Here are some tips to help you select the right lure for the day.

Color reacts differently based on how light penetrates the water, and makes the selection of a lure become a science as opposed to a guess.  They say that the majority of fish see in color since the fish eye is composed of rods and cones as our eyes are.  Day vision is driven by cones and these cells drive color.  Rods are the night vision drivers and normally focus on the intensity of light.  In the dark there is no ability to determine color.

Knowing the type of fish is important…are they “day feeders” or “night-feeders”?  Obviously this will be your first step in selecting a color.  At night you’ll need something that will catch a “night feeders” attention more rapidly…and during the day, the “day feeder” lure choice will need to be catchy and vibrant that will catch the light and draw attention.  For example, bass are day feeders, and fish such as walleye tend to feed at night.  The vision of a trout (such as rainbow and brown) are similar to that of ours.  They can see a wide spectrum of color, and have the ability to focus both far and near very quickly. 

Now, light behaves a bit differently once it penetrates the water.  Longer wavelengths are reds, then oranges, yellows, greens, blues, indigos, and violets.  These are absorbed first once hitting the water.  These colors tend to fade out and appear “black” as the light hits the water.  Red light is almost totally absorbed within the first
15-20 feet.  Orange penetrates about 30-40 feet, and yellow goes about 60-70 feet.  Green and blue may travel as deep as the light goes.  The total amount of light also decreases as it hit the water and travels down.  Quite simply, the brightness changes.

At 40 feet, a yellow lure is still yellow, yet its intensity isn’t as brilliant as when it originally had hit the water.  Water clarity and activity is also something to keep in mind,  Using a red lure in your deep-water cove is much different then using it on a steadily, rapidly moving stream.  The pitch into a cove may show the red lure for 10-12 feet, but when you cast it into a moving stream you may only have visibility for a few seconds. 

White and silver colors tend to work best at deeper depths, so if you’re fishing deep water this is your choice in our opinion.  Also look for “light reflecting lures”.  Remember that water tends to have a blue or green background.  If you are using these colors, they tend to bleed into the background of the water and become invisible over a quick period of time.

Is it Cloudy or Sunny?

On a cloudy day, the light isn’t as intense.  The colors just don’t show as deep as they would on a sunny day.  This should be the one thing to remember if anything is gained from reading this.  It is one of the biggest things to think about, since any fishing day is either sunny, cloudy, partly sunny…partly cloudy.  That’s fifty percent of the decision right there! 

Day Fishing or Night Fishing?

Remember the first paragraph…about the rods and cones?  Well, here’s where they start switching.  Just like the headlights of a car…the fish eyes change and start using the rods and colors are no longer a component.  Here’s where you’ll need to get their attention and use a light or a dark lure.  As dawn or dusk approaches, red seems to be the winner because of how it appears against the lightening sky.  As the day progresses, you’ll need to match your water and select colors that will attract attention.  Move down the scale…start with red early in the morning (when they strike from below, this color looks dark against the sky background…high visibility), then go to blue, green, yellow, and orange.  Just see how cloudy or sunny it is to help you with your choice.  You just need to try many different types in your water of choice a bit to figure it all out.  We said earlier that science is a major component, yet some good old testing by you will achieve the final result.  Nothing is “text-book” with fishing.  Conditions vary and change, and fish behavior can be modified by the slightest change in the area…noise, other predators…etc.  Predators stalk the bait first, then go after the head.  During the day, this is how it is all going on below you.  At night, schools of fish are normally broken up, and the fish will look for contrasts against the sky background to go after their prey.  This is where the moon phases come into play. 

Read more about phases of the moon here.  All in all, your tests will achieve the desired results.  Remember one thing…you can use all of the scents and noise-makers you want, but if the fish can’t see where what to hit you’re loosing out.  That’s why color selection is the most important part of your adventure.  In summary, here's a quick "thinking checklist" for you...one or all may apply...just food for thought:

1. When am I going? (Day or Night...Dusk or Dawn)
2. What am I going after? (day feeder...night feeder)
3. What will be the weather for the day? (sunny, overcast, rainy)
4. What lures do I currently have to use?
(will your current combinations work, or do you need to run to the store real quick...like we normally do!)
5. What are the other guys getting...and where? (are the bass hitting deep or in the cove during the day...are the walleye running the rocks on the shoreline in the evening?  Bass are normally pulled off the shorelines during dusk and dawn, but where are they in the middle of the day? 

Our Note:  Don't use the same tactic all day.  You need to change plays just as in any game where conditions change.  Never be afraid to try something different.  That's the fun of fishing!  Telling everyone how you did it differently...and showing the big fish as your trophy for attempting it!

We hope this helps you select a lure color.  Keep checking back for more information to help you catch more fish.  Brought to you by whaticaught.com…YOUR Online fishing spot.

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We stock various colors and styles of lures and plastics to help you make the day or evening work for you.