Bass vision determine how the fish will perceive lure in the water. When selecting color for your fishing lures, you must consider the ways that bass vision work. Bass do not has the same vision as humans.
Bass vision use specific wavelength of light in order to determine the color of objects in there environment. To get the bass to bite, you must select a lure color that match the conditions of the water and the light in that environment. Water clarity are the first main factor to consider when selecting lure color for bass.
Pick the Right Lure Color for Bass
Water clarity will determine the visibility of the lures to the bass. In water that is very clear, bass can see the color of the lures from a distance. In these environments, I recommend using natural colors for the lures, such as green pumpkin, shad, and perch colors.
In muddy waters, visibility is very limit for the fish. In these conditions, it is best to use high-contrast colors for lures, such as black, blue, and chartreuse color. Black and chartreuse color is visible even in murky waters.
In stained waters, which contain algae or tannins in the water, visibility is limited but not as limited then murky water. In these conditions, it is best to use lures with bold colors, such as black and blue or chartreuse colors. In stained waters, bright colors stands out through the stained water and the bass can see them.
Because visibility in stained waters is limited, using fast-moving lure will trigger a reaction strike from the bass. Depending on the time of year, the color of the food that the bass eat change. In spring, bass will eat crawfish so using orange-brown or red crawfish bait pattern will get the bass to bite.
In summer, bass will eat shad and live bait so using white topwater or green pumpkin lures will entice these fish to bite at the bait. In fall, bass will eat school of shad so using chrome silver colors will allow the lure to mimic the shad and entice the bass to bite. In winter, when the bass are sleeping and eating less, using subtle colors such as brown or smoke will mimic the food that the bass do eat.
Light levels will also change how the bass perceive lure colors. When using bright sunlight in clear water, subtle natural colors will work best for the lures. In overcast condition or low light, the bass will see bright colors like chartreuse and dark colors like purple.
In the night when fishing for bass, use extreme colors like black and blue for silhouettes or use chartreuse for a glow effect. Bass vision works best in the blue-green portion of the spectrum but dims for red colors as the light level in the water decrease. Depending on the type of lure you use, the color of the lure will also change.
For instance, crankbaits will work best with colors that mimic shad and crawfish that lives in the water. Use soft plastic with green pumpkin or watermelon colors because these colors work the best in many scenario. Use dark colors for jig bait when visibility in the water is low but switch to natural colors for clear water.
Use spinnerbaits with bright color like white and chartreuse to mimic the flash that these fish will create in the water. By organizing your tacklebox into three category of lures with different colors, you can make selecting the appropriate lure color much more easier. Choose the color based on the water conditions in which you will be fishing.
If the color you have selected does not entice the bass to bite after fifteen cast, change the color of the lure to another shade. Always consider the clarity of the water before you begin to tie on your lure colors. By using each of these category of lure colors, you can increase the number of bass you catch when fishing.