How important is the color and detail on the top of a surface plug? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Swimmer · 08-21-2006, 11:09 AM

I always thought placing eyes on the top and bottom of a plug as opposed to either side might be more effective figuring that the fish might see the eye more readily. From a color perspective I can recall from a physical ocean science class that red is the first color in the sprectrum to disappear as something red is submerged, but it is an enormously popular color on surface lures and swimmers. As you said Mike the smoother the waters surface is the greater the clarity, but the biggest fish I have ever landed on surface plugs were caught in the worst weather. Sometimes being so bad that I have no idea how the fish found the plug to hit it in the first place. A now deceased anti-fishing co-worker of mine said a few years ago after a visit to a tackle shop with his grandson that the colors on those fishing lures are meant to attract you into purchasing them first and catching fish second. Thier is some truth to that.

Flaptail · 08-21-2006, 11:29 AM

Color does matter, don't exactly know why, especially in the dark. What I do know is that you have captured perfectly the effect known as Snell's Window. That is how fish see anything on the surface. They can feel or sense it long before it comes into there circle of vision created by light refracting on a 45 degree angle when it hits the water. Depending on depth and clarity of water ( our northern waters being so rich in plankton etc that's why it's green in appearence) the fish have less range of vision to the surface. the shallower the smaller the cone around them. You can see them at fifty yards but often they can't see you until right near your feet or just shy of the boat. Works well in flats fishing especially when wading and sneaking up on fish. All you have to do is stay low to the water. It works especially well in Striped bass as they spend most time looking up. It's the way their eyes are positioned on thier heads and add the semi binocular vision. Cool pics thanks!

JHABS · 08-21-2006, 01:13 PM

Color Matters, But I always start with White.

BigFish · 08-21-2006, 01:28 PM

Color in my opinion matters but I believe mostly fish see shades of light and dark aka contrasting shades. Some days fish will annihilate yellow over white and not even look at anything else! As for eyes.....I do not believe in the eyes in the rear mentality.....many of the plugs I fish I catch the fish on the belly hooks as opposed to the tail hooks....I believe fish strike the head first or at least stripers anyway!

Redsoxticket · 08-21-2006, 01:54 PM

Oh yeah, Snell's Law. For example, the boundary between earths atmosphere and outer space which are two different mediums would require a space shuttle traveling at a calculated percise angle (using snells law equation) so that the transition from one atmosphere does not result in the shuttle bouncing back towards earth or the shuttle deflecting in outerspace. The "window" angle is when the entry angle at the boundary is the same as the exit angle on the otherside of the boundary. This angle is a combination of the critical reflection coefficients angle of each of the two sufaces.

This applies to any two different mediums for example "water and air".

If the top of the plug is on the boundary of air and water then snells window does not apply because the light rays will bounce into the air and not the water. However, if submerged well that may be when color gets reflected into the water and snells window will apply

Flaptail · 08-21-2006, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redsoxticket

Oh yeah, Snell's Law. For example, the boundary between earths atmosphere and outer space which are two different mediums would require a space shuttle traveling at a calculated percise angle (using snells law equation) so that the transition from one atmosphere does not result in the shuttle bouncing back towards earth or the shuttle deflecting in outerspace. The "window" angle is when the entry angle at the boundary is the same as the exit angle on the otherside of the boundary. This angle is a combination of the critical reflection coefficients angle of each of the two sufaces.

This applies to any two different mediums for example "water and air".

If the top of the plug is on the boundary of air and water then snells window does not apply because the light rays will bounce into the air and not the water. However, if submerged well that may be when color gets reflected into the water and snells window will apply

Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!