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| Hey guys just want to know what your favorite colors are in Top Water baits.
Thanks
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Posts: 287
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | You can never go wrong with black. |
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Posts: 574
| I dont think it makes too much difference..
That said I use loon, black, black/orange, and firetiger the most..
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I used to be the guy that said "any color is good as long as it is black." that is where I found the most success is on black top water lures. But I have talked to people who say they get a lot of missed strikes on black top water lures during heavy overcast days. They said that though black is a good color, always keep something in the box that is bright red, orange, pink... ect... if you are getting missed strike switch to a 'hot' color and see what happens. I guess the theory behind it is on overcast days the the silhouette gets lost in the darkness of the sky thus causing missed strike. So since I learned that I picked up some hot colors this year and am excited to try em out. |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | Doesn't seem to matter to the fish. My biggest fish ever came on a Hawg Wobbler in Cisco color so mostly the fish saw a white belly. I've got a great LeLure globe that is crackle orange, a hot Top Raider in black with a chartreuse tail, black backed silver/white bottomed Jackpot and a light colored belly on a frogish green creeper that all have caught multiple fish. It's all about the lure action/sound/speed on topwaters for me. |
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Posts: 295
Location: mad chain | Best top water color ever......orange and black. With that being said I really don't think it matters. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Fat-Ski......Not to argue but black works well at night against a much darker sky. Lure manufacturers would like to sell you 20 different colours but all that is really important is that you have confidence in it.Silhouette and vibration are what attracts the muskie. Location and timing are the most important factors. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | horsehunter - 3/31/2012 9:34 AM
Fat-Ski......Not to argue but black works well at night against a much darker sky. Lure manufacturers would like to sell you 20 different colours but all that is really important is that you have confidence in it.Silhouette and vibration are what attracts the muskie. Location and timing are the most important factors.
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I am not speaking from experience, it is just what I've heard. I'm willing to try anything. |
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Location: Minneapolis | I like a bright color on the head of my weagles so I can see that I'm working it right when it's darker outside. Other than that no preference. |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Black is by far the best color to use on a cloudy day. |
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Posts: 68
| My best has been a perch type pattern/color with a soft yellow belly. |
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Posts: 298
Location: Not where I want to be! | FAT-SKI - 3/31/2012 10:07 AM horsehunter - 3/31/2012 9:34 AM Fat-Ski......Not to argue but black works well at night against a much darker sky. Lure manufacturers would like to sell you 20 different colours but all that is really important is that you have confidence in it.Silhouette and vibration are what attracts the muskie. Location and timing are the most important factors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am not speaking from experience, it is just what I've heard. I'm willing to try anything. Fat-ski, Why would you even weigh in on this topic if you can't speak from experiance? Having started a topwater company in 1978 and with 42 years of serious muskie fishing, I'm comfortable feeling/saying color is irrevelavant when talking surface lures. If it sounds right, it will get hit. The Joel Wick made topwater baits are probably the most sought after baits around,(some were auctioned off this week for big $$) and most of them have light colored bellies with multiple color patterns on the body. Geez, Bucher caught one today on a white topraider! |
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Ditto, on what TC Muskie said- I also like to have something bright on the top side of my lure so that I can track it better in low low light conditions...then again I don't have 42 years "experiance" so don't listen to me!
Matt |
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Posts: 298
Location: Not where I want to be! | Sorry guys. Did not mean to be arrogant. Just been around for a while. |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | I'm not a hardcore guy but have around 32 yrs of chasing these rascals around, (albeit not near as hard as most here) it's comforting to hear that generally color doesn't seem to be all that important.
I've always kind'a wondered but believed it. And I like black too.
That said, I'm a sucker for a handful of "pretty" baits but have a boxful of black jobbies, even in bucktails.
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Add white to your list as that's my favorite. But like the Mighty Oak Leaf says color doesn't much matter - I believe its all in the action. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | What i don't get about top water baits is the detailed paint jobs on the side and top... and then it has a white or yellow belly. That's the only thing the fish sees. How about bringing the pattern to the bottom? |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | bone! |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Black on cloudy days, any bright color on a sunny day. |
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Posts: 286
Location: VA | Black, Frog and Firetiger. |
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Posts: 136
| Topwaters roll on there sides often, especially wtd's in any kind of chop.
dtaijo174 - 4/1/2012 11:14 AM
What i don't get about top water baits is the detailed paint jobs on the side and top... and then it has a white or yellow belly. That's the only thing the fish sees. How about bringing the pattern to the bottom? |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Good topic, and one that is often as much science, BST, and experience on many different waters that has me reaching for certain colors in certain conditions. Targetting certain color shades in certain conditions, while vannilla, is a great starting point and how I approach new waters almost always. There is always an exception to every rule, but you guys have it nailed(bright sky bright bait etc etc).
With that said, one needs to think about the set of conditions in your fishing situation, not just weather/sky/water clarity. Depth, speed, lure type, fishing pressure, type water body, historic fish attitude/preference, etc. all can play a role. An example would be the fast and shallow rivers. A dark colored top water might often not be my first choice, no matter the type of photo period/weather conditions prevailing. Quite often the lure/fish will be in less that 3' of fast turbulent water, and by nature the fish will often be seeing the lure from a distance to the side, through the water, lure, into more dark water. In these cases I will reach for whatever lure colors typically work in my favorite underwater lures which might be something fairly bright depending on the river, with some dark tones tossed in. A light colored topwater against the backdrop of of dark murky water waves and dark green forest backdrop/reflection, gets the nod for my visual preference as well.
One time that 'I see' color making less difference overall is at night. Year after year, its about the confidence lure, the sound, action, and speed, finally color. Before it wore out, my go to night bait had a white belly and light green sides. Not my favorite night color, but the results were noteworthy, outproducing seemingly similar lures in other colors, in those conditions. When grabbing a lure off the shelf for night fishing, you would probably grab a dark(black) one to start with. However, if you have a field mouse topraider(just an example) that tears em' up all day, don't think you need to put it away in lieu of the dark lure because the sun went down. The way we see it, use the lures you developed confidence in first.(then call Jinkerson and have him make one in every color under the sun..). |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Reef Hawg - 4/3/2012 3:52 PM
Good topic, and one that is often as much science, BST, and experience on many different waters that has me reaching for certain colors in certain conditions. Targetting certain color shades in certain conditions, while vannilla, is a great starting point and how I approach new waters almost always. There is always an exception to every rule, but you guys have it nailed(bright sky bright bait etc etc).
With that said, one needs to think about the set of conditions in your fishing situation, not just weather/sky/water clarity. Depth, speed, lure type, fishing pressure, type water body, historic fish attitude/preference, etc. all can play a role. An example would be the fast and shallow rivers. A dark colored top water might often not be my first choice, no matter the type of photo period/weather conditions prevailing. Quite often the lure/fish will be in less that 3' of fast turbulent water, and by nature the fish will often be seeing the lure from a distance to the side, through the water, lure, into more dark water. In these cases I will reach for whatever lure colors typically work in my favorite underwater lures which might be something fairly bright depending on the river, with some dark tones tossed in. A light colored topwater against the backdrop of of dark murky water waves and dark green forest backdrop/reflection, gets the nod for my visual preference as well.
One time that 'I see' color making less difference overall is at night. Year after year, its about the confidence lure, the sound, action, and speed, finally color. Before it wore out, my go to night bait had a white belly and light green sides. Not my favorite night color, but the results were noteworthy, outproducing seemingly similar lures in other colors, in those conditions. When grabbing a lure off the shelf for night fishing, you would probably grab a dark(black) one to start with. However, if you have a field mouse topraider(just an example) that tears em' up all day, don't think you need to put it away in lieu of the dark lure because the sun went down. The way we see it, use the lures you developed confidence in first.(then call Jinkerson and have him make one in every color under the sun..).
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WOW! that was so well put I had to read it three times to fully understand. I couldn't have said that better if I had a million years to think about it. |
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Location: 31 | I'm almost a complete nonbeliever in color... my friends and I get a regular arguments about it all the time. Typically I use bright colors when the fish are active, and more natural colors when they are not... with little regard to it being sunny or overcast. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's what I do...
To me, it seems like when the fish are on we can catch them on about anything and when they're off we don't really catch enough to determine if color was even a factor. I probably feel x2 that color doesn't matter for top water lures.
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best top water colors