Selecting the correct color for your walleye lure are a necessary part of the fishing process. Walleye use vibration to find the lure that they is targeting, but they use sight to decide whether to strike at the lure. Walleye has specific visual capability, so you must ensure that the lure colors you use match the water and the lighting condition in which you fish.
Water clarity is one of the factor that determines the effectiveness of the lure colors for walleye. In clear waters, walleye can see the detail around the baitfish that they eats. Therefore, silver and perch lure colors that contain greens and silvers will entice the fish.
How to Choose Lure Colors for Walleye
However, muddy waters makes it difficult for walleye to see the details of the baitfish. Therefore, bright colors like chartreuse or firetiger lure colors will entice the walleye since these color are easier for the fish to see in murky waters. Lighting conditions will also dictate the colors of the lures you use to attract walleye.
For instance, during the hours of dawn and dusk, when the light is warm yellow and orange in color, using orange and gold lure colors will cause reaction bite from walleye. However, during the height of the day when the sun is above the horizon, use natural colors for the lures since walleye are very sensitivly to bright colors, especially in shallow waters. On overcast days use bright lure colors such as chartreuse to ensure that the walleye see your lure.
Finally, when fishing at night use glow lures, such as white or purple, as these colors retain there luminescence and are visible for the walleye in the dark. The time of year also determine the lure colors that walleye will find enticing. During the spring, when the water is cold, use bright colors such as chartreuse or orange to mimic the movement of crawdads and minnows.
Summer is the season when walleye follow school of shad, making silver and perch lure colors perfect for this season when trolling for walleye. In the fall, walleye tend to become more aggressive, so use firetiger colors during this season. In winter, walleye are fished under the ice, so using white glow lure will make for better success in this season.
The link between the time of year and the color preference for walleye is based on the water temperature. When the water temperature is below 50 degrees, the walleye prefer glow colors to attract to their movement in the water. However, when the water temperature is above 65 degrees, walleye will chase the lures that mimic the movement of baitfish.
Certain types of lures requires specific lure colors. For instance, crankbaits with firetiger and gold-black lure colors use the wobble movement of the lure for the walleye to see the color. Use white and pink jig heads to allow the jig heads to stands out when dropping the jig vertically to the bottom of the water.
Use a gold blade lure with an orange body on a spinner to entice the walleye. Use smoke and brown soft plastic lures that mimic the movement of crayfish. However, ensure that the lure color match the environment to not spook the walleye.
The depth of the water will determine the color of the lure that you use when you are fishing for walleye. For shallow waters with weeds, use orange firetiger colors for fast-moving crankbaits. For trolling in the middle depths of the water use gold and perch lure colors.
For deep waters use glow lures or deep shad lure colors since the red color of the lure fade the most deep in the water. To determine the best lure color for walleye, follow a few step. First, check the water clarity.
Next, note the light level in the water. Then, check the water temperature. Based on these findings, choose a lure of the appropriate color family.
Once you have chosen your lure, make several cast in one spot to test the lure colors. If the walleye do not respond to the first lure color, you can change to another lure color that will match the environment.