Fish-Hawk.Net

If colour isn't an issue then why aren't the fish we catch all the same colour?

Why are some fish dark and others ,of the same species , who inhabit a different part of the lake much lighter in colour?

Fishing Clear Lake on year we caught bass in 20 ft of water who were the usual colour. We went to a sandy area and the bass there were extremely light coloured.

I think that the study done was a little light on the scientific process.

My experience is walleye specific, and have fished 5-7 guys same SR5 lure. perch, craw daddy and fire tiger.
Perch was always the producer by ridiculously large #'s.
So much so, that is typically all we fish with any more for those few days in the spring.

So maybe it is species specific?

I'm actually going to be fishing the same lake where the Queen's U research was done - booked a cottage for last week of June and can't wait, will be doing some filming and relaxing, all rolled into one. On the issue of colour, just a few stories I have personally to share.

I have a lake where my family goes, have been for generations. It's a small lake with a healthy population of both walleye and smallmouth. Funny thing is that on this lake specifically, I can put a minnow, grub or swimbait onto a jig head and toss it for either species, but I have to base the colour of my jig head to go for a specific species. I have been out and will catch Walleye around the lake on the greens but never a bass. Switch to my orange jig heads, whammo, bass start nailing it. Can even have the same trailer (say a green pumpkin grub, ok) and they still go by preference of the jig head colour, or at least I have always told myself that.

Also, I heard a tip a few years ago from a well-known pro who said that if you are throwing topwaters and you have a lot of followers or bass nipping at your bait but not taking it, try switching the colour up. So, I was throwing a white popper and had a couple swipes and follows, but no real hits. I switched that topwater up to a darker colour and whammo -a smallmouth erupted on it in no time, followed up by numerous other fish. Since this time I have usually been able to change up colours on topwaters to induce more strikes as needed...

So, the only difference was the colour, I was still throwing a popper. Again, I based the success on the colour, but this article would state there was no preference.

OK, last example. Last summer, I was on a very low-pressured River system. I was throwing green pumpkin strike king zero senko style baits and was really not having the success I thought I would. So, I switched up to the Bubblegum Zero worm , and whammo. fish on and multiple more thereafter.

It probably must just come down to a confidence thing if this "colour has nothing to do with success" theory truly holds any water.

Regardless, I will throw lots of senkos at those Opinicon Lake bucketmouths this summer and be sure to report back if I find any statistical anomolies

Tight lines

~OAO~