Lure Color

Question
QUESTION: Hello, do you know what color lures is best to use in stained and murky water conditions in the winter and summer?

ANSWER: Hi Garret,

Actually, there has been quite a bit of research done on this at the University of Oklahoma.  You can find references online to their studies and to a device called the Color-C-Lector that is on the market now that helps you choose the right color lures for the water conditions you face at any point in time.  As a former Okie, I have one of these devices, I've used it around the country and it works OK.

Basically, the system seems to boil down to...use lighter or brighter colors on brighter/clear days and in clearer water...and use darker colors on darker days or in stained water.  This guideline will work about as good as any other I've seen.

Thanks,  Joe

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I thought is was the opposite. I have heard brighter colors in murky water and dark in clear water. Are you sure your right?

Answer
Hi Garret,

Actually, I've also heard several different permutations of the sunshine and water color advice.  But, I think the solution is a bit more counter intuitive than what you would first imagine.

My advice would be to dig into it on your own and sort through the various documents and opinions out there.  Based on my experience, my way works pretty well for me on about any water.

In addition to the many published theories on this topic (or maybe in spite of them, who knows?), it seems to me that:

1.  on bright days and in clear water the fish can see farther and better so it is better to use a lure that they will recognize easily and/or one that will attract them with flashes of light (glitter).  You can attract fish from 30 feet or more away in clear water and on bright days using white, yellow, transparent and flashy lures.  I'm not sayng dark lures won't work on bright days, just that you can use more flash and bright color and have it seen better by more fish.

2.  on darker days and in stained water the fish can not see as well or as far so it is better to use a lure that presents a silhouette image of something familiar that they can see.  You usually have to drop the lure pretty close to the fish in stained water or on dark days for them to see it so a darker color that makes a nice silhouette can get their attention.  You may only get a little bit of flash in stained water and then only if the lure goes right in front of the fish, but they can recognize the darker shape of familiar prey even in stained water at more of a distance.

Works for me.  I am certain there are probably 100 other guidelines with reasons why they work as well.  Everyone has an opinion on this topic.  You probably want to try a few things for yourself and see what works best for you.

There is also the school of thought that each of us has certain lures that just work better for us than any other lures.  It can be because of size, shape, action, or the fact that you believe in it and work it more than the others.  If you have a favorite, try using the same lure in a variety of colors on the same fishing trip and see if it makes a difference.  I've tried this and found that the lure I like best catches fish for me regardless of the color I use...most of the time.

If I'm not catching fish, I vary the speed first, then the depth, then switch colors and then switch lures.  Once I find a lure that works for today, I'll try different speeds, depths and colors. I use my guideline to choose the lure color to start with depending on the weather and the water conditions.  

Other people have different approaches to finding the right lure for the day.  As long as they work, or the person doing the fishing believes they work, one is probably as good as the next.

Thanks,  Joe