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Posts: 600
Location: West Bend, WI | Does a guy really need any other topwater color besides black?The other day I was in the store and I had a white belly perch hawg wobbler in the hand.I thought to myself I have a black one what do I need this for?Do I need more topwater colors or not? If so wich ones then? |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I voted no, but then I realize that there are a number of colors that I have come to favor- midnight, indigo, coal, and of course black! |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | My favorite topwaters are white! Thanks for throwing black.  |
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Posts: 184
| At night, I really see no reason to thow anything but black. But during the day, absolutely. I throw topwaters all summer long, no matter what time of day or conditions, and color can make a difference. I like bright, gaudy, ugly colors during sunny flat days!!
Chad |
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Posts: 149
| Throw any color topwater you want, as long as it's black. Day or night, cloudy or sunny, calm or choppy, clear or stained water the fish ALWAYS looks up at the bait against a much lighter background (the sky). Even on a moonless night, there's a ton more light in the sky than on the bottom of the lake. Therefore, you want a color that will stand out best against an always light background, and that's black any time any place under any conditions. Will other colors work? Certainly. But black IS the color that will alwats stand out best against the lighter background the fish is looking at behind the lure. |
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| Black is the best topwater color, but I like others too especially bright colors and constrasting colors  |
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Posts: 216
Location: Belleville, WI | I like colors such as red crackle, orange lace, and bluebird. Why? Because they're pretty! |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I really don't feel that color is a big factor in topwater baits. 90% of my topwaters are some form of black. The part I really think is funny is when all the color is added to the tops of the topwater bait. Exactly when will a fish see those colors? More proof that color catches more fisherman than it does muskies. |
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | You have a good point Norm. Great paint jobs do catch people!!!!
Use the KISS method and go with the old rule - "Dark day dark bait......Bright day bright bait".
MR
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| Hey guys heres some food for thought,,,,Weve always been told throw black surface baits at night,,,however who knows more muskie fishermen or M.I.T. engineering degree Pentagon defense planers,,,
2 billion dollars,,thats billion with a B,,First line of defense for the free world,Most sophisticated piece of Machinery in the world,,,That would be the B-2 stealth bomber,,Meant to be used at night,,,They paint them black so their silhouete blends in with the night sky ,,were told throw black surface baits so they stand out against the night sky,,,whos right,,,I dont know just thought it to be intresting |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | If black was the only color we could toss, how would we explain all the different colors to our women??? |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I also used to think there was something to the black surface bait cult....I now use about any color, and many work well with several favorites coming to mind. I also used to think black was best after dark, now I feel otherwise with the successes of other colors equalling black in effectiveness. On very dark nights a lighter color may even be better than black IMO.... white bellies after dark have even been fine...go figure........ My wife actually changed my beliefs for me, as she has a favorite Rylure that she uses after dark all the time, or any time for that matter. It is a light yellow lure, and really would not have been my first choice. Seems to get as much action as any black lure I throw right next to, or in front of.
Edited by Reef Hawg 3/31/2005 4:12 PM
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Posts: 723
| Kind of wierd that I heard from a lot of people to never throw a black surface bait while the sun is shining, isn't the point to provide a silhouette for the fish to see?
I like color anyway, and throw a variety of it rather than just black. But I definitely feel that topwater has more to do with noise or the wake it puts out rather than the color though. |
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| paint the BOTTOM of the surface lure black, so the FISH can see it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, paint the TOP of the surface lure bright yellow or orange, so YOU can see it -------- good luck this year -------------- Rocky Martino |
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Posts: 90
Location: Florence, Wisconsin | The only reason I put yes is because I am excited to throw some of Lelure's new firefly series this season!
Bo |
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Posts: 1046
| If you are only using black, you are just plain missing out! Color of surface baits makes a huge difference. Black is the least color I throw! |
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Posts: 203
| The B-2 bomber was originally painted grey but was repainted black.. stealth technology is designed to escape radar not vision.. these aircraft are so high up you arent able to see them anyway. They could paint them pink and the job would still get done.. As far as lure color, always bet on black( wesley snipes) But I have caught all kinds of fish on all kinds of colors - does it really matter - only Mr. Esox knows for sure. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I've found that fish tend to miss black more often then "colored" topwater. I've had a couple days where I'm getting fish blowing up on black, have then gone over the same spot 10 min later with a "hot" color and the fish usually get hooked.
For me topwater has to be a hot color or have a degree of flash to it. Flash in topwater baits is very under-rated.
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I tossed a Dog Turd for years that was either black or brown, what ever color touch up paint I got with my K-Dee trailer. I caught bunch of fish on that thing.
I've tossed about every color I can think of, and really didn't notice much difference. One thing to remember, since the sky is the background, dark day, black, sunny day, bright. |
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Posts: 4266
| Like every other lure that I throw, I like contrast.
I do have several black topwaters, but they don't seem to outproduce the striped or dotted ones that I throw.
Beav |
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Posts: 56
| It's funny this topic is going on the very day I just finished painting a black belly on a blaze orange/tiger stripe Bobbie Bait. We give fish too much credit for deciphering all the intricatelly painted baits used to catch the fishermen. My opinion..
Steve |
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| Dark day is all the better to throw somethinf other than black. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | sorry, or 'what?' or whomever you want to be,
Really? OK, Muskies look what direction, all the time?
Up.
What is the background against which the bait has to contrast, and not blend in?
The sky.
On a dark day, why is it dark?
Clouds.
What color are clouds?
White to light grey
What color contrasts with White best?
Black.
Sorry, back.
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Posts: 3
| I have heard that orange is the best contrast to blue, but I am not sure? |
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| For low light conditions, or cloudy days I'm pretty much committed to black, but on bright sunny days I like white. Firetiger has also been a good producer.
Contrast and some color can make a big difference. I have a black Jackpot that I used for years with almost not action. Then I painted a thin orange line on the belly. Every since that bait has been a good producer.
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Conversely:
When one has a bright day, the blue sky is the background. From just a couple feet down, the sky becomes increasingly darker to violet because the light penetrating the surface is absorbed and refracted. The blue to violet background will beg a 'bright' bait for contrast.
At sunset, no matter the sky conditions, the surface takes on a strange ambient light dim 'glow' as the sun angle drops and much of the available light is reflected back from the surface. Black OR white shows up well. Dirty water, then this doesn't matter much anyway, and I'd stay to black. |
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Posts: 600
Location: West Bend, WI | Thanks for all the great info.I do have other colors than black,but as long as I have a black one I'm cool.Now I have a better understanding on what,when. I'm thinking you only need black,white,chart.green and orange Bellys.How does water clarity and depth come into play with the sky?Do you take this into account when judging the sky? |
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