Color Vs Size Vs Shape

[ddow229]

This is a question that has bothered me for a long time in fishing. What is more important or in what is the order of import. I am a fly fisherman from way back, growing up in Maine and chasing trout, salmon and saltwater stripers since I was a child on flies. It never ceased to amaze me that most of the streamer flies I used didn't represent anything natural. I am now wondering how much this plays into the baits I use for bass. I am amazed at the wraps and paint jobs on some of these swimbaits and how realistic they are. I wonder if there is a direct correlation to life like catching more or bigger fish over the shape or size. 

When I was tying flies for friends, families and even for sale, I used to say I tied flies to catch two types of species; fish and fishermen. My flybox was full of the ones that caught fish but my sales bin was full of the ones that caught fishermen.

[Kyle1387]

Size gets fish close, action helps that as well. So does shape id say. Color gets the commit from my experience. A big fish won't swim 20 yards to a small bait - most likely. 

[GreenPig]

I rely on "LUCK" most of the time.

[Mossypumpkin]

I think everything comes into play. Action, size, shape, color, smell. Yes, even smell. I’ve had a hundred days they would touch a hudd til you added some scent. We all say color doesn’t matter and it’s all action but that’s not true at all. Many many times my cousin and I have been on the water tossing slammer and black will outfish trout by a huge amount, or vice versa. The truth is, SOMETIMES color doesn’t matter, but sometimes it does, as do all the other factors. 

[JoshPerkins802]

Wait, were actually supposed to fish these things......?!

[browniez]

Echoing the above. IMHO color matters some days and some days it doesn’t. 
 

It all depends on how juiced up they are that day. I swear sometimes they’d eat a stick with trebles. Some days they need scent, perfect profile, perfect action, and perfect color.

[bigpoppabass]

It is all about illusion, sometimes highlighting triggers. I am big fan of glitter touch ups. 

[chefchris]

One of the best quotes I heard was from a local striper plug builder and author 

“color doesn’t matter, only when it does” 

same baits being tossed into a rip, one yellow and one all white, yellow out fishes it 6 to 1, switch over to all yellow Iike my buddy and hammer fish all tide 

fish don’t see the same way we see. 
 

here’s a cool video of how the colors change in depth 

 

[bigpoppabass]

2 hours ago, chefchris said:

One of the best quotes I heard was from a local striper plug builder and author 

“color doesn’t matter, only when it does” 

same baits being tossed into a rip, one yellow and one all white, yellow out fishes it 6 to 1, switch over to all yellow Iike my buddy and hammer fish all tide 

fish don’t see the same way we see. 
 

here’s a cool video of how the colors change in depth 

 

I dunno. I want to beat you up for that line but I won't. 

 

[azfisher]

Here'a an article on a study into Bass vision, not an easy read, but some good info...

https://academic.oup.com/cz/article/65/1/43/4924236

[ddow229]

1 hour ago, bigpoppabass said:

I dunno. I want to beat you up for that line but I won't. 

 

Yeah, my head kinda hurts after it. But cool video

[ddow229]

As an analyst, I kind of want to do a study and get some good quantifiable data and figure this out. I just need to figure out the how.

[bassbass]

Remember this...some of you may not have been born when this was out....did it work...maybe...all the time....no.

Ever water and day is different. There is no magic bait, even though some may think or hype so.

On a good day you most likely can add hooks to your sock and catch fish. But on other days all things play a part of the puzzle.

So you as the swimbaiter need to figure out what your fish like, shape, size, etc. and key into a size range...say 6 to 8 inch is the sweet spot, but will catch on a 10 or 12 or 5. This will all come in time on the water.

So get out and fish.

[swimbaitrookie]

11 hours ago, bassbass said:

Remember this...some of you may not have been born when this was out....did it work...maybe...all the time....no.

Ever water and day is different. There is no magic bait, even though some may think or hype so.

On a good day you most likely can add hooks to your sock and catch fish. But on other days all things play a part of the puzzle.

So you as the swimbaiter need to figure out what your fish like, shape, size, etc. and key into a size range...say 6 to 8 inch is the sweet spot, but will catch on a 10 or 12 or 5. This will all come in time on the water.

So get out and fish.

I had one of those, right beside my hummingbird super 60 sonar on my 30lb thrust minn Kota! 

[dheath2]

It’s an experiment. Depth speed Cadence action/vibration profile size color area/structure/cover. A cast on which nothing happens can tell you quite a bit.