Bass Fishing Hacks
Simple Hacks and Tips to Help You Catch More Bass
What colors do bass see?
Bass have two sets of cones in their eyes that have evolved to see red and green. They can distinguish between red and green color combinations and shades of those two colors quite well. However, they cannot distinguish between black, blue and brown. Those colors all look the same to a bass. They cannot distinguish between bright colors like chartreuse and white either. Your spinnerbait with a white head and a chartreuse skirt looks all white to a bass.
All of those pretty colors and color combinations that you will see at your local tackle shop are all designed to catch the eye of bass fishermen. The bass themselves cannot distinguish between most of those colors. Now we know why watermelon, green pumpkin and black lures work so well.
Us humans have 3 sets of cones in our eyes. That is why we can distinguish red and green so well just like the bass can. BUT we have an additional set of cones that evolved so that we can see blues as well. When a bass sees a rainbow it can only distinguish the red, orange, yellow and green part of the visible light spectrum. The blue, indigo and violet look the same to them.
I am a Bass Fishing Charter Guide on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been catching bass in the ponds, lakes and canals all over Florida for the last 40 years. In the article below, I will teach you everything that I know about the best colors for different bass fishing scenarios.
Let’s get started.
What is the best color of lure for bass on a cloudy day?
Darker lures work better on cloudy days because there is more contrast with a dark lure against the cloudy sky. The bass can find this lure easily because it is a solid black silhouette against a lighter background is very easy for the bass to locate and attack that lure efficiently.
That is why your black soft plastic lures and your darker spinner baits and hard plastic lures work so well on stormy days. You have to remember that the bass are looking up from underneath your lures and the sky is the back drop for them.
What is the best color of lure for bass on a sunny day?
Translucent lures work the best on sunny days. That is why watermelon colored lures work so well on sunny days. The see through qualities of the light green color of the watermelon soft plastics are well within the visual range of the bass. They can see most shades of green and red.
Tie on a watermelon colored soft plastic or a translucent hard plastic lure on those bright and clear days on the water and you will optimize your chances of catch a ton of bass.
What is the best color lure for bass in stained and dirty water?
Stained water calls for a dark green lure like green pumpkin. Those soft plastic lures are more opaque than than watermelon colored ones so the bass can see the contrast against the stained water better.
If the water is really dirty or muddy then you need to go with something black for the best results. Remember that black, blue and purple look basically the same to a bass so why bother having those three colors in your tackle box. Pick one and start catching bass with it.
What is the best color lure for bass in clear water?
The best color for a soft plastic bait in clear water conditions is watermelon. The bass can see the green coloring well and the translucence of the bait gives it a much more natural presentation.
A lightly colored hard bait like a white spinnerbait or a lightly colored translucent crankbait is the way to go for fishing very clearn waters.
Can bass see in the dark?
It is the rods in the eyes that help creatures see well in the dark. Those are the black and white contrast sight enablers whereas the cones are all about seeing different colors. Bass have plenty of rods in their eyes which means that they can see at night.
You will want to throw a dark colored lure if you decide to go bass fishing at night. The contrast against the starlit sky is what you are going for. Fishing with a black top water lure for bass during a full moon is a blast if you have never done it before.
The same rule of thumb goes for any sort of saltwater fishing that you do at night too. A redfish, speckled trout, snook or a tarpon are more apt to hit a black lure at night.
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