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| Yesterday I was out fishing and I caught a lot of perch in the 9" range on a jig and minnow looking for crappies and had a lot of smaller perch stealing bait. Different shore lines, same result. With the northern opener this weekend, I wonder if I should be throwing perch colored baits, or go in the opposite direction, give them something completely different. Frankly, with the amount of perch apparently available, thinking whatever I throw it should be something that looks easier to catch like a jerk bait, twitch bait. Any input would be appreciated. |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | I think you're guess is as good as anybody's. Personally I don't think color matters much. Something that stands out in the water color you're fishing makes more sense to me. |
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| Kirby Budrow - 5/24/2023 11:39 AM
I think you're guess is as good as anybody's. Personally I don't think color matters much. Something that stands out in the water color you're fishing makes more sense to me.
Thanks. One I have had some luck with early in the season is a Shallow Invader in kind of a clown color bought a show. Changing speeds as opposed to jerking it. Quick burst, followed by a brief pause then, slow reel, burst, etc. |
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Posts: 1183
| You can't go wrong throwing Perch patterned lures or something barred like a Jailbird. Perch are everywhere and the barred/Perch bait have a nice contrast. That goes for Muskie lures or Bass/Walleye type lures too. |
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Posts: 357
| ive always liked to "pattern" match, so in the case of perch something with some bars but maybe in some different colors than an actual perch so that it stands out.
same for shad, cisco etc. |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | North of 8 - 5/24/2023 11:42 AM
Kirby Budrow - 5/24/2023 11:39 AM
I think you're guess is as good as anybody's. Personally I don't think color matters much. Something that stands out in the water color you're fishing makes more sense to me.
Thanks. One I have had some luck with early in the season is a Shallow Invader in kind of a clown color bought a show. Changing speeds as opposed to jerking it. Quick burst, followed by a brief pause then, slow reel, burst, etc.
For sure. I don't see anything wrong with perch colors. Muskies love perch. But I will say that if you throw a shallow invader in front of a fish, it will have the same reaction whether it's black, white, perch, pink, whatever. That's my observation anyway. Now factor in daylight availability and water color and you can start throwing in different color options. Maybe it doesn't even matter to the fish but maybe a certain color helps you see the bait better so you know you're working it correctly. Or maybe the fish can't see it, but they feel it so they bite it anyway. It's just too hard of a question to get a solid answer. I do, however, think that baits with flash can make a difference.
Don't get me wrong, I have my favorite colors. But I am not convinced that they make a difference. I throw them because I know I've caught fish on them in the past. And I do lean toward natural colors. |
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| Kirby Budrow - 5/24/2023 12:42 PM
North of 8 - 5/24/2023 11:42 AM
Kirby Budrow - 5/24/2023 11:39 AM
I think you're guess is as good as anybody's. Personally I don't think color matters much. Something that stands out in the water color you're fishing makes more sense to me.
Thanks. One I have had some luck with early in the season is a Shallow Invader in kind of a clown color bought a show. Changing speeds as opposed to jerking it. Quick burst, followed by a brief pause then, slow reel, burst, etc.
For sure. I don't see anything wrong with perch colors. Muskies love perch. But I will say that if you throw a shallow invader in front of a fish, it will have the same reaction whether it's black, white, perch, pink, whatever. That's my observation anyway. Now factor in daylight availability and water color and you can start throwing in different color options. Maybe it doesn't even matter to the fish but maybe a certain color helps you see the bait better so you know you're working it correctly. Or maybe the fish can't see it, but they feel it so they bite it anyway. It's just too hard of a question to get a solid answer. I do, however, think that baits with flash can make a difference.
Don't get me wrong, I have my favorite colors. But I am not convinced that they make a difference. I throw them because I know I've caught fish on them in the past. And I do lean toward natural colors.
Water is very dark, tannic stained. And I do tend toward fire tiger and other bright colors so I can see the bait a little better, even a perch colored glider, Phantom, has an orange tail.
Edited by North of 8 5/24/2023 12:54 PM
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Posts: 1184
| I also think color is less important. I would think that anything with contrasting bars, with a similar size and shape of the perch you are seeing, would get some attention, whether it might be rubber, lipped crank, no lip glide/jerk, or bladed. |
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Location: PA Angler | I would start with perch colors then if nothing go to the other lures. |
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Posts: 304
| ‘Color’ is interesting and a bit confusing to me. Like Kirby not sure it matters most of the time although research shows some colors are more visible to fish.
On the other hand research also seems to show that ‘barred’’ fish are harder for them to see -labeled ‘disruptive camoflage’ if memory serves. To me,the barred baits should be more visible(contrast) but…???
I do know lotsa my fish come on perch(barred) patterns and a couple of my biggest have been caught on jailbird patterns. |
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Posts: 357
| here is a perch example for me. i have a few early season spots where I've been able to move some fish on perch-colored gliders. and you see lots of these smaller perch up shallow and often times a pack of them follow your bait.
this is a swimbait / glide bait i built recently for myself for the above scenario, its a new bait build so i didn't get super intricate with paint, but it flashes well, has basic colors in the fire tiger / perch category, but is neither pattern exactly.
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 RJ Glide Bait 2.jpg (48KB - 32 downloads)
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Posts: 32788
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Compound colors complicate things as there's no way to know how the paint color is mixed. Place three very similar-looking perch-colored baits from three builders on a window sill or line outside and check them from sunset to when you can't see them anymore.
Keep in mind water is a 'color filter' that breaks down light (think rainbow, and that's through rain, not solid water). From hours staring at an Aqua-Vu, the vertical bar coloration definitely is harder to see in any weed cover at all, but seems to be about equal in open water until low light conditions. Bluegills are harder to see in low light than crappies under any conditions, for example. Using a very light-sensitive camera, the only days I can see color are the brighter days, and by sunset, it's gone. If there's not enough light for a high-def lens like that made for underwater viewing to see there's literally no color.
Contrast and motion seem to be the deal. Like Doug says, if it moves it's food. |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | I remember one Musky Hunter Episode many years ago with Bill Sandy on lake of the woods where Saric asked him about color selection with cowgirls. Bill said it doesn't matter. He just grabs one and throws it until it wears out. That kind of stuck with me and lake of the woods is known for muskies being picky with colors. Always had to be black and gold among a couple others. But he was throwing a blue/nickel. I think Bill probably knows what he's talking about but I don't think Saric really liked his answer. |
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