare. So fluorescent pinks and purples dominate in bright situations. They can absorbs UV light and reflect it at a greater intensity then any natural baitfish could ever achieve. In these situations, the visual contrast outweighs realism.
That all changes as sun descends or rolls back behind clouds. On an overcast day, light becomes spread out. This washes out colors, so you need more noticeable hues that “cut” through it. Colors such as chartreuse and brassy yellow-greens start to come into play; they’re bright enough to show up on cloudy days.
Finally, there’s that sweet spot of dawn and dusk. The low-angled sunlight flashes warmly and brings out those warm tones (orange and gold) in a very attractive way. It’s often a time when fish feeds aggressively, which is one reason anglers love this morning bite. In essence, you’re using the angle of sun to your benefit.
For night fishing, when we drop down past some depth where there is practically no natural light, everything changes. White and green phosphors is key attractants. Green outgloves white by quite a big margin, which is why most people choose this color for dark water settings. Charge up your jigs with a simple UV torch for half a minute and you have them glowing for up to 15 minutes.
Another neat trick will save you from endlessly swapping jigs and keep your bait under attack. In deep clear water, red becomes interesting; due to rapid soaking up of the wavelength, the jig appear as a dark silhouette instead of something bright. It is less likely to be rejected by wary squid.
Regardless of the hour, you want maximum visibility in murky waters. In cloudy or brown runoff situations, go with something that stands out well, such as hot pink or orange, which provides good contrast. The point is not to hide but rather stand out as a signal that begs to be checked out by animals who can barely make anything out.
There is also a seasonal component. Aggressive glow colors works best during summer night fishing, while more natural colors are preferred when targeting spawning squid in spring. Fall features big predators, which get keyed on bold contrasts such as dark purple on lighter backgrounds. But it’s more biological and psychological than art.
How does the animal see my bait? What are the variables of light when I drop the bait in. That’s where it starts. Use a proven starting base color for those conditions, then adjust based off lack of bites. If nothing changes within 15 minutes, go through the families until you trigger the bite.
Adapt or die. It’s fishing. It is not being stubborn. But once you get to the point where you know why something produces versus a blind guess, you’re no longer fighting the water. You are working with it.
Next time you fish unfamiliar water, let the light show you what to throw with your hand, not force habit. You should of used a better lure. Actually, it’s moddern techniques that matter.